HYPOCRISY OF “ROLLER-MEAT”
By Chilufya Chishala
(The Author is a politician and farmer based in Vubwi district in Eastern Province.He is also an activist and defender of community justice and peace.He as well saved in MMD party as a senior party functionary.)
After watching the conversation podcast ,the interview conducted by Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba featuring Madam Laura Miti,I came to discover alot of things.
Madam Laura Miti is quite intelligent but with alot of hate to certain individuals and ethnicity.
In that interview, Madam Laura Miti was reviewing the performance of the country from the time we came back to multi-partisim.
From her analysis of our former Presidents, I discovered her ignorance on Zambian politics and governance issues.
In her presentation she condemned President Fredrick Chiluba without saying any single good thing President Chiluba did ,she was merely negative.
Let me share with her something she may not know about President Chiluba.
When President Chiluba was campaigning in 199, he told the Zambian people the truth of the country was coming from and where the country was going.
I remember one of the rallies was at Pope square in Lusaka were he asked the people,are you ready to suffer?… and the people answered Yes!
President Chiluba did that so that people know where they are going, things will not be easy.
When Chiluba won the election,he formed the best cabinet so far which was well balanced with representation from all the corners of the country,he did that because he was a secondly he was a democrat.
Zambia has the best public transport system and we are second to South Africa in Africa ,which we attribute to President Chiluba’s government.
Today several
Zambians are landlords because President Chiluba believed in housing impowerments in which he gave houses to all Zambians who were sitting tenants to government houses.
Good leaders do not fail in make decisions whether good or bad,good leader are decisive.
President Chiluba was one of the Presidents who was
decisive hence we saw debt cancellation by the International community.
The current leadership is failing to tell the nation the truth ,you can not rule the country by pretending that things are fine when infact not,that is not good leadership.
We wait to see what legacy Madam Laura Miti and the UPND government are going to leave for this country.
Let me share with Madam Miti something she might have forgotten or maybe she does not know.President Chiluba allowed people to criticise him,I remember during the third term debate,he allowed the debate to run without gaging anyone.
A very rare polician who allowed 22 of his member of parliament to oppose the third term debate including his Vice President, no one was arrested until 2001 when MMD went to the convention where they were expelled.
On top of that,those who got expelled he never blocked them from forming their own political parties with
General Godfrey Miyanda forming Heritage Party, General Christon Tembo and others forming FDD while others joined UPND.
He allowed all the political party’s to campaign freely exibiting true statemanship and true democrat.
But today,a party which madam Laura Miti supports is in daylight sponsoring Miles Sampa to destroy the major opposition political party in the country,the PF.
Zambian citizens have decided to form an alliance as by their constitutional rights and the UPND government is directing the registrar of societies and the police not to accept the United Kwacha Alliance Documents,and you want us to smile?
People like Laura Miti who portrays perhaps purports to be a defender of human rights and democracy has failed to come out strongly to condemn the current police brutality and shrinking democratic space were opposition parties can not to move freely ,can not campaign and are not allowed to take part in the on-going by elections.
It is shocking that a person who as commissioner at the human rights commission is failing to condemn what is prevailing in the country ,the only thing we heard is to start complementing the UPND government and President Hakainde Hichilema by introducing free education.
Actually,the current free education is a disaster as its has brought about congestionin schools increasing poor qualityof education.
The employing of health workers and recruiting of teachers is an ongoing process and it’s not like its happening for the first time in this country.
President Hakainde Hichilema presented himself to the Zambian people as a Mesiah through his manifesto and told the Zambian people that he is going to change everything;
- Restoring the rule of law.
2.End police brutality.
- Promote democracy
4.Promote freedom of expression
- End carderism
- Reduce the cost of mealie-meal
- Reduce fuel pump price
What has achieved from this wishlist?
No one told President Hichilema to promise the Zambian people that they will buy mealie-meal at K50, fuel at K10 and dollar at K7.
Despite carderism in PF people were affording to eat three meals in a day ,farmers were getting fertilizer on time and the country had enough maize in the strategy reserves incase of drought and other unforseen circumstances.
Mealie-meal was at K155,which President Hichilema said was too expensive and was goibgbto reduce not knowing that he came to increase to K355.
Today people can not afford to buy mealie-meal,they are sleeping without food,even if they look for money they cant find mealie meal ,they are sharing farming inputs in meda,all the maize in the reserves was sold and we don’t even know were the money went..
What is shocking is that madam Laura Miti does not see all these things not even ques for mealie meal in these chain stores.
The country is looking for people with solutions not praise singers who are not objective in their presentation.
Madam Miti’s face is contaminated with hate for our past leaders and praise for the current government but then,some Zambians went very early into the grave cause of bad decisions made by individuals who are exaulted now and are in the driving sit.
It is very important when you are pointing a finger at someone remember to check where the other three fingers are pointing at because if you look at her presentation it’s like Zambia started existing when UPND and President Hakainde Hichilema came into government when you ask what have they done in two and half years they have been in government you cannot point anything.
By the way, much talked about CDF is worrying because it is being done under a low budget and as such,structures are falling apart even before handover.
A government is supporting construction of very cheap standard it’s like we are in the 70’s.
The current CDF works in terms of quality can not be compared to that of then MMD or PF because PF raised mthe standard on infrastructure.
Today Lusaka is looking like a capital city because of the Patriotic Front ,go to Southern Province we have a modern Kazungula bridge which was built under the PF administration,look about the inter-city bus terminals in Livingstone ,the modern markets in livingstone and each district has got a modern bus stop .
PF took one of the most expensive road which is Mongu -Kalabo road.
If you check in the Ten Provinces we have three stretch road network which looks better and these roads are Kafue-Kazungula, Chingola -Solwezi and luangwa Bridge to Mwami border some of these roads where constructed and initiated by MMD but when PF came into Government those projects which were initiated by MMD,the PF completed them.
If you check the road network in the northern circuit they are very bad because that is the strong hold of the Patriotic Front but they didn’t mind where development can be taken to because it’s one country,in 10 years of PF if you go round in all the districts there is a new structure either there is a district hospital , secondary school, primary schools or government buildings .
Today,we have access to all the districts in this country because of the MMD and the PF and when UPND analyze PF they only focus on one thing-carderism,they don’t talk about good things which PD did,what a shame.
This country needs eminate men and women who can appreciate good things and condemn bad things,then we are going to progress as country.It is not right for people to criticise others using the lens of hate and tribe it will take this country nowhere.
As I conclude,I was very disappointed with Madam Laura Miti as she even failed to support her fellow women who were removed from their offices unconstitutionally the former DPP Lilian Siyuni Shawa and Madam Thandiwe the registrar of societies because they stood firm while you have people who call themselves defenders of justice , democracy and human rights.
Madam Laura Miti failed to defend her colleagues because of their political and tribal incrination,shame!
Right on!!!.Hansungule as well as Ndulo have all kept !!!
Bwana, LM has condemned the UPND for meddling in the Miles Sampa issue, of course without proof which you don’t have either
It’s you who is biased
Chiluba was a sellout. He’s a democrat before elections but turned into a dictator afterwards. Third term was a clear example
So what is there to praise about turncoat?
FCB go and research properly not hallucinating.
Go and complete grade 9 and then come back to make comments.
I will agree with the writer on the points raised to support FTJ but disagree on the points to support PF. I confess I never watched the interview for Ms Laura Miti, but I would not be suprise that Ms Miti spoke all the way negatively on FTJ. With due respect I have for you Ms Laura Miti knowing from FTJ’s time in collorabotion with Post you decided to oppose anything on FTJ. It is disappointing to note that even up to now you are still bitter against FTJ for reasons known to yourself of course not on principle. But at least from your friend, Dr. Mmembe you can tell from certain interviews and writing has started accepting the great things FTJ did.
1) FTJ took over from UNIP at the most difficult time in terms economic, political and social, with high dictorial system. He never carried that on with dictatorship but agree to democracy as what people wanted and democracy was born.
2) I remember through post you would openly and almost every day insult President Chiluba even if one time or another summoned by police but never sentence to jail, (which in PF or UPND you would have been in jail by now)
3)The post continued its publication with all its insults( which if in PF or UPND it would have been closed).
4) The first minister to be fired by FTJ within 6 months of MMD govt was Hon. Ephraim Chibwe Ministry of Works & Supply because of corruption.
5) You can go to the list of first cabinet appointment it will speak for itself. Some will come out openly and say I didn’t agree this and that in cabinet meeting ( where on earth a cabinet minister and oarth will say that).
6) We used to spend weeks on stations travelling in an exception of Copperbelt to Lusaka or vice versa the rest was a nightmare but within a short period things changed buses started waiting for people.
7) Shorted of essential commodities was sorted out within a short time.
8) Housing ownership improved, long before people believed highly in renting than house ownership.
Of course FTJ was not an angel just like you Madam Laura Miti but we should learn to appreciate and give credit on good things.
The problem is that we believe more in the results than the process to results.
9) Who started the stractural adjustments and when did it mature.
10) Who intitiated the program for 12 billion dollar debt cancellation left by UNIP govt? IMF &World bank gave us serious and difficult conditions for debt cancellation ( as it is happening same to UPND today fighting debt restructuring) which KK and UNIP failed to do but FTJ and MMD did at the expense political popularity and of course your critical opposition with the Post and yielded results which even today we are enjoying.
People lost jobs I agree, but Zambia was restored to a growing economy from a shrinking one.
We need to heal from this as a national.
Well-articulated author. You article is very accurate and to the point! Have always wondered which part of Zambia Laura Miti hails from! May be she can highlight us on that one! There are women in public offices who capitalize on their spouses names, and you would think she hails from the East when infact not! The hate by Laura Miti for late Michael Sata and Edgar Lungu is just too much! I wonder why? And her support for Hichilema is just shocking!
Yes, Mr. Chiluba did some amazing things but he also made serious blunders. His first five years in power was a joy to behold and brought hope to the nation. But his second term was wasted years. The third term debate was totally unnecessary and if he had not been actively and vigorously opposed by people within the ranks of MMD, he would have gone on to rule in perpetuity. Fortunately we had principled man who brooked no nonsense and they quickly put him in his place.
For me, Mr. Chiluba and his Finance Minister, Mr. Ronald Penza, are the unsung heroes of Zambia’s economic recovery. They made some very hard decisions to get us out of the economic pit UNIP had dug us into. Mr. Mwanawasa and Mr. Magande only reaped the benefits of Mr. Chiluba’s labour.
Chiluba started off well but then power got to his head and he became the chief thief which lead to him being found guilty in a London court of law nonetheless. On top of that the ill fated third term bid, unleashing cadres like Nakawala onto people who were against the third term and chasing loyal members of MMD from the convention all contributed to his downfall and left his reputation in tatters.
The author of this write up is intled to his own opinion, just like Laura is also untitled to her opinion.
The auther has in his presentation also shown that he is not neutral with lots of tenants of being anti HH.
A number of political opponents died mistereously at the hands of hired mercenaries by FTJ. These are known facts but you have portrayed him as a hero. FTJ was very bad and eliminated without wasting time. How can you hero was hip a character like that? Has HH eliminated any opposition leader so far? Or any of his freinds? Tell this nation how Wezi Kaunda, Tembo, Nkumbula Bordwin, the lawyer Nganda etc
You too sound a tribalist and I can guess where from. You comparing a 10years record to 2years +. That’s not fair. You are equally anaza. Just be fair and give HH time to rule
Excellent analysis Chilufya Chishala.
Laura Miti is a big disappointment.