PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON THE OUTBURSTS OF EDUCATION MINISTER DOUGLAS SIAKALIMA
Lusaka, January 2 – Education Minister Mr. Douglas Siakalima must desist from lowering the decorum of the office he occupies by engaging himself in cheap political propaganda and fanning hate speech that has the potential to hurt the popularity of the UPND Government.
To say the UPND has achieved more in 3 years compared to what President Kaunda did in 27 years, is an insult to the memories of our founding father who fought for regional liberation, built the University Teaching Hospital, the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University, the Kariba Dam, Tazama pipeline and many other key legacy infrastructure projects that have continued to sustain the Zambian economy.
I challenge Mr. Siakalima to point at what the UPND has done apart from placing mines in the hands of their friends, running down the economy and increasing the prices of essential commodities including mealie meal, eggs, cooking oil and fuel.
The teachers and health workers that this government claims to have employed are suffering from the unprecedented high cost of living as their meager salaries cannot buy basic commodities under a terribly managed economy by those who claimed to have superior quality of vision.
Mr. Siakalima as a senior member of the ruling party and a minister for that matter, should also desist from using hate speech against fellow Citizens.
Under no circumstances should he be calling other citizens as monkeys. It’s immoral, insulting, cheap politicking and downright lack of inspirational leadership qualities for someone called minister of education.
It’s even more disturbing and troubling that this is not the first time Mr. Siakalima is engaging himself in hate speech.
When he called those of us from the north as suffering from the poverty of the mind, we gave him the benefit of doubt but it is very clear now that the man must be tamed as a matter of urgency. In fact, in a serious Government, Mr. Siakalima should have lost his job a long time ago.
I urge President Hakainde Hichilema to manage Mr. Siakalima as we will not stand by and watch him continue to insult, bully and humiliate other citizens. Failure to discipline a senior cabinet member who is wantonly using and promoting hate speech will mean he represents the views of his appointing authority.
Harry Kalaba
President
Citizens First
I personally feel the honourable Minister of Education was misquoted.Aready I saw where Mr Kalaba claims that Dr Kaunda built Kariba dam.But most people know that the Kariba dam was built before Zambia got it’s independence, and was done by the colonial masters.Probably he was trying to say they behaved like monkeys in the maize field.There is no human being who is a monkey.”These monkeys” was he seeing monkeys when he was speaking? The chances of being misquoted is very high.The English we speak is not an indignant language of our country like Bemba or Luvale, we just got it from our colonial masters as it sounded easier for the purpose of communication among our selves and for education.It is very easy to be misquoted, the Education Minister speaks very fast or it was a sleep of the tongue.We shall ask him to retract and apologize quickly and speak the lungs out on what he intended to say.Mr Milupi must help to listen to what the Minister cousin of his wanted to say to us as people of this country.Fast speakers are vulnerable for the sleep of tongue.
It is a simple understanding. This Siyakalima issue is not what he says watch is arousing BUT it is because he is a Tonga!
There is nothing wrong about his metaphors in Luapula and at his briefing…it is Just to express his thinking.
Manje imwe making it sound like Tongas Vs Bembas all springing from the fact that the Head of State is Tonga so Tongas can say anything and are bullet proof.
THIS IS THE MAJOR CONTENTION kulibe vinangu…..Truth be told!
This has nothing to do with Tongas and Bembas. Am Kaonde by tribe and ba sir, what has blinded you to see the reality? Why do you people always talk about tribalism where there is nothing? Is it right to insult leaders? Because even him one day he will leave office and what is
important is to respect each other and not insulting each other. Do not support what is wrong. Wrong is wrong
Bwana what did Syakalima say?
Quote him and them paraphrase it.
You are Kaonde hiding behind Bwezani? We can make a debate about the rationale behind that.
Lets stop being petty. If you dont understand the language dont blame anyone.
Syakalima referred to theives as moneys. And monkeys as a metaphor.
And even if you didnt understand the context used. Are you a PF thief? If not, then why should you worry? As he did not insult you ( by your definition)
Let Syakalima Clear the air
When a person refers to monkeys in the field that doesn’t mean the people are monkeys rather it is an expression used to illustrate the actions of people who do not care. That illustration by the Minister of Education was meant to explain that the PF regime was full of people whose agenda was stealing and corruption. People should not misinterpret the statement to mean hate speech and it should not be politicised.
Also, when someone says you have a poverty mentality it means the behaviour and actions of that person makes them to think low and they have contributed to the situation they find themselves in.
It is also true to say that majority of Zambians are poor because of having a poverty mentality. Most of us Zambians are lazy, we like begging and getting free things and lastly we are not innovative. We like complaining and waiting for others to things for ourselves. We also lack proper skills in planning and fulfilling our plans at personal level. If you cannot change at personal level or work hard at personal or family level you will continue complaining and blaming the government for your own failures. This is the reason why Zambia despite having abundant natural resources (minerals, land, water bodies, good rainfall, forests and plenty of sunshine) yet majority are still poor and suffering all has do with mentality, attitudes, selfishness, greediness, thieving, ignorance (both educated and uneducated), laziness, dependancy syndrome , begging , inferiority complex, jealous, and poor planning.
In addition, when we change governments and political parties the change only affects a few individuals mostly political appointees. The majority of the people who supposed to implement and carry out the vision of development and change remains the same and unchanged. It is like a person who is changing by putting on different clothes that person is still the same person because putting on different clothes does not transform his or her behaviour, instincts, character, attitude and thinking. In short transform should begin from inner thoughts, attitudes, character and actions and all citizens should be involved then we shall start seeing tangible results. Political transformation is temporary.
If Mr. Siakalima really uttered these words, it is extremely foolish of him. So far no president or party has outdone the achievements of Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda and UNIP. Yes, they also messed up big time.
Iam old enough to make a meaningful comparison between the different administrations that have governed Zambia since attaining our independence. Dr. Kaunda’s team were committed patriots and morally upright, men of integrity. They cared about our country not their stomachs like today’s politicians.
Mr. Siakalima should slow down. This level of excitement can lead to grief (in Bemba we say “insansa shimya ubulanda”, meaning unrestrained excitement can lead to grief).
Even HH is a product of Dr. Kaunda’s free education and I mean free in the true sense of the word. Most of the infrastructure today can be credited to Dr. Kaunda and his team.
This Mr. Siakalima is beginning to sound like PF’s Mr. Kambwili.
Ba JMC you are being emotional and I have always drawn a stable and rational sense of your statements.
What is a metaphor in English ” as in which a quality or characteristic is given to a person or thing by using a name, image, adjective etc normally used of something else which has similar qualities etc. ?
Lets talk? Given that definition, I thought you would see that. I dont write as well as you, but I read and I have learnt alot about you just from you comments which have been very level head and objective but this one awe…lets think again. Even when KK insulted (AND NO ONE EVER CALLED KK ON THAT) and called the perpetrators referred as “stupid idoits”. It was out of exasperation, a feeling of intense irritation or annoyance. Something some of us feel at comments by the likes of Emmanuel Mwamba, Winter Kabimba, Silavwe, Indigo, 2.8 million, Monze Alumus etc. I dont hate them cause I dont know them by the statements can be irritating. That is how I would classify the utterance of the Minister, emotionally unintelligent, but he was saying what he said to bring out the gravity of the damage done to our country by UNPATRIOTIC PF and their cohorts. If you are not a thief was it refer to you? No! Then why do we want to make a big deal about it? Let the thieves get annoyed cause the rendered this country bankrupy. And we also grow up under Kaunda. Whatever you think he achieve he also contributed in destroying this country (be factual). And that is why in such an embarassing manner he was asked to leave the stage. Yes, something were good. But the economy was in a mess by the time he left. So lets not turn Kaunda into a demi God. He was as flawed as all of us. And am critical of some of the things this regime may have not done right, but with a pinch of salt until the end of their term; cause I am reading and learning alot about their efforts from objective critical sources and when I have the oppprtunity to face one of them. I am candid enough to brouch the facts. Without blindly alligent. Your comment today…awe I beg to differ.
Ba Jata, donot defend the indefensible. I have no issues with Mr. Siakalima’s reference to monkeys in a maize field or poverty of the mind. Both can apply to any region in Zambia.
However, I have serious issues with him claiming that UPND has done more in three years than UNIP did in twenty seven years. If you are putting this down to lack of emotional intelligence, that is even more serious. To lead people, you need emotional intelligence not academic intelligence. That is why you find that Hitler literally had rocket scientists reporting to him and closer to home, Professors report to Presidents who are less qualified academically.
If, as you say, the minister lacks emotional or social intelligent, then he is not fit to be a minister. You cannot be a good leader if you lack emotional intelligence. Maybe this explains the storm he is embroiled in. He is a motor mouth. He doesn’t think before he opens his mouth (a good leader does a lot of this). He is a loose cannon and if UPND doesnot reign him in, he will cause a lot of damage. The choice is theirs.
Meant “… rein him in,”
He should not be a Minister… Period!
Zambians should not entertain such nonsense from a senior civil servant. His heart and mouth is full of hate. We don’t need that in our country.
He is embarrassing the Head of State.
How? Explain.
How? Explain.
If you took the time to read what has already been written by JMC, it is evident that no one needs to explain.
It is truly a shame that an Education Minister can make such statements! He should retract his statements and apologize. It is wrong for a leader to speak like that even to the opposition. What is he trying to achieve??? We have had enough insults left right and center every other day on our fellow citizens. Let us be united even as we express constructive criticism.
Leaders should set a good example for the youth, our future leaders! It is critical that we set standards for our Christian and peaceful nation.