HICHILEMA IS DIVIDING SADC
The SADC Troika consists of Zambia (the chairperson), Tanzania (the deputy chairperson, and Namibia (the immediate past chairperson).
The leaders of Tanzania and Namibia have both congratulated President Mnangagwa on his re-election. President Cyril Ramaphosa has done the same. But Mr Hakainde Hichilema is yet to do so because the candidate he reportedly supported lost the election.
The man he unilaterally chose, Mr Nevers Mumba, to represent him in Zimbabwe’s election released a discredited and biased preliminary report that is likely to be thrown out at the next SADC meeting because both Mr Hichilema and Mr Mumba could not declare interest.
Why did Mr Hichilema, in his capacity as incoming chair of the Troika, appoint Mr Nevers Mumba to head the SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM), given his known and close ties to both Mr Nelson Chamisa, one of the presidential candidates in the just ended Zimbabwean election, and to Hichilema, who himself is very close to the CCC leader?
I use the term “incoming” deliberately because Mr Hichilema, at the time he announced the appointment of Mr Mumba on 14 August 2023, was not yet chairperson of the SADC Troika on Politics, Defence and Security. The President of Namibia was still the chairperson at the time. https://twitter.com/HHichilema/status/1691184702235836416… Mr Hichilema only formally assumed the leadership of the Organ three days later, on 17 August 2023, at the 43rd Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Luanda, Angola. https://www.sadc.int/…/sadc-hold-43rd-summit-luanda…
Although the ultra-urgency that Mr Hichilema demonstrated when appointing Mr Mumba is in itself curious, what is most striking and raises questions about his judgement was the choice of a person whose impartiality was always going to be questioned to lead the Mission. Why not appoint someone who won’t give ZANU-PF reason to discredit the Mission’s findings – however legitimate they may be?
What criteria was used to appoint Mr Mumba? If it was because of his role as former vice-president of Zambia, what disqualified the several other ex-veeps of Zambia who are still alive? If it was because of his role as opposition MMD president, what disqualified the several other leaders of opposition parties in Zambia?
Why did Mr Hichilema choose Mr Nevers Mumba to lead the SEOM to Zimbabwe? What particular individual qualities did Mr Mumba have that other former vice-presidents and opposition leaders in Zambia lacked? Was Mr Mumba really the best candidate for such a sensitive role that requires utmost levels of impartiality and maturity? Had Mr Hichilema exercised caution in his choice of the person he appointed to lead the Mission and understood that the credibility of its report rests on the credibility of its membership, the apparent or emerging divisions within the Troika – and potentially within the SADC itself – may have have been avoided.
But that is how betrayal is; hypocrisy, treachery and ignorance can be a very big a problem but they all have limits to their power and influence. What Mr Hichilema forgot was that he could only masquerade or present his fake image to the region and the world for a short period before shame visited him.
Clearly, hiding his true identity as an imperialist puppet has lamentably failed. We hope he has learnt something from this mistake.
Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party [Zambia]
“The EFF notes the election results of Zimbabwe, which were won by the Zanu-PF. The EFF is of the firm belief that the elections were not free and fair, but welcomes the fact that there was an absence of violence as an improvement, as elections in Zimbabwe are ordinarily characteris”
This is a fair statement by a true and objective revolutionary. Meembe is jus a puppet of the East.
Mmembe is a naciscist who only sees good in himself. He will never see any good in others and parades himself as a master at slander and propaganda all for cheap political mileage. Here is a man without a conscience who called Mazoka names and vilified his unfortunate illness ( wherein he called Mazoka as a man with falling trousers) only to marry his daughter without shame. Politics should never be too personal. Let ideas compete whilst we remain civil and caring for one another. Politics is not war. We don’t need sharp tongues to pierce our innocent friends on the opposite political divide. Let’s be civil.
This man is so obsessed with president HH. How does he sleep at night because to me it seems he seems HH in everything.
I used to think Lungu was the most evil person in Zambia but now I think Mmembe is more than Lungu. This Mmembe if anyone can discern the spirit, he is so full of deceit and evil. Please be careful not to drink from his cup of malice and all poison.
This man has real hatred for President Hakainde Hichilema. He is now twisting the truth and lying that President Hichilema unilaterally chose Dr. Nevers Mumba as leader of the SADC Observer mission in Zimbabwe. How does one think like that? President Hichilema made consultations with other SADC heads, President Emmerson Mnangagwa on the appointment of Dr. Nevers Mumba. The fact that Mnangagwa’s ZANU PF hates the SADC report doesn’t make it incredible. The SADC report agrees with the EU report.
I don’t how old Fred was when Mwanawasa told off Mugabe that he sinking the country into deep ocean like titanic.
Dr. M’membe is not a revolutionary or a Socialist. He is just a pretender using rhetoric to endear himself to the simple minded.
I admire the courage of Dr. Mumba and his team for giving a candid assessment of the Zim elections. Both Tanzania and Namibia whom Dr. M’membe referred to are still ruled by liberation parties, Chama cha mapinduzi and Swapo respectively. They have very close ties to Zanu-pf just like South Africa’s ANC, hence their unflinching support for Zanu-pf even in the face of glaring electoral malpractices. They know that if Zanu-pf goes, it will signal that their time is up too.
For far too long, the SADC election observer teams have lacked the courage to reprimand dictators and denounce sham elections for what they are.
Zimbabwe has huge potential to be an economic powerhouse, but as long as the people’s will is not respected during elections, it will sink deeper and deeper into economic oblivion.
Fred has nothing to talk about every time HH I wonder how this guy reasons PF treated him so bad but he is busy with them PF closed his news paper company I think there is something wrong with Fred’s brain.
Zambians must be very careful with this man. Give him a chance to be president he will bring ZANU PF mentality to Zambia., totalitarianism. Ask him to show us any democratic socialist/ communist state anywhere in the world. The moment he is in power elections will be meaningless. Even if he loses elections, he will never hand over to “ Western backed puppets “.