How to lose a national debate
By. Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Friday is a big day in Zambia. Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane will present the 2023 National Budget in Parliament.
This Budget will affect the outcome of the life of our country in the next one year as this is one of the most effective tool used to attend to the economic, social and growth of our country.
I expected a debate comprising preview of budget expectations and projections to dominate the narrative.
Infact the entire debate this week was not about the impending presentation of the national budget but something else.
Last few weeks, the debate has been dominated by the homosexuality debate and the sexual crimes against boys and men and the poor handling of the same by the New Dawn Government.
President Hakainde Hichilema’s annual trip to the United Nations General Assembly and his activities in Newyork barely got any serious attention or analysis.
This week, a few days before the presentation of the Budget, started with a case of UPND Lusaka Vice Chairperson, Saulos Mwale Cornhill and his insults and vulgarities against the University of Zambia and other institutions.
This resulted in the University of Zambia students protesting and Saulosi’s own suspension.
So here we are as a nation, we have lost an opportunity to debate critical this critical issue.
Here are some activities that stole the limelight at the eve of the Budget presentation ceremony;
1. Search of the premises of former President Edgar Lungu in State Lodge area, New Kasama.
2. Members of Parliament visit former President Lungu.
3. Detention of President Economic and Equity Party (EEP), Chilufya Tayali in Livingstone.
4. ACC arrest Francis Muchemwa.
5. Seizure of Edgar Lungu’s lodge( DEC says we made a mistake,the lodge belongs to someone else).
6. Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops affirms the Church’s strong stand against homosexuality.
7. Road Development Agency (RDA) Chairperson, Mulchand Kuntawala announces the dismissal of Dorector and Chief Executive Officer, George Manyele.
8. Removal of subsidies on fuel ( reinstatement of Value Added Tax, Customs Duty and Excise Duty).
9. Monthly review of fuel pimp price scheduled for Friday.
10. UPND Lusaka Province Chairpserand strongman, Obvious Mwaliteta, who some members have touted as the next Secretary General, issued a notice on his page that he is taking sabbatical leave from provincial politics.
So as you saw with the demise of Queen Elizabeth and the subsequent coverage, having an item dominate debate is not coincidence but is preceded by serious planning, preparations and strategies.
It’s not that the World comes to a stand-still, a narrative makes it appear so.
CNN may dedicate plenty of time to a hurricane that will cover a corner of the USA, and it will feel like the whole World is at the verge of beung battered by a storm and flooding!
But it is clear that the New Dawn Government is preoccupied with everything else except a narrative that should favour them and their leader!
So maybe it’s not too late…what are your expectations of the national budget