Maravi

Politicians’ language worry Kapijimpanga

Politicians’ language worry Kapijimpanga
By Patson Chilemba
Tue 04 May 2010, 04:10 CAT

MMD national executive committee (NEC) member Judith Kapijimpanga has described as unfortunate the language being used by political leaders in the country.

Commenting on attacks and counterattacks involving President Rupiah Banda and opposition political party leaders and other citizens, Kapijimpanga asked political leaders to use language acceptable to society.

She said the language being used by political leaders in the media was un-African. Kapijimpanga said she feared for Zambia because of the name calling that had characterised politics.

"We are slowly coming out of file in as far as cultured language is concerned... the statements in the print media in the recent past are unfortunate.

And I am calling for civility amongst our political players, because our children or youths who want to join the political parties, or want to join the political line of career will think that is the language that ought to be used to put the message across, which is not the case," she said.

Kapijimpanga backed MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba's call for civility in politics from both the ruling and opposition parties.
She said emphasis should be on development rather than name calling.

"We have only got one Zambia, and we need to develop it," said Kapijimpanga. "I am supporting Katele Kalumba, I think that the comment from Katele has come at the right time. Yes, I think he is very magnanimous to point out that the language being used is not civil, and we are throwing away our cultural norms."

Kalumba was quoted in last week’s Thursday edition of The Post advising political leaders to use language that would make politics a noble profession.

President Banda has engaged in personal attacks against other political leaders and citizens who have also countered by using strong language against him.

Recently in Milanzi, President Banda said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema was cheating himself to think that he would be the PF-UPND pact's presidential candidate because Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata would stand.

But Hichilema reacted by saying President Banda had a small brain to think like that.

President Banda followed up his earlier statement by launching wholesale attacks on Sata, Hichilema and Chilanga MMD member of parliament Ng'andu Magande, asserting that they were puppets of The Post and that Change Life Zambia executive director Fr Frank Bwalya was an ugly man.

During the Kuomboka ceremony, UPND cadres were beaten at the airport where they had gone to welcome Hichilema and their leader then said President Banda would be chased like a dog in next year’s elections if he did not control the situation.

But President Banda, during the campaigns in North-Western Province prior to and after the by-elections called Hichilema a son of a dog on grounds that he also called him a dog, President Banda also described Sata as a real mad man.

On Saturday in Livingstone, President Banda described Hichilema as a desperate puppy and a man who had run mad because of his quest to become Republican president.

Labels: JUDITH KAPIJIMPANGA, MMD, POLITICS

posted by MrK @ 3:09 PM