THE Government has criticised some opposition political parties who have continued to stay away from national celebrations even after being invited to the events.
Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said it was sad that some opposition leaders had continued to stay away and called on them to separate their differences from national activities.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha, who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, was speaking in an interview during the Africa Freedom Day celebrations held at the showgrounds in Lusaka yesterday.
Gen Shikapwasha wondered why some opposition leaders who were so vocal had failed to differentiate between political functions and national events.
“We are not bothered by the opposition staying away from national events but if they claim to be popular why have they continued to ignore such important gatherings and what assurance is there that they are not capable of cancelling such important events given a chance to govern the affairs of the nation,” he asked?
[pullquote]
Gen Shikapwasha wondered why some opposition leaders who were so vocal had failed to differentiate between political functions and national events.[/pullquote]
He said it was clear that some opposition leaders were ignorant and did not understand events such as the Africa Freedom Day, which had brought about freedom not only in Zambia but Africa as a whole.
The minister urged the opposition leaders to reflect on their action and that the MMD Government remained committed to dialogue with every person despite their status or political affiliation.
The Government would continue to embrace the peace and unity which the country had enjoyed over the years.
Tribute was also paid to political parties in the country which had showed leadership and continued to attend such events each time they were invited.
Among some notable people who attended the celebrations were former secretary-general of UNIP Grey Zulu, freedom fighter Sikota Wina and his wife Princess Nakatindi.
[Times of Zambia]
Eyo Shikapwaha ta kuli uku Zembayika. These guys the pact mean business., Keep inviting ka Chiluba and we will see who will have the last luagh. If they are seen with you bandits it is bad PR.
iwe chi Rupia Bwezani why did u touch the cake with your bare dirty hands? come next year SATA/HH will be in state house!
What can the country expect from a failed legion of anti zambians who depend on Guy Scott and Given Lubinda to value what is African?
Guy scot and Given Lubinda did not clear them to embrace anything African buy Bibi nabwana yakumbuyu from Western europe.
Veteran#3 and #4 just shut up !! u,a such a dull chap !! u,a very useless !!
We from the pact don’t associate with THIEVES, BANDITS in the name of william, and the likes of big nose…..what is there to celebrate with them?? Chibeleshi!!! ala, jst keep on inviting thieves and parading with them that way so that the people of Zambia knows who means real business.
“He said it was clear that some opposition leaders were ignorant and did not understand events such as the Africa Freedom Day, which had brought about freedom not only in Zambia but Africa as a whole”.
This is muddled thinking. Africa Freedom Day did not bring about any freedom in Zambia or anywhere else. Rather people fought and struggled for freedom and once they had got a certain measure of it, they designated a day to comemorate their hard earned freedom.
Certain opposition leaders are not attending such functions, presumably because at these functions our leaders in government have chosen to strengthen the hand of thieves, to promote them, and to be their companions. I guess the opposition leaders would want to show that they are on the defrauded ordinary people’s side. Simple.
….with those same old boring speeches i wouldn’t attend either8->
Ronnie you just come back from the U.N where you were snoozing on taxpayer kwachas.
H.H has been in America for 18 days.
Did he miss a MMD party or two?
I’m sure the MMD mole will update him on the gossip that he missed.
Ka veterran just shut your useless racist trap
Did you see the Presidents of the opposition that attended the African Freedom day Celebrations? Its pathetic. I dont even know why they were even paraded . Shame on you two who displayed your foolishness. Parties just for you and your children and you call it opposition party! We want serious opostion not you pick on a Kabova and say opposition MMD are you not ashamed, even a blind person would see that they were just there to eat because they are hungry.Real oposition cannot attend such rubish especially that Kafupi was there.A big thief.
we struggled for freedom so useless chaps like veteran could eat all our money
Shikapwasha has a ponit. We need to move on in our politics where the Country should be more importnt that out secterian or party interests. This change needs to come from both the opposition and rulling party. We should develop a belief that political opponents are not bitter foes but competing siblings. This we see when there is funeral , the different political players tend to show a good amount of tolerance
Just celebrate with FTJ Chiluba and his “Tandem of Thieves” whilst the majority Zambians continue suffering and living in abject poverty.
We are getting nearer to 2011 and not even your calls of desperation will save you.
And how much was spent in this FEAST whilst the number of street kids sleeping in the farrows increases?
Do you guys look out through your tinted glass vehicles as you drive on the roads? If you do, then do you think you deserve another term in government?
You are really shameless.
Good Morning
Much as I underrated his IQ for releasing an ambigous statement the other day that “traffic jams are an indication of economic boom”, I must say Mr. Shikapwasha is right on this one today.
United we stand and divided we fall. The opposition may pursue their individual political agenda but when it comes to national events like Africa Freedom Day, they must be ready to put all their differences aside for the sake of African Unity. Things will only start to get better for the masses when African leaders seriously work together to address their common problems and remove the colonial structures besetting their countries.
Hon Rev Ronnie is “not bothered” by opposition shying away such events. But is still inviting them to attend the same tuma meeting todyelapo ndalama.I dont understand.There is nothing to be talked about even during freedom day except to attack one another. I wonder what these same meetings are for if not one of those corktail ones that end up in night clubs thereafter. Or to exhibition themselves in their laden bellies and “beautiful” faces. Old men and women’s beauty pageant!!!!
What freedom? When people are being threatened by one Wille B, the vigillant. What freedom when the courts are being run on phone. What freedom when the IG can run away from the thuggery of MMD. We have failed to imancipate ourselves from our own shuckles.
Its ok, come 2011. All we need is some sort of…
Mule @ 14. Do you honestly believe that the opposition leaders who boycotted this event are not beneficiaries of the system. Or were not in what you call the tandem of thieves. Dont you know that they also move in tinted vehicles. And do you think if they ascend to power, they wont celebrate Africa Freedom day? or they will celebrate it diferently??
#3 Veteran- Come down to earth iwe Chitole chobe. These functions are MMD not National. We on the Copperbelt have seen how MMD cadres harrass mayors from the opposition each time they go to well come the so called President. Sata and HH are only avoiding causing problems from your rotten cadres. This you know but you pretend otherwise. By the way there is this MMD UCZ Rev who is causing mahyem in Matero- I see you have not said anything.
RB loves food. Look at the wife salivating
#15 Nine Chale,
Yes, when it comes to national events we are expected to put our heads together in unity BUT the problem is this, the current GRZ leadership does not recognise the opposition at all, they would rather associate with known criminals like Chiluba, the MMD consultant and his wife. It’s only in Zambia where a man who has commited so much crime against his country is embraced and given prominence. The opposition refuse to associate with Chiluba who Zambians believe is merely on bail pending trial.
i remember during Mwanawasa’ s reign Chiluba never used to attend state functions, why now….can someone answer because he has even stopped going for review in south africa
# 21, you dont need to guess further as to why…we all know in our hearts why this change.. just wait a bit, after 2011, he will have heart problems again and he will start going for medical reviews.just wait..NALEKA..!!
😮 The chap is a trickstar indeed. one diplomat once described chiluba as a small bag full of tricks. chiluba appears to have found the perfect fool in president Banda.He tried it on Levy Mwanawasa back the scheme back fired right in his face.Now he can afford to poke fun on all those who he felt had humiliated him during the reign of Mwanawasa.Now he is using president Banda to sort out all those who had championed Levi’s corruption fight.it is a matter of time before George Kunda is kicked out at the instigation of chiluba. The chap is back in business as usual only that this time around he is using the perfect pony. [-(
# 18, I conquer with you. All the national events have been transformed into MMD events and it is very difficult to know or tell which functions are MMD functions and which ones are national functions. So how can you expect the opposition to attend such functions? They are not ready to be harrassed by untamed and aggressive MMD cadres.
How I hate these cheap women who embarrass themselves with immoral dancing for the President! Why can’t you go and dance for you husbands or children because they also want to be entertained. Banamayo please, you are dainting the dignity of women!
The chap is a trickstar indeed. one diplomat once described chiluba as a small bag full of tricks. chiluba appears to have found the perfect fool in president Banda.He had tried it on Levy Mwanawasa but the scheme back fired right in his face.Now he can afford to poke fun on all those who he felt had humiliated him during the reign of Mwanawasa.Now he is using president Banda to sort out all those who had championed Levi’s corruption fight.it is a matter of time before George Kunda is kicked out at the instigation of chiluba. The chap is back in business as usual only that this time around he is using the perfect pony.
Ba Shikapwasha, an invitation can be accepted or turned down. It is all part of individual rights and freedoms, or simply put: that’s democracy for you…. Why the whinning?[-(
ITS OFFICIAL, KATELE AND FIVE OTHERS ARE GOING TO JAIL AS THEY HAVE BEEN CONVICTED BY THE HIGH COURT. WARNING TO RB TO STAY CLEAR OF WOUNDED ANIMALS SUCH AS KAFUPI
Honourable Ronnie, didn’t you read my post on LT the otehr day? I told you that certain well known opposition leaders cannot attend those functions simply because they envy being in State House. They would rather be the ones cutting the cake and getting all the attention. Very childish of course but who does not know them? That is why even the PACT will never be launched. How could it when they can’t agree on a leader? If HH is picked then he will be cutting the cake in Stae House and Sata and his supporters will not stand that, and vice versa. What you see in the PACT translates onto the national stage: simple, pure selfishness and greed.
By the way what has happened to the Red Card? Was I right when I said that Girassoli’s statement was a watershed for those who attempted to abuse the Catholic Church in Zambia for their selfish political ends, and I predicted that it was just a matter of time before the message sank into “father” Bwalya’s head?
Awe, imwe takanyeni. Is it true that opposition are really invited or is this just another swipe at them. You and I have not been shown any of those invitation cards, no witnesses to say “yes, I personally handed an invitation card to opposition party so and so who refused the invitation” They should show us pictures or videos of the invitations and of the refusals, if any. Otherwise, all this is just rhetoric. Taba fwaya abanabo ukulya ko ama keki!
As public servants, they should account for every expense, so ayo ama party yabo are just excuses to get fat – they do not want us telling them off for being greedy p.i.g.s. [-(
Without the Catholic Church, the “father” has no base to spring from. Well, let’s not lose our guard, these guys with their Mmembe/Post can be deadly and vicious when they are losing, as all dying horses are. But all progressive Zambians should remain vigilant and continue to blog these guys senseless. Never mind the insults, it is no more than strategic intimidation to silence us so that they appear to be in the majority.
:(:(:( Reverend General Shikapwasha, don’t people have aright to choose which functions they want to attend? KK went to Ghana to celebrate Africa Freedom Day, why didn’t you condemn him also? After all he is the only former president known to have given his people slave working salaries and working conditions by introducing expatriate conditions and cutting Zambians’ salaries because he felt black Zambians did not need money but freedom. Freedom from what Ba KK?? Shame on you KK. I will never respect You KK for what you did which is still hapening even now and nobody should sell to me the nonsence of founding father for I am a very bitter person. I will only live once. If it was not for KK’s bad mistake in 1966 I would not be suffering today overseas in the cold weather.
Ok walanda bane fyapwa.
veteran. ulichipuba sana
veteran, chakuti chobe
# 4 Chi Veteran You are a mother “F” YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO THE JUNGLE where you belong
#16, you have said it all. There is no freedom for which sensible people should celebrate, especially in Zambia where MMD thugs like William Banda are unleashed on opposition supporters. There is no need for opposition leaders to dignify such meaningless functions through their attendance.
#37 You think that attendance by HH and Sata would dignify these functions? The contrary is probably true and maybe the two political misfits should continue to stay away.
#22, What will happen after 2011? If your answer is that PACT will be in power hehe hehe, awe mwandi.