UPND Says HH Did Not Use Insulting Language

The United Party for National Development’s Media Director, Ruth Dante, has defended the party’s leader Hakainde Hichilema for using the word ‘Pamunyoko’ at a rally in Pemba, saying the term is not an insult.

Mrs Dante has criticised Information Minister Dora Siliya for attacking HH on his use of the word, when in the context it clearly meant ‘sister’ or ‘brother’. 

“This time PF will not divert our attention from real issues, such as defaulting of loans, renewed long hours of loadshedding, water shortages, hunger, corruption, high levels of poverty and stealing of COVID funds in the Ministry of Health, these are issues Madam Siliya and PF should be addressing because they affect people’s lives not Pamunyoko.” Mrs Dante told reporters.

She added that she found it laughable that Ms Siliya - as chief government spokesperson - should fail to understand the the variety of expressions used by different tribal groups in Zambia. 

“I believe Dora Siliya is familiar with terms such as ‘anyoko’, or the famous term by Rupiah Banda: ‘ikamunyokola njala aweleko’! RB was referring to his son Andrew Banda who had just rejoined UPND,but because the word was used by an easterner where Dora Siliya comes from, it is not taken to be an insult. If I tell Ms Siliya that ‘mwa anyenga alimi (you’ve cheated farmers)’ am I insulting? But because “pa munyoko” came from Mr Hichilema, it is taken to be a very big insult,” Mrs Dante said.