JACK Kalala says it will be outrageous, treacherous and a betrayal of Zambians for MMD president Nevers Mumba to go into an alliance with the destructive PF.
The Mast last Thursday quoted Mumba saying if the party’s discussion, for a possible alliance with the PF, takes a route that incorporates the plight for most Zambians, then he is game for it.
Mumba featured on a special interview programme on Diamond TV last Tuesday.
He, however, stressed that he was on the side of Zambians, who were overwhelmed with socio-economic despair.
Mumba said he did have a position, on whether or not to go into an alliance with the PF, but that such a position would be expressed fully in the MMD’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting and at the March 20 national convention.
“If the national executive committee decides that we go with the Patriotic Front or any other political party, that becomes our preference,” said Mumba.
Responding to Mumba, Kalala, who was president Levy Mwanawasa’s special assistant for policy and project implementation and monitoring, advised Mumba against being tempted by the glamour and enjoyments of political power.
He said his motivation should rather be service to the people.
“It is honourable and noble to play the role of providing checks and balances and be the voice of the hurting voiceless,” Kalala said in a write-up availed to The Mast. “The MMD president, Mr Nevers Mumba has been reported that his party is discussing going into an alliance with the PF. If it is true, it is outrageous, treacherous and a betrayal of the people of Zambia.”
He explained that Mumba, being: “a former eminent pastor” and former Republican vice-president, had a moral responsibility to be a role model of ethical, virtuous and principled conduct.
Kalala said Mumba, Zambia’s former high commissioner to Canada, should be a shining star and source of inspiration to Zambians.
“He should keep away from relationships that would tarnish his image and standing in society. He should know that even without being Republican President, he has an important role to play in national building as [an] opposition leader,” Kalala noted.
He also recalled that in 2011, Zambians overwhelmingly decided to vote out the MMD for having failed them.
“They decided to vote for the PF, which had promised them more money in their pockets and pro-poor policies. Unfortunately, PF has proved to be a disappointment,” Kalala said. “It has failed to honour their promises to the people of Zambia. The PF has been pathetic and worse than the MMD in performance and meeting people’s expectations. Their performance has been a total disaster to the nation.”
He said instead of putting more money in the pockets of people, “the PF leaders have been enriching themselves and their surrogates.”
“People, who were poor before they became government leaders, have turned into instant millionaires within a very short time. Not only that, they have failed to provide effective and credible leadership,” he said.
Kalala further highlighted a number of marked failures of the PF regime.
“The kwacha has depreciated from about K5 to more than K22 to one dollar. The inflation rate has moved from eight per cent to 22.2 per cent since PF came into power,” Kalala noted. “The economic conditions and cost of living have deteriorated to miserable and unbearable levels.”
He complained that under the PF regime, it had been scandal after scandal, like the scandalous high cost of the reconditioned fire trucks and ambulances.
Kalala also said under the PF, Zambia had experienced the collapse of the rule of law and that President Edgar Lungu himself has shown no regard for the Constitution.
“The nation has had nasty experiences such as the gassing that traumatised the nation, the unwarranted killings of innocent citizens, namely Vespers, Mapenzi, Banda, Nsama, Kaunda to mention but a few,” he said. “The nation has been subjected to dreadful vices such as criminality, brutality and tribalism than ever before. Under the PF regime the nation is hurting.”
Kalala then asked: “under such circumstances, how could a normal thinking person, aspiring to become a national leader, imagine to go into an alliance with such a notorious party?’
“What has president Mumba got on his mind to want to team up with PF?” asked Kalala. “Does he want to join the plunderers in order to also dubiously become an instant millionaire, while subjecting Zambians to socio-economic adversities and tribulations?”