Caught on Tape, Kafwaya’s Airport Remarks Expose Tonse Alliance’s Vision for Western Province
By Tobbius Hamunkoyo
I have just watched the video circulating on social media of Mr. Mutotwe Kafwaya’s interview on 5FM, and if his remarks accurately reflect his position as a Tonse Alliance member, they reveal a shocking misunderstanding of national development. By suggesting that Western Province does not deserve an airport because “nothing happens there apart from Kuomboka,” a ceremony held only once a year, Mr. Kafwaya reduced one of Zambia’s most resource-rich provinces to a single annual event.
Such remarks are not only dismissive but also offensive to the people of Western Province, who deserve the same opportunities as every other Zambian. If this is the thinking of a senior Tonse Alliance official and adviser to Mr Brian Mundubile, then the people of Western Province have every reason to question whether the Tonse Alliance truly believes in their province’s future, most importantly avoid the risk of voting for them.
Mr. Kafwaya’s comments stand in direct opposition to President Hakainde Hichilema’s vision of building strong provincial economies. Airports are not built because a province is already developed, they are built to create development by attracting investment, expanding trade, promoting tourism and creating jobs. Western Province is blessed with vast agricultural land, world-renowned tourism attractions, rich forestry resources, untapped mineral wealth and a strategic directly borders with Angola to the west and the Caprivi Strip in Namibia to the south.
Additionally, it sits in very close proximity to Botswana, making it a key hub for cross-border trade in the region, very important. A modern international airport in Mongu would unlock these opportunities, position the province as a regional trade hub and accelerate economic transformation for thousands of families. Great leaders like Hakainde Hichilema see potential and invest in it, they do not dismiss an entire province because they cannot see beyond today’s circumstances.
The people of Western Province should ask themselves one simple question, Can leaders who fail to see the value of your province today be trusted to develop it tomorrow? Western Province deserves infrastructure, investment and leadership that believes in its future, not rhetoric that diminishes its enormous economic potential.
The author is a Lawyer, Good Governance Advocate and Constitutional Commentator.