Guy Scott is the “most stupid white man” is the line that has dominated the Zambian media landscape with various news houses picking up the chorus mooted from Plot 36 Bwinjimfumu – premises of The Post – the defacto communications office of the ruling Patriotic Front government.
For years now, The Post has crafted the art of translation or mistranslation deliberately losing out the meaning of the statement in a played up translation.
The Hakainde Hichilema-Scott Nyanja sentiment went something like this: “Simuzungo opusa uyu?” With the various interpretations available at the Post Newspaper’s disposal, they opted to settle for stupid.
Nothing wrong if it were not deliberate. Looking back in the archives they once shoved this diet on the Zambian mass at the height of their wars with third Republican president Levy Mwanawasa who accused them of “Ubufi bwakunya.”
The Bemba translation for this is extreme or exaggerated lies but their over blown headline read, “Levy accuses The Post of lies of shitting.”
And they unleashed all sorts of anti-government sources to build on the stage they had built. Not too far from there, again, the late Levy Mwanwasa had found himself on the edge of a stinging editorial based on a played up headline.
The late president in hinting at the search for a successor he had said whoever wants to succeed me should have “ifibala” spots and The Post latched on that word to say he was lining up a farmer to succeed him.
Of course there was never an apology or retraction for all these incidences. So expect no better this time except more of the PF aligned sources and media feeding off the ill conceived media strategy.
How can we also forget that just recently, they again led a defamatory and smear campaign against international lawyer Robert Amsterdam when he advised Zambians against being used as “useful idiots” in President Sata, Wynter Kabimba, Fred M’membe and Mutembo Nchito’s campaign to remove former president Rupiah Banda’s immunity.
In M’membe’s own understanding or the lack thereof, Amsterdam had called Zambians idiots and a bandwagon of excited media outlets included their tailored sources joined the chorus in denouncing Rupiah’s lawyers.
Just in case you were one of those who is buying into this chorus against Hichilema led by The Post, remember that they had misinformed us before on “ifibala”, “ubufi ukunya” and “useful idiots”. Why then should we trust them that this is a correct translation of what Hichilema said if they have lamentably failed to do so in previous instances?
Hichilema has rightfully declined to apologise because it is not him but M’membe calling Guy Scott the most stupid man. M’membe should certainly know the difference between a question and a statement. Anyway, may he know that Guy Scott is the most stupid white man for being the first white man to bring us yellow maize in the early 1990s.
The post Opinion: Is Guy Scott the Most Stupid White Man? appeared first on Zambia Reports.