DESPERATE TIMES ARE UPON US – NO SEAT UP FOR ELECTION IS SAFE
By Kellys Kaunda
A seasoned politician said to me that election time is a desperate season for politicians seeking re-election or seeking to be elected.
He said they do all kinds of things to increase chances of being elected.
I have heard, and some of you may have heard, too, that some become so desperate they either seek special prayers for victory with their spiritual leaders or seek what the Bible calls unfamiliar spirits to obtain lucky charms.
Desperate people, do desperate things and desperate times call for desperate measures.
Most people will agree. I do. Even MPs that were hardly seen in their constituencies suddenly show up.
Never mind confidence-building statements such as, “there’s no opposition; Hichilema has already gone through”.
Or, the opposition saying, “These are going; HH’s a one-term President”.
No one going into an election will arrogantly do so without weighing the ever-present possibility of a loss or victory.
It’s a time when politicians fake and manufacture humility. You’ve seen them go down on their knees as though humility is physical posture!
This is the time when the citizen is indeed a master. It’s a time when even the President realizes his powerlessness in the face of a kaponya with a voter’s card!
This time, you will see the President, the Vice President, Cabinet Ministers, MPs and Councilors in all kinds of places.
They will eat what we commoners eat; they will speak our lingua franca; they will sing our songs; and they will dance for us instead of us dancing for them.
When we the commoners dance at their political events, we’re called, “bamushanina bwali (dancers for nshima)”.
Maybe we should also call them, ‘bamushanina ma vote’ (dancers for votes).
So, when you see politicians show up at your school and eat with you, it’s a reminder of the season upon us.
When you hear of endorsements, it’s a reminder of the season upon us.
When you see them hug babies and children, it’s a reminder of the season upon is.
When you hear them in churches and dishing out large donations, it’s a reminder of the season upon us.
It’s a desperate time in their lives. It’s a nail-bitting season when their privileged positions can easily slip through their fingers.
While it’s their desperate season, let them know that it’s your time to shine.
It’s your time to put them in their place – they are your servants and thou art their master.
And how do you do that? Go and vote informed by your personal convictions and not what they want you to believe.