Deep Lessons from Petauke -When the Will of the People cannot be Bought or Subverted
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Wrote;
● UPND sank in the biggest amount of resources in the Petauke by-election. State House civil servant, Levy Ngoma bought and brought PF MPs such as Andrew Lubusha, Jonathan Daka, Elias Eliboma Daka, and PF Structures, headmen and chiefs to support the candidature of the UPND.
● Levy Ngoma brought all Eastern Province District Commissioners to campaign for the UPND Candidate. The desperation was so high that this time they didnt even care if it was illegal to use government facilities or civil servants in the campaigns.
● The ECZ could not be left out in the mischief as it also sponsored youth groups and paid for the media.
● Levy Ngoma brought former Petauke area MP and former Minister of Information, Dora Siliya to beef up support for the UPND candidate.
● Ngoma bought all cyclists and bikers in Petauke town who regularly conducted road shows and painted the town red.
● Opposition candidates from Socialist Party and Citizen First participated in the by-election with analysts fearing a split in the Opposition vote.
● But the people of Petauke and Tonse Alliance candidate, Simon Banda kicked the UPND in the face, despite the heavy corruption and vote buying schemes displayed.
The lesson to President Hakainde Hichilema is that he will likely face the same fate unless he chooses to attend to the primary issues;
● hunger,
● failing agriculture sector,
● cost of living crisis,
● Stop harrasment of Opposition figures such as you did to Hon.Emmanuel JJ Banda and tried to dance on his grave on this by-election.
● stop tribalism and tribal appointments. This has left a general feeling of exclusion that the country belongs to a certain region only.
● stop destroying democratic and independent institutions as you have done to the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the Judiciary and Parliament.
● Stop Imingalato as the general elections, as seen in 1991, 2011 and 2021, presents too many moving parts for an incumbent government to manipulate.
Elections are 18months away, and as seen in Petauke, unless there is a significant change in the course of his trajectory, a candidate will emerge who will beat Hichilema pants down.