The way I look at things: part 1…
AWISI TASILA AND THE WAILERS HAVE NO ECONOMIC TURN AROUND PLAN. TRUST THEM AT YOUR OWN RISK.
By: Cheelo Katambo
Yesterday, a group of opposition political parties without representation in both the National Assembly and local Government met to address the nation on what they termed as falling democratic and civil space in the country under the reign of President Hakainde Hichilema and his UPND administration.
I followed (from my dear Samsung handset) the grand press briefing of the so called 8 opposition political parties that had been ably advertised the previous day and the presence of Awisi Tasila was of greater interest to me knowing how his brain switches off whenever he sees a microphone.
I knew that something interesting would come out.
All the 8 led by my near politically extinct cousin Sakwiba Sikota of the ULP party spoke their lungs out. I didn’t know that the man still exists politically because the last time he was ever mentioned was before 2011 when he was MP for Livingstone and had notoriously decided to lead a break away party from the UPND after a heavy intra party election defeat by current Republican President Hakainde Hichilema in 2006.
Post 2011, the man was only in court as an Attorney. We wait for the Registrar of Societies to tell us whether the man is still an office bearer. Lol
Of course, the whole circus was about how the UPND and President Hichilema have shrunk the democratic space, how civil liberties had been ruined (story for another day), how the economy is badly performing without taking stock of the genesis of the bad economy (of course without offering solutions, typical of Zambian opposition political parties).
Awisi Tasila who was the star of the opera led the wailing mourners with the cream of Zambian media watching in awe. I got bored and immediately started watching the trailer for yesterday’s MPALI episode. At least uncle Patrick’s theatrics with Tombi made some measurable sense than the comedy of errors the politicians were subjecting me to.
But somehow, I was forced against my own will and conscious to check what else was happening at the presser. My oh my: Moved by the courage of Ellen G White, a journalist from Hope TV, a Seventh Day Adventist Church run channel asked Awisi Tasila a very candid and direct question on the huge debt contraction in his seven years of rule (nothing to do with the number of years King Nebuchadnezzar ate grass) and how if still in power they would have dismantled the debt.
His response left me and of course the entire country (except his gullible supporters) wondering why God could have unjustly given us this man to rule over this beautiful land of work and joy for Seven unbroken years. In the first place his speech was not audible enough as he continued spitting all over. I hope my cousin Saki did not get wet.
Then the response did not only make me sit up onto the edge of my seat but I had to hold my mouth in my hands lest my heart could skip out. In my heart, I said this is what I was waiting for. The real Edgar has been unleashed and has seen the branded microphones.
The man literary failed to give even a basic response to the question apart from saying its not me who is in State House. The man literary failed to grab that split second advantage to convince us the gullible critiques that we made a mistake to remove him from the sweet office as he had a masterplan. But no, he goes ahead to reinforce a globally known position that he is incapacitated to make any sound economic recovery plan for the debt he contracted leaving the country at near bankruptcy.
I have always known that the man’s level of decency and shame was at ZERO but at least I thought he would do it for the camera. Aweh Mwandi!
If Zambians want to continue politicking at the expense of economic recovery and stability, I present to you AWISI TASILA and the WAILERS. No economic turn around plan, no debt restructuring plan, no economic diplomacy, completely nothing except being vulgar and temperamental.
I then realized this group without any representation doesn’t mean well. Ask them how they intend to reduce the price of fuel or stabilize the kwacha. No politics attached, just economic plans.
But if it is economic recovery that Zambians want for now and the future, my biased advice is hanging onto Papa Hakainde Hichilema and his team.
Things might look gloomy for now with the cost of living, inflation and kwacha seemingly running away, there is hope of a better tomorrow because the team is working and has put fundamentals rightfully in their place.
Not all is rosy for now as some people expected, but the ray of light is visible in the horizon. Let us manage our expectations. It is darker before dawn.
The international community believes in us again. Mopani and KCM are starting to pay. Dollars will be on the streets soon again. FQM is back investing, Luanshya mine is coughing back to life after more than 20 years, a huge mine to open soon. The Smelters on the Copperbelt will soon cough and KOPALA will become KOPALA again. The farmer is smiling with high maize prices and expectant of his bumper harvest. Tanzania is buying maize at $500 per ton. The sun will soon shine on the land of work and joy.
But trusting Awisi Tasila and his band of WAILERS to save this country from collapsing is trusting the Devil himself to rid the world of all sins.
Ndaunka ndeMwembezyi
Walasa. Edger Lungisani is a confused man. And it’s unfortunate that at that age with the status of a statesman , seeks wishes to challenge the problems that he failed to solve apart from just deepening the problem to the waste. Moreover he’s surrounded by a batch of oppotunists
A very good accurate write up of ECL.This reporter got Lungu correctly. LOL well done . LOL I v really had a good laugh. Keep it up.
Written like a real cadre.
To all Journalists, please continue asking him the same question!
How is he going to solve the Debt problem he created!
What amazes me is not how vision less and clueless ECL is. What amazes me is his clansmen and women who have unwavering faith in him.
At first, he said he had no vision for this country and our people thought he was joking. He was said to have robbed a widow and our people thought it was the widow’s fault.
Then he went on to rob the country and left a huge milestone of debt around it’s neck and today, he is coming back as Mr Clean, thanks to UPND ineptitude!
Make no mistake, he has a real chance of coming back!
We have seen how corrupt leaders around the world use political power to protect themselves! When the Law gets close to them, they launch a political comeback! We have seen it in Brazil, Israel, and USA!
ECL’S come back is not to help Zambians but to shield himself, family and friends from going to Jail!
You can’t trust human beings to see through these schemes!
Their affinity for clueless leaders is amazing!
I was not surprised to see old Sakwiba Sikota as a member of the AWISI TASILA AND THE WAILERS BAND.The man now survives by defending PF criminals in courts. He does not even deserve the title of State Counsel. As a political leader, Sakwiba Sikota does not make sense, is totally irrelevant now.That goes for majority of those Wailers. As for the band leader, Awisi Tasila, the man has no shame and a totally remorseless criminal whose only goal is to try and save himself and his family from going to jail over the various crimes he committed while in office. Lungu has no morals. The criminal got us into this mess and now he has the insolence to tell us to just ” move on”. People died at his hands, and he tells us just to “move on”. Lungu should go to Lawrence Banda’s widow and children and tell them just to ” move on”. Lungu should go to Joseph Kaunda ‘s widow and children and tell them just to ” move on”. Lungu should go to Mapenzi Chibulo’s parents and child and tell them just to ” move on”. Lungu should go to Vespers Shimunzhila’s mother and tell her just to ” move on “. Lungu should go to the relatives of all those people who were murdered by PF cadres and tell them just to ” move on “. There are people living with bullets in their bodies shot by PF cadres – Lungu should visit them and tell them to go to hell.
Lungu is a heartless criminal who should have been in jail by now.
Lungu and his colleagues borrowed recklessly and stole what they borrowed. That led to the huge debt which they failed to pay back. The country defaulted and we all earned a very bad name globally. To add to that mess, Lungu also messed up KCM and MOPANI. The economy was on its knees. To cover up,Lungu heavily subsidized consumption and literally killed production. Oil marketing companies were encouraged to bring and supply oil on credit.That only added to the mess because it all increased the debt burden. Lungu left this huge debt, both locally and foreign. Lungu should go to these creditors and tell them just to ” move on “. Lungu should either shut up or made to shut up.