QUITE SAD
[When Remaining Silent Is Evil]
My heart breaks.
It bleeds.
Hakainde HICHILEMA is disappointing Zambians.
I wonder why.
I know Hakainde very well, too well.
In pursuit of a better Zambia, on the campaign trail, I ate local buns with him for goodness sake, and caused him to cry with my touching anecdotes.
Hakainde believes that education is an equaliser, that it is one of the most powerful tools to address income inequalities.
I know that he believes this, or is it that he BELIEVED this, that now he no longer does?
You see, education is what transformed Hakainde from a poor backwater, rustic lad hailing from a Godforsaken village in Monze into the flamboyant rancher and economist that he is today.
Forget, for a while, that he is Republican President today.
Being an economist and a rancher with over 90, 000 herds of cattle is transformation enough.
Worth mentioning is that the very first time Hakainde, then a villager, came to the city of Lusaka was when he was headed for the University of Zambia.
The same place where our children are today and, the children he is defrauding today.
Hakainde has now broken my heart.
Why, my friend?
Tell me, my friend.
What has changed?
Where is your own brain?
Are you under capture, my man?
I helped Hakainde become Republican President.
But I didn’t know that he could cheat, lie. No, I didn’t know that.
First we must increase the price of fuel before we reduce it!
Mmmmm! What is that? Is that what your promise was?
Uku ndiko kuja amati, uthilana utsi m’maso!
Unyengeza anthu bodza.
Hakainde, even with me as his Vice President for Politics, promised Zambians free education.
And just a few months ago, Hakainde promised that public education in Zambia would be free up to the university level.
Praising our founding father President KAUNDA for his leadershipsexcellence, Hakainde cited himself as a success story of free education to buttress his promise.
Tsono cavuta nciani?
Now Hakainde has broken this important promise.
I have tears in my eyes.
My heart bleeds.
Why, my friend?
You said that it would be free.
But now you are even failing to give loans to all those young Zambians that are eligible.
Why?
Take the case of the University of Zambia [UNZA], your own alma mater
Out of the 10, 682 students that were deemed eligible for loans by your own administration for the 2021/2022 academic year, you will give loans to only 2, 481, which represents only 23 per cent.
Why, my friend?
Why?
Help the poor, Hakainde.
These same poor people helped you, Hakainde.
Never ever forget that.
Their tax changed your life for ever.
This is NOT good at all.
Besides, bear in mind that these are LOANS you are failing to provide, loans which are NOT free!
You said that you would provide free education, Hakainde.
Now you are FAILING to even give LOANS to all YOUNG PEOPLE THAT DESERVE THEM.
Why, my friend?
Why?
My heart bleeds.
I am saddened.
Why wachinja?
Now the mother who voted for you, and whose child you have failed to support, is in tears.
She is now petitioning God.
Be wary, Hakainde, the tears of the poor arexthe seeds of upheavals.
I was quiet.
I chose silence to allow you to perform.
But now I cannot keep quiet anymore.
Being silent when a wrongbis being perpetrated turns me into an abettor.
Your failure is a grave cause for concern, my friend.
Why, Hakainde? Why?
Dr Canisius BANDA
Development Activist