We’ve just been alerted to a video clip making rounds on social media whereby one Brebner Changala, a senior citizen who ekes a living churning-out chalks is “hallucinating” that Gary Nkombo, the Minister of Local Government & Rural Development in the current administration would “whitewash President Hichilema” if internal elections were to be held in the ruling party. He claims that his source of information are the “crying members of UPND.”
“I am telling you….. if there will be a genuine convention in the UPND with a secret ballot…..Mr. Hichilema stands, Gary stands….” he blurts as his host eggs him on. “There will be a whitewash! Mr. Hakainde Hichilema will be retired in national interest.”
What sort of nonsense is this? We don’t know whatever the old man may be drinking to easily jump to such outlandish imaginations but he’s definitely not in a privileged position to be privy to internal matters regarding UPND. This is more the reason why we insist the man was either hallucinating or playing cheap politics! Consider the nature of his host……a well known Patriotic Front spin-doctor who is also a presidential aspirant in the former ruling party for that matter! What do you expect from such a person? If at all a few grains of grey matter is all you need to see through the grand scheme of things, then you won’t have challenges to arrive at a firm conclusion that the interview was nothing but a well-scripted choreography to ‘fuel’ confusion in the ruling party or indeed drive a wedge between Hichilema and some of his few trusted lieutenants.
And unfortunately for Gary, he swallowed the bait that a tabloid had set before him and let the world know about his political ambitions. What has been the result? The Local Government & Rural Development Minister has now become the subject of discussion within UPND circles, be it negative or otherwise. We would urge party members not to take Changala’s hallucinations seriously. He doesn’t have any locus standi to decide or even guess who would be next in line to succeed Hichilema when the right time eventually comes. We would like to assure them that Nkombo definitely stands tall and remains unwavering in his support and loyalty for President Hichilema, through and through!
We shall give a practical example. When Hichilema was robbed of victory in the 2016 intense elections, many youths who were obviously craving for the change of government took to social media in droves to suggest that if HH tumbles in the next elections, he should step aside for the Mazabuka Member of Parliament.They were obviously afraid of voicing out such sentiments in public for fear of being abducted and whisked away to Kamugodi by violent PF thugs to be taught a bitter lesson!
When we bumped into Nkombo at a social event and put it to him what the youth were saying on social media, he shared something with us that earned him our utmost admiration and respect.
“Loyalty defines a man,” he said as he pondered, “I can never betray HH no matter what it takes! The man has been of great help to me and my family.”
How many times did the PF or even the MMD try to entice him with lofty positions as senior cabinet minister for him to betray HH? Did he succumb? He remained resolute and firm, of course! Please stop wasting your time; HH and Mazembe are like a simcard na phone, you can’t seperate the two!
Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
HH for life oyee!!!
Changala is senile! He thinks with his mouth.