Long-time Zambian human rights defender, Laura Miti, has said that he finds it hard to forgive Socialist Party President Fred M’membe for the tribal campaign again the Tonga speaking people because of his hatred for United Party for National Development President Hakainde Hichilema.
In a post on her Facebook page in which she reflected on the Post Newspaper story, Ms. Miti said that Dr. M’membe, with a clear mind, started a hate campaign against a whole innocent people that took Zambia to a dark place, a campaign that was later adopted by Former President Edgar Lungu’s Patriotic Front (PF), as personified by Chishimba Kambwili and backing voices of Professor Nkandu Luo and others.
Below is the full post
The Story of the Post
Thinking about the Post, one is very ambivalent about its place in history.
The paper was, for a long time, the beacon of free speech and a protector of democracy.
Then, it went mad!
A sense by the owner, Fred M’membe, that Rupiah Banda should not have stood for elections, after President Levy Mwanawasa died, consumed the paper. Fred was convinced, and declared in the paper, that Rupiah Banda, then constitutionally acting as President, should have stepped aside for “Levy’s chosen” successor, Ng’andu Mangande.
The vitriol that ensued, against RB’s candidature in the Presidential by-election was shocking, for me anyway. He was viciously attacked simply for wanting a presidency that had fallen into his lap, and for Fred claiming Levy had told him he preferred Mangande.
OK, if truth be told, Mangande would have almost certainly been many people’s preference and probably a better President than RB turned out to be. RB had the right to pursue a presidency within his grasp, though.
Anyhow, from there, it was downwards into the gutter, for the Post. Fred decided he would use his paper to ensure RB had a short presidency. In came the clean-up-Sata project.
Before then, you see, the Post did not like Sata. Declared him, rightly so I might add, violent, uncouth, and much else. But he was, I guess, the only person seen by Fred as being able to unseat RB.
The Post, therefore, reconfigured itself into a Sata rehabilitation and campaign platform. Through some scary and reckless reporting, Fred successfully delivered the Sata presidency.
Sata’s time in office was sadly short-lived. It was a short period when the Post (or is it Fred) basked in the kingmaker status. The paper looked away from any wrongdoing and sung “Michael’s” praises to high heaven. It seems the Post even stop paying taxes.
I wish it had ended there – with the paper and Fred enjoying the good life, but no.
The most tragic aspect of the degeneration of the Post was its decision to make some seeming hatred between Fred and then UPND president, Hakainde Hichilema, another project of the paper.
Unfortunately, it was decided that it was not enough to vilify HH alone. The paper started the Paint-the-Tonga Black programme which was later adopted by EL’s PF, as personified by Chishimba Kambwili and backing voices of Professor Luo and others.
It is the last part, I find difficult to forgive Fred for. He, with a clear mind, started a hate campaign against a whole innocent people that took our beautiful country to a dark place.
That said, the Post should not have been closed and especially liquidated. That, ostensibly done because the paper had accumulated a huge tax bill, was really because it did not transfer its worship of Michael Sata to his successor EL.
You see, just like RB had done with Mangande after Levy’s death, EL prevented Fred’s preferred Wynter Kabimba or compromise Miles Sampa from becoming President after Sata died.
Let me leave it there.