Liswaniso hears it all on public bus
WHAT was initially meant to be just a mere trip to Lusaka’s sprawling compound of Bauleni on a public mini bus for UPND youth chairperson Gilbert Liswaniso on Friday turned out to be an engaging and free spirited discussion of national development with everyone on board.
Liswaniso needed to quickly visit Bauleni and decided a bus from town would be the efficient means of transportation.
But as soon as Liswaniso loaded his lanky figure on the bus, his trademark hat gave him away and everyone soon realised who they would be sharing a ride with.
Taking advantage of the atmosphere of freedom of expression that has been flourishing in the last 17 months or so, passengers engaged Liswaniso informing him areas that his party had done well and those that needed improvement.
“Tiyeni tikambe vazoona, not ngati nilimuno tikazinamana,” said Liswaniso, encouraging commuters to speak freely about issues they felt were close to their hearts without censoring themselves.
Immediately he said this, a woman’s voice was heard from the back seat, complaining about escalating prices of mealie meal. “Unga wadula!”
Liswaniso signalled the passengers that he was listening. “Nifunoziba real issues on the ground. Kaili ba opposition are busy insulting those in Government, instead of talking about issues affecting you the masses,” Liswaniso said.
The woman in the backseat said aloud. “Mwachita bwino kukwela muli ino bus. Ndipo tizakamba (you’ve done well to be on this bus, we shall speak freely)”
“Bamene imwe mukabauuze ba President (Hakainde Hichilema) ati unga wadula, tavitika. Malaiti nayo yavuta. Elo pa street peve, bachita bwino to not remove us,” another woman was heard commend President Hakainde Hichilema for the bold decision to not remove street vendors.
When Liswaniso responded saying the President was aware of their numerous situations, adding that, “that’s why I’ve been boarding buses, to hear the real issues affecting you our people. I must tell you that, I’m learning. That man(President Hichilema) Zambians put in State House is doing something about your problems,” the women asked him to report their concerns about high mealie meal prices, and long hours of loadshedding to President Hakainde Hichilema. “Mukabauze.”
Liswaniso has in the recent been rumoured to be patronising buses where when contacted for a comment said, “I’ve not stopped using buses. We can’t abandon our people. We live with them. We all have a duty to tell the President the truth. When you see us on the streets, just know that your problems will reach the President, who has proved that he’s a listening leader. See how he responded with haste to the issue of loadshedding? That’s the kind of leader Zambia has now.”
In Bauleni, Liswansio met Socialist Party’s Eric Chanda, then toured the market and interacted with marketeers who echoed nearly same concerns as commuters.
Kalemba January 22, 2023
