LAMENTATIONS OF A UPND SUPPORTER
By Mike Theo Hambulo
I remember meeting President Mazoka in 1999 and that’s when my interest in Politics and UPND in particular started. Having watched the likes of Dean Mungomba and Baldwin Nkumbula practice genuine politics aimed at creating a corruption free society, Mr Mazoka appeared to me as that alternative for this country.
Despite the passing away of Mr Mazoka, I still remained faithful to UPND because I believed we were going to bring a breathe of fresh air the country needed in Zambia’s economic development agenda.
After waiting for more that 20 years, we are in government. I think the long wait was sanctioned by God for us to change our ways and learn from the mistakes of our friends but alas we are becoming worse than our friends.
🍌 In the case of Kwacha and Kabushi, we now look very childish , vindictive and desperate. What is this nonsense of appeal after appeal in the courts to stop elections? We are the party in government and we are scared to face Lusambo and Malanji? Did we win genuinely in 2021 for us to be scared of Malanji and Bowman? We can’t continue using Attorney General in political cases when there is a backlog of cases the judiciary should be attending to. We are now under 5 juvenile politicians because we have transported our opposition politics into government! The people are interested in development and not cheap politics.
🍌 On the rule of law we are becoming a laughing stock. Even lawyers like Sangwa and the catholics that backed us are pulling out. The next to pull out will be the Europeans and Americans because we have started embarrassing them. The other day we arrested Sean Tembo, it appeared on BBC, next it’s DPP security withdrawal and her running away from home and it was reported by BBC, next it’s Dr Sampa and his crew arrested for peacefully matching. What message are we sending out?
🍌 Our loss in Luangwa is just a sign that people are getting upset with us! Never say that former ruling parties cannot bounce back because the way we have done our politics in the first one year, no one wants to join us. How is it possible that when people defect they are defecting to Socialist party and not to Upnd? A lot of independent people voted for us and if they are not feeling part of us then just know that they are with Mmembe, KBF or back to PF. We need self introspection
🍌 The IMF deal we have signed will come to haunt us. Kabushi has shown that even with teacher and health personnel recruitment people are more interested in their own living conditions than speeches! Even during PF’s lowest point, I never saw anyone reject a Chitenge Material from Bo Inonge Wina! The reception we received in Kabushi and even Kwacha is a sign that if we don’t change, we should start packing. Zambians are no longer interested in waiting for tomorrow. They want things done today.
🍌 Let’s not even dare to implement some of the IMF conditions like selling off ZESCO, the mines harassing of trading companies for tax and increasing fuel and electricity tariffs. Once we do that, expect Zambians to be very hostile towards us. Listen more to Grieve Chelwa and less to people like Chipenzi. Praise singers will make us go down too quickly! Already Zambians can’t express themselves freely because the boys and girls we buy bundles for are harassing them. So how do we expect to get feedback?
🍌 Lastly we need to check the praise singers. The tribalism! Northern, Luapula and Eastern provinces gave us a lot of votes! So why entertain those relatives of mine from western province asking for the removal of a Sakala as deputy Council secretary? Isn’t Zambia one nation? Praise singing is killing our party! The bloodshed in Luangwa should not be transported to the Copperbelt otherwise we shall lose!
In my conclusion, I just ask for one thing: Please let’s concentrate on development. Already we are just remaining with 3 years 9 months but our behaviour is as if we just came into office last month. Let’s move on. In actual sense we just remain with 2 years 9 months because in the last year, it’s all campaigns. What message shall we go back to the people with? That PF was corrupt? That we employed teachers? And please revisit the FISP new guidelines. How can you say when one is on NAPSA pension they can’t get FISP fertiliser? Edgar Lungu used to give them so you want to deny them? In your opinion who is better to them? HH or ECL after they are denied fertiliser? By the way when are we buying the same fertiliser because “corrupt” Lungu would have been distributing fertiliser by now!!!!
My fellow UPND members let’s pull up our socks 🧦
By: Mike Theo Hambulo.