Maravi

Africa must be careful with Western media - Kabimba
By Moses Kuwema
Sun 05 May 2013, 14:01 CAT

AFRICANS must be very careful with the Western media and the way they portray our leaders, says Wynter Kabimba.

Speaking on Friday at the Blue Harven Lodge in Woodlands area when his wife hosted a come-together party for him following his election as president of the council of African political parties, Kabimba said the Third World countries must be very careful with the Western media.

"I interacted with the Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir while in Sudan and his level of humility surprised us. The Western media has been giving this impression that the man was just a monster. It is just the same way that President Michael Sata was vilified in 2011 on TV," he said.

Kabimba said he has had the privilege of meeting African leaders that were vilified by the western media and that his experience was totally different from what was projected in international media.

"I had an opportunity to meet with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe when I went to the Zanu-PF congress. The man read a speech from 17:00 hours to 19:00 hours. That time he was 89 years old and yet this is the man the Western media has been telling us he will be dying soon," he said.

Kabimba said people should take whatever they see on television with a pinch of salt especially if it was talking about Africa.

He said it was because of the negative portray of Africa by western media that some people in Europe and America had not changed the image of Africa because they still thought it was a dark continent.

Kabimba said he takes pride in African leaders that was why he was humbled to be elected president of the council of African political parties saying he believed in Africa.

He said he would not betray the cause of Africa and Zambia for another because he was a committed pan-Africanist.

And Kabimba said the council of African political parties would help in democratising political parties in Africa and also ensure that African countries solved their own problems.

"We are tired of being colonised, especially our minds," he said.
Meanwhile, chief Shakumbila of Mumbwa, who graced the occasion said Kabimba had a heavy responsibility of reorganising the country.
"I cannot leave Wynter into the boat alone. I have to usher in my chiefdom into the boat as well," said chief Shakumbila.

posted by MrK @ 7:32 AM