SENIOR CITIZEN MWALE SAYS MWEETWA DID WELL TO REFUSE TO APOLOGISE TO SHALLOW INONGE WINA
Senior citizen Joe Mwale says Choma Central UPND member of parliament Cornelius Mweetwa is a shining example of the new generation of politicians in Zambia.
He says “bravo to him” for standing tall in the face of glaring injustice in the country.
The 78-year old former diplomat said Mweetwa, the UPND deputy spokesperson, acted against the “new normal” of needless apologies in Zambia.
In February this year, Mweetwa said it was “shameful and shallow” for Vice-President Inonge Wina to insinuate that gassers could be agitating for regime change.
In the same month, Mandevu PF member of parliament and lands minister Jean Kapata stood on a point of order in Parliament, in relation to Mweetwa’s remarks.
In his ruling on the point of order on Friday, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini told Mweetwa to apologise to Vice-President Wina.
Mweetwa, however, refused to do so and after his refusal ‘speech,’ he walked out of the House.
He later held a media briefing at the UPND secretariat in Lusaka and asked why a “liar” in Vice-President Wina should be let scot-free in Parliament, while he is told to apologise for pointing out her lies.
On Saturday, Mwale called The Mast and extolled Mweetwa’s bravery.
“I just want to commend the young man, Honourable Cornelius Mweetwa, the Choma Central member of parliament. What I want to say is that against all odds, the young man rejected to…I commend him for the brave stance that he exhibited by refusing to succumb to injustice and rendering a misplaced apology, as demanded by the Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly,” Mwale said. “Conventional wisdom demands that one can only render an apology when they are on the wrong side of norms. This brave young man, our MP, I say bravo to him. He knew that he was not on the wrong side of the norm and therefore, he stood firm by refusing to succumb to pressure.”
He said Mweetwa deserved commendation by, “all democrats and citizens in our country.”
“The young man stood tall in the face of prevalent injustice in this country! Asking citizens to apologise for crimes they have not committed is like the new normal in Zambia! [But] Mweetwa is a shining example of the new generation of politicians that we should feel proud of as senior citizens. Everybody else should feel proud to have such a brave, committed young man. Bravo to him,” said Mwale.
The Mast