DORA SPEAKS OUT ON JJ
By Dickson Jere
Dora Siliya, the flamboyant former Minister, has opened up on events that led to her loss to her rival Emmanuel “JJ” Banda in the Petauke parliamentary elections of 2021 and the eventual defeat of the Patriotic Front (PF).
She named names in her blockbuster book, which was released last week. Chief among those fingered is former President Edgar Lungu and his statehouse aides as well as businessman Valdan Findlay.
“These were strange days, she writes in her book titled “Minding My Fathers Country”.
“How could we expect to win an election in the province (Eastern) with an alleged ‘thug’ using the Edgar Lungu Foundation name as his brand?” She asked, referring to JJ who had just been elected as PF Provincial Youth Chairman.
She disclosed that she once approached President Lungu and asked him about it but he gave her what she termed as “unsatisfactory” response.
“Once during Cabinet tea break, he announced to everyone that I was accusing him of sponsoring JJ when he had nothing to do with it,” Siliya says on page 433 of her thriller.
“If he could not discipline someone whom everybody called a ‘thug’ and even allowed him to use his foundation name – and he could not see anything wrong with that – then dearly I had missed my opportunity to leave”, she expressed her regrets.
She disclosed having confronted the President on the central police violence that was linked to JJ and the President expressed concerns too.
“And I rubbed it in. I said an attack on the police was an attack on his symbol of authority, and sent a message that he was weak…” she writes in a candid manner, adding that the Minister of Home Affairs then was also close to JJ.
“The president immediately called Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja, asking why the ‘thug’ had not been arrested,” the former MP minister further disclosed.
Dora says PF Secretary General Davies Mwila was her ally and also concerned with the activities of JJ but was shocked that President Lungu preferred JJ as Petauke MP instead of her.
“The shock according to him was that JJ was a criminal being protected by statehouse,” she further writes, quoting Mwila.
She also disclosed that her own chairman in Petauke was working against her with statehouse to make sure that she lost the election and he was even gifted a brand new vehicle by statehouse.
“By the time the election in August 2021, my chairman and I were not even talking and he was the Chief campaigner for the independent candidate. Such is the way of politics,” she says.
At one time, she briefed the President about the views of chiefs in Eastern province on his performance but he turned against her saying the same chiefs told him that they did not want her too.
“You cannot trust chiefs, as the ones in Petauke also said they did not want you,” she writes, quoting President Lungu as having told her.
She also disclosed that at a meeting in Petauke, President Lungu openly said unpopular candidates should withdraw from the race instead of wasting their little money from their businesses.
“It was only recently that I realized that he had been talking about me,” she disclosed.
Could it be for the same reason why even now he still sounds protective of the perceived thug. So even in their camp he was labeled a thug already.
The president called the IG why the new thug in town won’t be arrested kkkkkkk
Uko…”Kumozi ku mawa”….and is the same JJ not a headman’s son?….the headman should cow from leading if his own son is such a misfit.
The folks that want to seek tribal inclinations for political dissent and cry about the lack of representation, should now think. If the then Head of State could take pieces of information as this, and sought an independent and objective opinion. How could we expect the right decisions to come out of State House?
Two people told you about a person. One is clearly conflicted; Dora, but Mwila pointed this about a person. Why not seek a further and balance view from OP? See their rationale and objectivity?
Such would have helped Lungu make better decisions. Too often we make emotional and wrong decisions about issues because of our closeness to individuals.
Leadership demands we set those emotions aside and look at the reason we sit that “seat”.
Has the “wheel” been invented or is history set to repeat itself again?
Dora, thank you for the lessons that your book may teach us about leadersip.
Some things are not for public consumption especially things to do with politics ,management…etc cos they can fuel friction amongst former allies.The best thing to do when you experience kind of being sidelined or unfavoured is to quit and move on in life .We usually lose favours from our coleagues or bosses due to many reasons ,could be true ,genuine or false coming from those who hate us or have private and undercover agendas.In life you have enemies all over around ,that’s reality…Sometimes we even with wives who don’t love us but stay with us because of financial benefits. Reality isn’t so sensational…..
@Kanyembe… Dora has moved on. Now she is selling her book
The man doesnt understand what a memoir or an autobiography is.
When people speak of freedom of speech…this an extension thereof. Dora has given us an insight and account of her life in a book. Who are we to debate that perspective?
Madam Dora, tizamvela vambiri. Let’s please read her book, we’ll be we’ll informed.
ECL is so duplicitous this account is not shocking at all
Lungu himself was a thug that’s why he was protecting his fellow thug.
Mr. Lungu IS still a thug. That is why he can threaten to follow civil servants into their homes to sort them out for not toeing his line.
He is at home sorrounded by thugs.
That is Lungu for you. I console myself that I never voted for him but my single vote is/was not enough to save the country from the unprecedented damage. Of all the opposition leaders then, I only salute Nevers Mumba he cried out loud about the senseless, self serving borrowing. Look at where we are today 34 billion usd in debt from 0.5billion in 2011. And some nicompoops still chant alebwelapo?