Nkonkomalimba Kapumpe writes ✍🏾 :
The Tonse Pamodzi media team and Mr. Mundubile did not represent Zambians well on the BBC. It would not be farfetched to say they embarrassed Zambians.
First, I am Zambian before anything else. When a Zambian opposition leader is asked about inflation on an international platform and appears not to understand it, it reflects poorly on all of us. I feel bad.
The question was straightforward : inflation was high in your government and is low right now. How do you explain this to the public?
The answer given was: “What is the cost of fuel and the breadbasket now?”
That answer misses a basic economic point. The cost of fuel and food are key components of inflation. The high cost of living cannot be separated from the inflation rate, when tackling cost of living.
On a global platform like the BBC, watched by policymakers, investors and educated audiences, we must communicate with clarity and facts.
The second concern was the claim that Zambia feels like “a second independence.” That statement does not honor the history of our liberation struggle.
Many Zambians sacrificed and lost their lives to end colonial rule. Does he understand what colonisim is or was ? And what it meant to the Zambian people and Africa at large. He sounded unpatriotic.
To be fair, the current government under President Hakainde Hichilema also has weaknesses that need urgent attention. However, from the BBC interview, Mr. Mundubile demonstrated gaps in both Economic understanding and in our national history. That should concern anyone thinking about voting for him.
We should not excuse him by covering him with statements or articles after the fact. Leadership requires preparation.
As we say: what comes out of the mouth reflects what is in the heart. Maybe he just does not understand.