EDITOR’S CHOICE – CHANGING MUSICAL CHAIRS IN UPND – a FUTILE DANCE TO MEDIOCRITY
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Each time I listen to Hon Cornelius Mweetwa’s long weekly rigmarole, I come out bruised; I feel dizzy… it’s like we have been making one step forward, two steps backwards.
Sometimes I ask myself how we plummeted to this bottomless abyss, but again I want to comfort myself that I have lived in more dismal times; I have seen worse and in Zambia, the worst always finds space on the horizon. Even Chishimba Kambwili was once chief government spokesperson – we’re a unique country.
Anyway, in a democracy, we get the leadership that we deserve. So, maybe the ex-cop is the best we have currently. Honestly, I have become sardonic to Mweetwa’s reckless displays but I will not dwell on it – we save it for another day.
In the absence of decent alternative, I don’t want to lose hope in the current arrangement though. Just don’t remind me about bourgeois affluent Zambians owing private companies which they have registered as political parties. Kulya, iyo!!!!
Just how do you explain that full-blown adults consented to ‘congregate’ on a Sunday evening all in the name of a joint-press briefing?
By the way, what if, instead, they called for a barbeque, I think that would have been a cooler and probably started a week in a more decent manner – the opportunity cost.
Anyway, back to our sardonic theatrics: A few weeks after making those nondescript changes to the third tier level of governance (the permanent secretaries), our UPND has finally divorced the faithful but inept madam Ruth Dante as media director together with her cronies. It was always a matter of time. In comes Mark Simuuwe.
For all intents and purposes, Mark has been the face of UPND and has consistently remained resilient in the many political quagmires he has been thrown into. Never mind what he says sometimes, but he always has something to say anyway!
While we’re at it, Hon Mweetwa alleged that President Hichilema has appointed to Dr Elijah Julaki Muchima, Chipoka Mulenga, Paul Kabuswe, Frank Tayali, Doreen Mwamba and deputy government chief whip Likando Mufalali to a “ministerial media team” whose job is to articulate government policy…hmmm!!!! Like really??? Which policy????
I don’t know why I find these appointments a hilarious jibe at the whole communication cacophony the ruling party has been enduring since forming government.
We now have to listen to Elvis Nkandu or Likando Mufalali explain our debt quagmire? If we have failed to get Dr Musokotwane’s explanations about the unyielding jump in the cost of living; the consistent poor kwacha performance…now our stressed attention spans have to tune in to Muchima’s raspy voice explaining the economy? Nipanotuli! These ministers are being given extra duties when the country has been thirsty for a serious overhaul of the current cabinet.
At the best, this cadre of ministers sounds like the government’s latest ditch effort to employ demagoguery. I am battling to convince myself that I could be wrong.
In any case, if the President is looking for ministers that could help regain public love and guarantee the one million votes of 2021, people like Kabuswe, Elvis, Tayali should not have been anywhere near this list.
How’s Tayali going to tell the suffering masses that ‘we’re in this together’ when his only recognizable act was to reward himself K400, 000 of government money for a job he performed in his capacity as a private lawyer when in opposition!
UPND is a highly exclusive party. It has not just detached itself from the majority Zambians, but also its own party structures. I am not sure why the entire UPND establishment mistook the one million votes block for fixed assets. Even a shadow moves.
The UPND lacks support of its cadres. There was no investment in caring for the party’s grassroot support.
When I look at the broad establishment of the UPND regime, I get a sense that for the first time, we voted for men (with few women) who constantly remind us of how privileged we are to have them as our leaders!
…Cry my beloved
The UPND leaders need to come clean – they need to face reality. The party is battling an existential crisis and the UPND brand has collapsed; the party is deeply divided internally between the haves and have nots. Rearranging the musical chairs now amidst unkept promises might not be the wisest thing to do.
Mr President, you can’t pile more work on non-performing ministers. If you want to keep rearranging your musical chairs, you might as well augment your ministerial team with louse performing ministers like Felix Mutati, Sylvia Masebo, Mutolo Phiri… and where’s Hon Douglas Munsaka Syakalima?
And why are Bo Batuke Imenda and Bo Gertrude Imenda missing from the list? It is often said that mediocrity is always the beginning of extinction of any organisation, and I am not sure how far the ruling party will stem this biodegradation process. It will take leadership.
For how long is Mr President to keep rearranging the musical chairs while we all dance to mediocrity? Maybe he enjoys it – I don’t know. The truth is that he needs to bite the bullet and take that long step forward in line with the UPND slogan, even if it means going in the direction – at least he would have learnt a lesson or two!
The UPND is disconnected from electorates; it is also disconnected from its members.
Just look at the top echelons of the party, including those in the presidential inner circle; during ma “four-days holidays”- they all retreat to their burgeoning farms and start tormenting suffering Zambians about how their investments are flourishing! PF used to flaunt dirty money and cars.
Zambians did not vote for you to start flaunting your animal wealth or flourishing avocado plantations, or fishponds. Zambians want to feel loved and cared for by their government even if things are hard!
Imagine if you spent Easter holiday with the weakest members of society (no need to refer to any shanty – I find it disrespectful). You can’t resign that key responsibility to Jito Kaumba to be taking jiggies and Hungry Lion packs to Garden compound. People never voted for Jito; they voted for you!