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2021 AS IN 1991!
CONVERSATION WITH MYSELF:
By Bwanga Kaleele
Kasempa.

Exactly this time in 1991 as now, the cost of living had risen to unreachable levels and continuing to rise, and there was an outcry by Zambians against the UNIP Govt as there is an outcry against the PF govt.

By this time in 1991 as now, our country was owing lending institutions and cooperating partners a staggering external debt in billions of dollars.

By this time in 1991 as now, the UNIP Govt of Dr Kaunda was struggling to secure a loan from IMF to bail out our country’s economy which was on the rocks.

About this time in 1991 just like now, the IMF was reluctant to bail out our country’s economy and the talks dragged on to election day, about which Zambia became a hell of an economic place to be.

With our govt’s stubbornness which lending institutions have seen as a deliberate decision to default on payment of even just a USD 42 million interest on Eurobonds when our cadres could be seen splashing millions of Kwacha in the air like at a Nigerian Traditional Wedfding, its yet to be seen if the IMF will give us a round of talks. Most likely they will wait until after they see the outcome of the 12th August elections. Most obviously they are not prepared to deal with the same govt whose cadres are all over splashing millions of Kwacha while telling them ( IMF) that we need money to bail our economy out! They ( IMF) now believe granting a loan to Zambia in name of a bail out this time will mean funding the PF political campaigns. Its our own recklessness as PF govt that has boomeranged!

About this time as now in 1991, the UNIP leadership was bubbling with confidence about an electoral win; hallucinating about a UNIP victory, and even making plans to implement after elections.

About this time in 1991 as now, the UNIP govt was distributing mealie meal via coupons to appease Zambians, a fruitless effort that couldn’t help them win as they were buried in a 80% electoral landslide. It was like the end of Pharaoh and his mighty army in the Red Sea.

It was a black day for Dr Kaunda, UNIP and its leaders. But Zambia was born again! It was an end to a nightmarish long night. The Hour Had Come! Pain lingered but for the night but joy came in the morning, a morning of a new era. Like late. US President John F. Kennedy had intoned in his inaugural address on 20th January 1961: ” We stand today at the edge of the ‘New Frontier’; a New Frontier of unknown opportunities and perils.”
A NATION OF LAWS AND NOT OF MEN.

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