RENOWNED musician Brian Bwembya popularly known as B-Flow has demanded an apology from Lusaka Provincial Minister Bowman Lusambo for lying about the nature of their interactions in Parliament.

And Bwembya says Parliament’s failure to censure Lusambo for disparaging youths has set a bad precedence.

On Wednesday, Kapiri Mposhi UPND member of parliament Stanely Kakubo moved a motion in which he wanted Lusambo to be censured for calling B-Flow, Kings Malembe Malembe and Chellah Tukuta as
“disgruntled youths”, that their opinions on national issues were an act of “stupidity and stinking nonsense” and they were “too naked to misbehave”.

But after several debates, the motion failed as 83 MPs voted against the motion while only 38 voted for the motion.

In his debate, however, Lusambo claimed that he was shocked such a motion was before parliament when he was good friends with the musicians in question and that he spoke to B-Flow’s parents on a daily basis.

“Let me say I am very shocked that today we are debating this motion in this August House. The issue at hand from my side we have discussed with my elders, including the President on the same issue. The two gentlemen are my good friends, the apology which Kings Malembe Malembe made, he was doing that apology in my house after having dinner. Kings Malembe Malembe is a person I have seen growing. B Flow is a boy I have sponsored in his music career the time I was in Kabwe. The parents of B-Flow, I talk to them everyday. I know the MP of Kapiri wanted to settle scores here, the youths of Kapiri Mposhi, hey are troubling me because this MP, he has abandoned them,” said Lusambo.

“Madam Speaker I am in love with the youths of Zambia. It is very discouraging that honourable Kakubo can come here to champion as if he wants to represent the youths. I am still in the category of youths and I wouldn’t allow myself to be represented by the person who has no moral courage like honourable Kakubo. I will continue working with the youths and the youths I refer to, they are my friends and as we speak they are outside. They are in my car outside, those are the two youths I refer to Kings Malembe Malembe and B-Flow, they are outside. Next year, Madam Speaker, I will bring you a new member of parliament for Kapiri Mposhi.”

But in an interview Bwembya said it was disappointing that a parliamentarian could bluntly tell lies in Parliament.

“He mentioned a number of things, I think about three things and what surprises me is that I don’t expect a parliamentarian or a lawmaker to tell lies on the floor of the House. I must say I am very disappointed. I wanted to give him a benefit of doubt previously when I have seen him alter statements but now looking at where things have reached and the amount of lies that I heard come out of his mouth when I watched that video yesterday, it has made me finally lose the little respect I would love to have for him based on the fact that he is supposed to be called a honourable, I don’t see anything honourable about a person that is able to lie about those three things he mentioned,” Bwembya said.

“He mentioned that he sponsored my music career, he said when he was in Kabwe. I want to categorically state that I don’t know him, I have never known him like that, I don’t ever remember interacting with him, I don’t know if he has lived in Kabwe that is the first thing I want to say. He can’t say he sponsored my music career, he has never sponsored my music career. Anybody that knows me and my background in music knows that I started my music in Lusaka at Roma Side Studio. A recording contract entails that the record label that is assigned is your sponsor at that particular time. So at what time or where exactly or which year did he sponsor my music? Unless there is a way he was sponsoring me through my record label that I didn’t know about. As far as I am concerned, I have never been sponsored by an individual that is the first thing.”

He said it was shocking for Lusambo to say he spoke to his parents every day when they were deceased.

“He claimed that he talks to my parents every day that makes me wonder if he is a ghost for him to be able to talk to people who are dead, because as far as I am concerned, as far as I can remember, both my parents are deceased, my father died a long time ago more than 20 years ago. So which parents? My mother, everyone knows that my mother is late, I have sang about her. So which one of my parents does he talk to everyday” He said that twice and that I must say it causes emotional injury to me and my family for him to be able to bring up my parents who have nothing to do with me and what I do in terms of my music or even my activism. All I would have loved and all of my family would have loved is for the memories of our parents to be respected as well as my parents to rest in peace. In due course, I will be able to explain the course of action that we will take as a family regarding that issue,” Bwembya said.

“He mentioned to say that Kings and I were in his car outside, first of all I wondered why none of his colleagues in Parliament did challenge him that ‘we want to see them, we want that evidence shall we go outside and see for ourselves’. I want to believe that they equally just take him as a joker and that is why nobody cared to even try and take that action…So for him to say I was in his car, first of all I have never entered any of his cars at any point in my life, I have never dined with him to claim that I would sit in his car. What would I be doing in his car? Do I have any relationship with him? All I can say right now is that I expect an apology from him for the three blue lies that he told on the floor of the House. Failure to which we shall also take the necessary legal actions.”

And Bwembya said Parliament’s failure to censure Lusambo had set a bad precedence.

“I am not happy with the turn of events, that is not what I expected personally. I expected that motion would be supported and he would be censured, because failing to do so sets bad precedent and will make even other parliamentarians to behave in a similar way and abuse their powers, threatening young people by using unpalatable language towards young people and making the lives of young people very difficult,” said Bwembya.