ABOUT POLITICAL POSTURING REGARDING FORMER PRESIDENTS SATA AND ECL DURING NATIONAL EVENTS: A CASE OF SHAMELESS CONTRADICTION
By Sean Tembo – PeP President
1. The day was Tuesday, 22nd October 2024, and l was attending one of those meetings where you need to leave your phones in a separate room, for obvious reasons. However, from the room where l was, l could hear my phone ring incessantly. I momentarily pinched myself for omitting to put it on silent. But then again l comforted myself with the conviction that my phone rarely rings. At least not as persistently as it was doing right now. As my meeting progressed, l wondered, on the back of my head, who could want to talk to me so badly. About 15 minutes later, my phone continued ringing unabated. Inevitably and reluctantly, l excused myself from the meeting, somewhat fuming at who it is that was demanding for my immediate attention, without prior arrangement.
2. When l finally glanced at my phone screen, l saw 8 missed calls from Cabinet Office. Before l could wonder why Cabinet Office would be calling me, l quickly remembered that it was the week of Zambia’s independence anniversary and the calls were probably about asking me to collect an Invitation Card, just like they normally would do during other national events. As a matter of principle, l have made it a point never to attend any of the national events because l often find their invitations to be a mockery and an insult. I mean, how can you offer me one Invitation Card when you know that l have to move with my people? If you’re sincere about your invitation, why not offer me at least 5 invitation cards; for myself, my SG, my ADC, my driver and my media person? Anyway, despite not having any intention to attend these national events under the UPND Government, l always make it a point to collect the Invitation Card and Programme, just so l can have a glimpse of what the event is all about.
3. On this particular occasion however, when someone eventually collected the Invitation Card and Programme for the 60th Independence Anniversary celebrations, l was shocked to note that the 6th Republican President, His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, was a prominent part of the programme!!! At that point, my mind began to race, as l wondered which 6th Republican President the UPND Government had included in their programme. Could it be the same ECL that they have been harassing and treating like a nobody? Could it be the same ECL that they hounded out of a flight at the airport a few months ago, and told that he could not travel out of the country? The same ECL who is on defacto house arrest? Could it be the same 6th Republican President from whom the State has withdrawn all security and left prone to attacks by UPND cadres as it happened a few days ago in Chingola during the funeral of Hon. Chishimba Kambwili’s two brothers? Could it be the same ECL whom state police harassed and prevented from walking from High Court grounds to Intercontinental Hotel a few weeks ago? Could this be the same ECL whom UPND Cadres in North-Western Province said they wanted to castrate and ZNBC unashamedly aired these insults and threats, with no consequences on the culprits? Was this the same 6th Republican President whom President Hakainde Hichilema insulted at every opportunity he gets, that they now wanted to grace and dignify their independence celebrations because it now suits them?
4. Like Honorable Chishimba Kambwili once famously said; “insoni ebuntu”. Loosely translated, it means the ability to feel ashamed is what differentiates humans from animals. However, it is evident that President Hakainde Hichilema lacks that small, but critical attribute that is necessary to categorize someone as a normal human being. Our President is brazenly shameless. His ability to behave in a contradictory manner, while displaying a straight face, is unmatched. His hypocrisy is immeasurable in its magnitude and consistency. To Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, it’s never about the national interest. It’s always about his personal interest. His personal interest. So, if one day it suits him to harass, demean and insult the only surviving former Head of State, then he will do it without any compunction. And if on another day, it serves his personal interests to have the presence of the 6th Republican President, as he hoists the national flag during independence celebrations, them he will unashamedly send out the invitation. Indeed, the President’s level of narcissism would awe even the Greek mythology, Narcissus himself.
5. Fast-forward to the current impasse regarding the 10th memorial anniversary of the 5th Republic President; His Excellency Dr Michael Chilufya Sata (MCS). Again, the narcissistic and shameless President Hakainde Hichilema wants to hijack Monday’s anniversary celebrations, just because he has convinced himself that his participation in such a programme will give him some semblance of a statesman and partially dilute his well documented stature and reputation as a tribalist and regionalist. But the inevitable question that arises is; which Michael Chilufya Sata does Mr. Hakainde Hichilema now want to fastion himself as a Chief Mourner for?
6. Is it the same President Sata whom Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, while in opposition, mocked and insulted, as the then President’s illness took a toll on him? Is it the same President Sata whom Mr. Hichilema held in such contempt that he once called him a hyena? Is it the same President Sata whose legacy President Hakainde Hichilema has persistently and unashamedly tried to erase from the face of the nation, while at the same time trying to prop up the legacies of his own keith and kin by inflating their role during the independence struggle and seeking to rewrite Zambia’s history books? Is it the same President Sata whose dearest Patriotic Front party President Hakainde Hichilema now seeks to completely annihilate by incarcerating all it’s senior members, from Ronald Chitotela to Godfrey Bwalya Mwamba to Nickson Chilangwa? Is that the same late President Michael Chilufya Sata whose 10th memorial anniversary Mr. Hakainde Hichilema now wants to fastion himself as a Chief Mourner for?
7. Mr. President Hakainde Hichilema sir, please allow me to now address you directly. In case no one has been sincere enough to bring this to your attention; you sir are a disgrace to this nation. In the 3 years that you have been President, you have taken this country backwards by more than 20 years, in literally all aspects. Whether it is the economy or national unity, or rule of law or the independence of the judiciary or professionalism of our security and defense forces or the sanity of our politics or Zambia’s relations with its neighbors in the region. Everything has deteriorated in the very short period that you have been our President sir. If l was allowed to make a single wish, it would be that you sir had never been our President. Your continued shamelessness, even in the face of clearly shambolic performance and callous behavior, is a source of great embarrassment to some of us. Your insatiable appetite to incarcerate and send to prison all your political opponents, using your nephews at Police Force Headquarters and your uncle’s and aunties at the Magistrates Court, has reversed our country’s democratic credentials by more than 30 years. Indeed, l, along with many other Zambians, wish that you sir had never been our President in the first place.
8. And then, there was President Michael Chilufya Sata. The man served this country for only three years, and most of that 3 years, he was unwell. And yet, he had a clear vision and plan of action to industrialize our country and economically emancipate the citizens. His plan of action to achieve his vision was quite simple; embark on a massive infrastructure development agenda. Build roads everywhere, build bridges everywhere, build universities everywhere, build hospitals everywhere, build schools everywhere. President Sata was a patriot who unconditionally loved Zambia and her people. A man who united us all, not with empty rhetoric, but with tangible action. And to think that the 10th memorial anniversary of such a great man should be graced by someone who is the exact opposite, is an insult to the late 5th Republic President.
9. In the premises above, my appeal to you President Hakainde Hichilema is that on Monday, 28th October 2024, please allow the Late Former President Micheal Chilufya Sata to be mourned by those of us who believed, cherished and loved him, at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus at Pope Square. The alternative program that you and your minions have planned at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross, will bring confusion and dishonor to the memory of President Michael Chilufya Sata. If you want to attend Sata’s memorial, then just come as an invited guest at Pope Square, instead of fastioning yourself as a Chief Mourner, through a parallel program at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross. By the way, it is not written anywhere that all national events should be held at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
10. You may or may not recall, but the funeral of the Late Former Vice President Lupando Mwape in 2019, was actually held at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus at Pope Square. The reason was simple; Dr. Lupando Mwape was a staunch Catholic. Just like the late 5th Republic President, Dr. Michael Chilufya Sata. So, we beg you Mr. President sir. Do not bring confusion tomorrow. We don’t want to crash with your minions when we go to Embassy Park after our program at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus at Pope Square. We do not want SATA’S 10th memorial anniversary to be marked by bloodshed and teargas. Just allow those of us who loved and cherished ba Shikulu Ba Sata to mourn him in peace. The rest of you charlatans must stay away.
Anyway, the Future is SET ✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼
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SET 27.10.2024