BINWELL PLEDGES TO TONE DOWN LANGUAGE IN PARLEY
NKANA Independent Member of Parliament Binwell Mpundu has pledged to moderate his language and avoid using expressions that may be deemed insulting during parliamentary debates.
Mpundu, who was recently suspended from Parliament for 14 days over unparliamentary remarks directed at Mongu Central MP Oliver Amutike, made the promise when he featured on KBN’s The Big Hour programme on Wednesday.
He said he would endeavour to remain calm in the face of provocation but complained that ruling UPND MPs often treated opposition members unfairly.
“Ba Moses, I am going to promise you, because you have said we need to moderate our language. I will avoid certain statements that would be labelled insulting. I want to promise on a public national broadcast, on a public platform, that if statements said in my language, which I believe are not insulting, would be labelled as such by other people, I promise you I will desist from using such statements. But I want you to know there are certain words I have used with conviction that they do not mean insults. However, because you have complained that the language sometimes goes overboard, I will try. I will ensure that I moderate my reaction to provocation. But you must know that the ruling MPs don’t treat us right,” Mpundu said.
The outspoken lawmaker accused the UPND of discriminating against opposition members both inside and outside Parliament, saying they were being treated like “second-class citizens.”
“We are treated like second-class citizens by the UPND in Parliament and outside. Are we protected? No. In fact, we even weep more for complaining. We are suspended for doing nothing. Sadly, we in the opposition are being taken to jail even for not committing a crime. Munir, for example, Munir Zulu, was taken to jail without committing a crime. You know MPs have immunities for any statements they make, provided those statements are made within what they call the precincts of Parliament. The precincts of Parliament include the main parliamentary building, the Chamber, and the perimeter, including where we sleep in the motel. Munir Zulu is in jail for a statement he made within the precincts. We took the magistrate to Parliament so that he could see where Munir made the statement, but he went ahead and handed the sentence to Munir Zulu,” he said.
Mpundu said he was aware of “secret meetings” allegedly being held to plan his arrest but insisted that he was not afraid of being jailed or persecuted for his political stance.
“Jail was meant for people. The people that fought for the independence of this country, some died. But it took sacrifices. Some of us have staked our necks. Be it that we are killed today, be it that we are taken to jail, it will be worth it because this country and the people of Zambia are worth fighting for. I know there are secret meetings being held where they are saying, ‘Why didn’t you take him to jail? What is happening?’ I know that’s what they are planning. Am I scared? No! Is it worth it? Yes, it is. Don’t I need to safeguard myself and my family? I do. But who is going to stand for the country if I am a coward?” he asked.
“Imagine if our forefathers were cowardly, where would we be today? We would still be under colonial rule. So please, Ba Joseph, continue to pray for me, but don’t just pray for me, continue to pray for my family because I am ready. I am ready to be persecuted. Am I being persecuted for committing wrongs or am I being dragged to court for committing crimes? Certainly not. I think you Zambians know what is happening. What wrong have I done to be taken to jail? Does that bother me? No! If the Son of Man could be killed, who am I? So be it.”
He added that he had no regrets over some of the controversial words he had used in Parliament, such as “Yateke Panshi” and “Ichimutwe”, but acknowledged that there was room for adjustment.
“No, sir, I don’t regret ever saying Yateke Panshi. I will never regret it. I don’t regret calling someone Ichimutwe and I will never regret it. But is there room for us to adjust? That is the commitment I have made. We can adjust, and I can only adjust because it is not sitting well with some people, like what Mr Moses has said. Otherwise, these statements are made with conviction, because even you, I can tell you that Ichimutwe, you also joke about these things. These are normal day-to-day conversations,” said Mpundu.
“It must be stated on national television now that Parliament does not prohibit the use of foreign languages. That is the rule. In Parliament, we have agreed that the language of communication is English, that’s agreed. But Parliament does not prohibit the use of other languages, except there is a general rule: when you use any word that is not in English, you are expected to translate it. And many times, it has happened where somebody will use a Bemba or Tonga adage, and they are expected to explain it at the insistence of the Speaker. The Speaker will say, ‘Meaning?’ and you are expected to translate or explain what that statement means. The statement ‘Yateke Panshi’ is a Bemba phrase which means ‘Can you sit down or relax.’”
News Diggers
That’s the talking which befits the Hon. Member, thank you Hon for that wise pledge.
Lack of wisdom is costly. You end up kicking yourself tight out of Parliament. The real problem is Anger Management.
It is good that punishment has a way of correcting stubbornness. Let us see if the lesson was well learnt meantime the people you represent won’t have the voice they needed. This is what is not good about this.
It is a lie to say “yateke panshi” means can you sit down or relax. Who can be offended by that? The literal translation is “put your buttocks down”. It can also be used to mean something even worse.
Mr. Mpundu should not water down the gravity of his misconduct.