Zambians are using social networks and online media to debate president Michael Sata’s ‘colonialist’ attack on former US president George W. Bush.

Bush and his wife arrived in the southern African country last week to make a donation of a new electronic (e-hub) and the opening of the new African Centre of Excellence for women cancer control.

But while at State House, Sata told Bush that his charitable efforts represented “payback for colonialists”.

As a result, Zambians have taken to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and online media to lash out at Sata for his comments, which the president’s office claims was “light-hearted”.

“Previously, there used be to four great countries the USA, Russia, France and United Kingdom,” Sata said.

“You have all drifted away, you have abandoned Africa after taking all our raw commodities, our raw materials and build your cities,” he added.

However, Bush interjected saying that he did not want to be argumentative, and that America was never a colonial nation.

“France might have been a colonial nation, Britain might have been a colonial nation, but not the United States of America,” said Bush.

Sata replied by saying, “The Americans did not physically colonise us, but at the same time, the Americans still have scars of slavery.”

Zambian citizens took to online talk forums where many of them were quick to criticise their president while others felt the conversation between the two was ‘honest talk’.

“Sata was not wrong. Africa suffered at the hands of foreigners. We Africans have been abused-its time we are counted,” wrote a blogger during the debate.

Another blogger replied and said, “This is embarrassing, please Bush do not mind Sata.”

Sata’s predecessor Rupiah Banda has since written a letter of apology on behalf of Zambians to Bush over the encounter.