Zambia going the wrong way: Is the fatal crash inevitable under Lungu?
In less than one month from today, Zambia will have a new government. I pray that Zambians vote in a new capable president. It is now time for Zambians to change the direction of their country. Either continue with Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL) and consign the country to indefinite economic crises, political pettiness, and governance shambles or choose the path of the opposition, to salvage the country and reposition it onto a path of socio-political and economic sustainability.
The control and influence of the ruling party and ECL over the PF party’s foot soldiers is non-existent. Patriotic Front or more accurately, Putrid Force under ECL, is improving its political standards towards those of Museveni’s Uganda or even Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. The standards that PF has copied reflect Mugabe’s and Museveni’s putrid governing style.
According to that governing style, the opposition is an enemy and not political opponents with different ideas about the country’s development aspirations for the future. This means silencing, harassing, tear-gasing and worse, killing off the opposition through shadowy schemes and open-season bribery of certain constituencies such as parliament in Uganda, traditional chiefs in Zambia or awarding “law enforcement” lucrative contracts in Zimbabwe. The governing philosophy is to gag the independent press, “control” journalists from “contaminating” the nation with “incorrect” viewpoints about the ruling party’s appalling governance records and misdeeds. It is about co-opting otherwise tax-payer-funded media outlets like national broadcasters such as ZNBC into a weapon of one-sided government and ruling party propaganda. The definition of Genocide has very stringent parameters. However, with more hard work, ill-defined intentions and help from illiterate malleable cadres, PF’s “genocide” upon the opposition and good governance will not be far-fetched.
The electoral commission of Zambia (ECZ which is really ECL with a Zed) despite its tepid pronouncements and control of the electoral process, is unable to reign in skirmishes among the opposing parties, and enforce its mandate as an independent electoral body. If anything, it seems to tow PF’s twisted ideology for self-perpetuation in power; vanquish the opposition by all means, twist facts in campaigns, embellish development plans and nurture seemingly irrational groups to peddle ECL’s moral equivalence with Christ, hence “Christians for Lungu”.
Zambia used to be an island of peace at least in Southern Africa and I dare say in the world brimming with hatred. Zambia is a magnet that attracted anti-apartheid warriors, and repelled criminals who found a mis-match between their twisted minds and a largely straight, open and peaceful Zambians. Zambia was silent when Angola endured the loud violence of civil war. It was among arbitrators for peace when Mozambique engaged in a civil war that birthed hatred and mine-induced amputees. The Lungu regime is now on course to fermenting and brewing a toxic mix of tribalism that threaten to rend apart a beautiful country. The opposition—hardly saints—is at least denying PF its wish through being broad-based and inclusive. Where is one Zambia, one Nation? Where is “One land and one nation [that] is our cry, dignity and peace ‘neath Zambia’s sky, like our noble eagle in its flight, Zambia, praise to thee. All one, strong and free”? We all must grieve at those who shed blood to make this true. And even for that wonderful girl—Mapenzi (RIP)—who desired to live beneath Zambia’s sky in dignity and peace.
KK’s heart and that of all freedom fighters must be tremoring that PF—under an accidental president—is at the doorstep of unravelling the unity and the bond that has united Zambia since independence. The PF government—a government of mishmash incompetents has taken an irresponsible lead in nurturing social, political and economic instability and chaos. On its watch, PF has nudged Zambia on to an escalator of dictatorship, bad governance and disregard for human rights.
Under ECL, Zambia can go only up the escalator of dictatorship and irrational incompetence. With mounting economic hardships, comes increasing crime. Crime keeps away tourists and discourages foreign investment. The pathway out of anarchy is to dissolve ECL’s government through voting it out of power. Every Zambian genuinely interested in the peace and stability prior to PF/ECL must turn out in massive numbers to end this nightmare that is PF. The more ECL remains in power, quells political dissent and caps press freedoms, the dimmer Zambia’s chances of recovery will be and re-admission into a family of peaceful nations. Zambians should not give more time to ECL to perfect Museveni’s and Mugabe’s putrid dictatorship and malgovernance. With the enabling coterie of clue-less “Dr” Kambwili, Chama, Frank Bwalya, etc, ECL will hurtle Zambia into a deeper cesspool of economic want and unconscionable poverty. He is an incompetent leader. Zambians must not allow ECL to mainstream tribalism, ignorance and malgovernance into their midst. The institutions of legitimacy that ECL has abused, ignored or manipulated are the ones that can rescue Zambia. But it requires well-meaning and posterity-looking Zambians to serve ECL a nation-wide devastating electoral blow on August 11, 2016.This may be the last chance to save this wonderful country from a misleader who a section of Zambians should not have given the leadership burden in the first place. It is not to suggest that the opposition or even HH will turn-around the damage in a short time. It is urgent that Zambians stop the social, political and economic bleeding before the patient enters comatose phase, and its driver—ECL—sends Zambia into a fatal and irreversible crash. It begins with voting in a PF-less/Lungu-less government. The country is greater than tribe or candidate. Who wants pizza-parts of Zambia? One Zambia, one Nation still sounds right. It is right and its peaceful history does not lie. We must not allow ECL and his PF to disfigure this history and country much less bury this country.
The author chose to remain anonymous