By Patson Chilemba
Hakainde Hichilema must withdraw the chi..la insult and apologise, says his alliance partner Chishimba Kambwili.
However, Kambwili has urged the PF to stop practicing double standards, urging the party leadership to apply the same vigor in condemning their own members who insult like Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) and the youths who sung Kambwili stany..o walyuba impali at the party secretariat.
Speaking with Daily Revelation on UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema’s insult during a campaign rally, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leader asked his opposition alliance partner to apologise.
“No it is unfortunate (the insult) but you know in politics sometimes you act under impulse, and innocence. So mistakes can be made he’s not exceptional. He’s not exempted from making mistakes. That statement was unfortunate but I think sometimes when you are on the platform, the emotions come in but you need to control emotions,” Kambwili said. “What was said was unfortunate but at the same time you must know that it’s not his mother tongue, probably somebody could have advised him that that is how you speak in Bemba land. So it’s unfortunate but I think it’s something can be not insurmountable…just apologise”
However, Kambwili said the insults would not draw away from the opposition support in the by-elections.
“By the way I’m not trying to justify the wrong, but you know that that language in Bemba land is taken as normal, they say malumbo in Bemba land. It’s unfortunate it should not be said where there are children but Bemba tradition those things are taken as amalumbo to us,” Kambwili said. “If you ask Bembalists they will tell you that such things are a by-the-way that people will not bother so much about, but we have to look at which angle he used that language, I am already being told that in his language it means a well.”
Kambwili said Hichilema could probably not have known the seriousness or the implication of his statement, therefore he could be given the benefit of doubt, but the overriding factor is that he must withdraw it and apologise.
While asking Hichilema to apologise, Kambwili at the same time called out the hypocrisy of the PF leadership, which has welcomed back and given a position to GBM, who was on record as having told Chilufya Tayali to record his insults for broadcast to the world.
“Tell everyone that I (GBM) have told you chi..la chobe and post it. Tayali threw it on social media, did PF condemn that? The same Godfrey Mwamba who went to insult openly they received him and gave him a position as vice-chairperson mobilization. So what is good for the goose should be good for the gander,” he said.
He said both Hichilema, GBM and the others who insulted deserved to be condemned, but the PF had decided to pick on the UPND leader not because they were against insults, but because it was good for their political capital.
“The SG (secretary general Davies Mwila) and all those people who were singing Kambwili stany..o walyuba impali, watobela it.le lyobe, who condemned from PF? Tell me who condemned. Those boys came to Luanshya insulted my mother openly they are the same boys they use everyday, even in Kasama they are the ones who were beaten,” said Kambwili. “They haven’t taken disciplinary action (against the boys who insulted me) but they want to cry the loudest on this issue of HH. I was insulted, my mother was insulted and videos are still around. And the same people go to the secretariat and they are seen with the secretary general and everybody. No action has ever been taken but you want to take the Hakainde thing like it is out of this world.”