COSTA MWANSA’S DEFENCE OF NAKACHINDA’S ‘BIKA MATAKO PANSHI’ COMMENT CRITICISED.

By Costain Chanda

Diamond TV’s Costa Mwansa’s defence of PF’s Spokesperson Raphael Nakachinda’s use of a Bemba idiom ‘Bika Matako’ panshi on Republican President Hakainde Hichilema, has been severely criticised by readers.

Most readers who responded to Diamond TV’s ‘Diamond Insight’ resented the idea that Bemba idioms must be used as a standard of instruction for institutional discourse. Others felt idioms must not be used out of context especially against those in top national leadership like the Presidency.

Zambia is a deeply conservative society that draws its moral compass on the respect for eldership and those in authority.

While in opposition, President Hakainde Hichilema used a Tonga idiom ‘Pa Munyoko’ advising the people he was addressing at a rally to reject PF bribes of gifts and instead tell them to ‘Pa Munyoko’, a Tonga adage that translates as ‘give your friend’ or ‘give your sister or brother’. The PF government insisted it was an insult to non Tonga speakers.

Here are some of the responses to Costa Mwansa’s defence of Raphael Nakachinda:

Sam L Namuwa:

These are primitive idioms. And if it sounds right in bemba, use it to your fellow bembas because such idioms are clearly insults to some of us who are not bembas. Don’t impose your bemba idioms on the whole nation please. Use them to yourselves. Eg in my language Lenje, I can’t tell my father or any elderly person such an idiom on them, it’s an insult. Let’s respect our diversity and acknowledge the fact that what might seem to be right in one culture may not be so in another, hence we need to navigate and tolerate one another from across different cultures. Simple!
This analysis is wrong because it is presupposing that we are all bembas and therefore must be subjected to bemba idioms even when they are insults to us.

Paul Monde:

You as a journalist must understand that Nakacinda was wrong. You’ve done communication skills. There’s what we call informal and formal way of communicating. Some of the says are suitable to friends and children and those are informal expressions. Since Nakacinda isn’t a freind to HH, the president, it was totally wrong for to say what he said. He was supposed to be as fomal as possible not being as careless as he was.

Dawin Sichimba:

I’m just wondering if the boss Costa Mwansa would be happy if that statement is used by his junior say, Andrew Mwansa Fanpage when being corrected. It’s totally informal and can only be used when correcting a younger/junior person but it’s equivalent to an insult if used on an older/senior person. I can’t tell my father, when he’s wrong, ati “Daddy tekeni amatako panshi…”
So the context really matters, it’s always informal no matter who it is used against, but even worse when used against an older/senior person

Kennedy Bwalya:

Mr Costa Mwansa , I’m very much disappointed with your analysis, it’s not every idioms or sayings we use to everyone, no,. Some idioms are specifically used to young people when elders trying to tell / teach the young ones & not vice versa….we don’t use idioms anyhow ( that’s totally an insult) u can’t tell your parents that ”bikeni amatako panshi” that’s disrespectful.
In bemba there some sayings or idioms u can use to your fellow age mates & not to the elderly people.

Micheal Sichan’gama:

Costa this justification is something else, because in whatever sense this idiom is met to insult and demean someone.

Miyombo E Miyombo:

Why does this analysis sound like idiomatic expressions are associated with Bemba?

Chris Kalyata:

Foolish analysis can you tell your farther or Mother at bika amatako panshi please Costa we know you supported pf government and its paining but I ask you go and tell your farther like that if you take that as normal say not the President, HH is a good man who wants peace and he told pf that don’t start what we are trying to manage please you go and tell Nakachinda to tell his father like that if it will a normal proverb Costa don’t push the government too much for giving you media that freedom

Muma Nduba Nkhaka:

So Ba Costa can you actually use those Bemba Idioms on Paramount Chief Chitimukulu ahi. If you cannot then you shouldn’t use it on any elderly person from anywhere in this Country period.

Mupapu Mundalu Mwenzamilonga Chizyuka:

So according to you Costa any idiom must be used on a ruler! According to you idioms where such words as mputi what what should have been taught in class to children to avoid what is happening to binoculars man. According to your reasoning, if an insult was used by kapwepwe in some idiom it ceases to be one. Come on! Serve us from this line thinking! If freedom fighter SMK turns for Raphael’s looseness of mouth, then he has nothing to turn around for, he could as well rotate on! Spare him this nonsense. May he rest on please.

Alick Muyanga:

In as much as it sounds funny, I feel that some idioms should be used carefully and in proper context.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here