PATRIOTS MUST RISE UP
…when something is wrong in the country, says Silavwe
By Fanny Kalonda
IF you want to fix the PF don’t use our institutions, Jackson Silavwe has advised government.
“When something is wrong in the country patriots must be able to rise up and challenge that status quo,” he says. “And I as Jackson Silavwe, I am not afraid to be arrested, to speak on behalf of the Zambian people that this new dawn administration is wrecking our democracy and they must be called to order.”
Addressing journalists recently, Silavwe who is Golden Party of Zambia president said the
government should desist from using public institutions and officers to fix opponents.
“President Hakainde Hichilema and his government are setting up this country for conflict. How else can you explain their behaviour to curtail the very freedoms that our forefathers fought for. Do not use our judges,
do not use our senior civil servants like Madam Thandiwe [Mhende] the [former] registrar of societies. Do not use the Attorney General; do not use the Auditor General of Zambia. Do not use the directors in the ministries, do not use even our permanent secretaries because they are paid by our money and we need them to perform to the best of their ability without any form of biasness,” Silavwe said. “It is abominable, it is distasteful. It is repugnant, it is nauseating that you can have an illegality created in an institution and you provide that person with state security surpassing that of an elected Vice-President of the Republic. And we have upright men and we have got people that call themselves patriots who are quiet about this matter. Providing state security surpassing that of the President himself! For those of you who argue senselessly or foolishly without understanding why we are fighting for this is that you compromise now the entire state machinery because of your actions because you want to fix your perceived political opponents…”
Silavwe said it is when laws are applied effectively in a democracy that the public will begin to respect those institutions.
“For us we’re defending the principle of democracy. The PF have the capacity to defend themselves but democracy is not about the PF. Democracy is our people. Democracy is that ideal when we gained independence in 1964 and along the way president Kenneth Kaunda because of the circumstances that were prevailing at that time saw it fit that they can introduce a single participatory democracy, as it was called. What we are witnessing in the recent times is a complete naked abuse of state institutions. I want us [to] examine and interrogate the recent events that have happened in our country,” he said. “You have a Registrar [of] Societies that has resisted to change the office bearers, a state institution that is trying to follow the law and mind you the registrar of societies has a history of what is currently happening. So when you talk of Tandiwe, she’s experienced to deal with this matter because she has dealt with this issue before. So you’re not dealing with a novice who does not know what is happening and she knows the consequences of changing office bearers before the court pronounced itself,
because she will be called as a witness. You have a whole Minister of Home Affairs do a press conference and say no ‘there was something wrong with the print out’. Those who are challenging if we are a country of laws, those who are challenging that this list is not okay, then they can be able now to articulate to the court, to submit before the court to say, no this [is] erroneous and then the registrar of societies will be answerable to the court, not to a man, not to a minister but to the court.”
Silavwe reaffirmed his belief that “in this PF saga there is a deliberate abuse of state institutions by the Executive and that is damaging our democracy”.
“It is when you apply the law effectively in a democracy that the general public will begin to respect those institutions that they have given themselves. And I want to repeat this, where you have a situation in a democracy where people don’t know now where to run to because this is the situation that the new dawn administration, President Hakainde Hichilema’s government, have created in the country,” he said. “They have demonstrated to the Zambian people that you can go to the courts of law, get an injunction, the court or the judge will grant you an injunction over a matter and the people that you obtained the injunction against can go the following day to the same judge even when that same judge has given the date for all the parties to be heard…”
Silavwe said there is need to stand on the principle of democracy.
“Let’s not use emotions here. Let’s use our brains today as patriots, as Zambians devoid of political affiliations. We need to stand on the principle of democracy even if it is to the point of facing death or arrest because this is a legacy that Kenneth Kaunda left for us. That when something is wrong in the country patriots must be able to rise up and challenge that status quo,” said Silavwe. “And I as Jackson Silavwe, I am not afraid to be arrested to speak on behalf of the Zambian people that this new dawn administration is wrecking our democracy and they must be called to order. This is out of question.”-The Mast
Ba silavwe insoni ebuntu , today you are very lucky , you even stand at the anti hill saying rubbish. During the time of PF you can’t do that bwana , so learn to appreciate were it is due unlike talking from without. Zambia now is even quite, Zambia is now is experiencing peace and order, it’s only you Mr. Silavwe who is not seeing what Zambia is seeing kkkkkkkkkk come 2026 HH ku state House , fimbopoke kkkkkkkk.
The fact that pf reign was bad does not disqualify Zambians from criticizing upnd where and when necessary.It is either Cadres or Tongas who clap even when the cost of living in Zambia is high and whenever democratic space and the like are compromised with.Zambia is for all and pipo are entitled to divergence views about their livelihoods and general perspectives of their life in the land and hence none has the right to gage them.