By Scoop Reporter
INTERNATIONAL award-winning photographer Chellah Tukuta has turned down an invitation by Patriotic Front (PF) media director Sunday Chanda for a meeting saying he cannot be having coffee while the majority of Zambians are living in abject poverty.
Tukuta, one of the artistes who have come out openly to criticise the PF Government over alleged glaring corruption and shrinking freedoms of citizens, says he does not pride in eating luxurious foods at the expense of Zambians and that he will not be silenced.
In a plethora of messages posted on his Facebook wall since yesterday, Tukuta has made it clear that he will not be bought by anyone
“PF media director Mr. Sunday Chanda has invited me for coffee who wants to follow? Ine I eat Kandolo with zigolo for breakfast. Ndimu tutu and am very content. So sorry I can’t come for coffee.
“Why should I be having coffee when millions of Zambians are in abject poverty? Am suffering together with my people. If you want to invite me for breakfast or lunch you should also invite those Zambians that are suffering,” Tukuta wrote.
And in response to US-based Zambian, Nora Moyo, who insinuated that it would be easy to bring down Tukuta down after B’Flow’s seemingly compromise stance after he was invited to State House, and that it would only be a matter of inviting him to “the White House” and would go there running with his camera, Tukuta says he is not an illiterate.
“I don’t need people with such energy. We don’t need this negative energy mama. Continue enjoying in the USA. Zambians for once let’s be positive and fight for a good cause. My mentor was Souza who happened to become President Obama’s photographer.
“My friend in Nigeria is Buhari’s photographer, I have a lot of friends that cover presidents and I have all the opportunities to go and work from outside Zambia but I can never abandon my country. Chellah Tukuta is a well-travelled photographer, I am educated and not an illiterate. The problem you think photography is for the lower class. Wake up,” he said.
