PRIORITIZE NATIONAL DIALOGUE TO DE-ESCALATE POLITICAL SCHISMS
By Faston Mwale, SP – MCC
The simultaneous increase in the retail price of fuel and in electricity tariffs by monstrous margins has induced shock in the population that is already battling with the high cost of living. The booing that greeted the head of state at Heroes stadium was an expression of strong disapproval to the ever-rising cost living triggered by monthly upward reviews of fuel prices. Recently, the Energy Regulation Board increased the fuel pump price by a whooping K5 per litre.
As if not enough, days later the Energy Regulation raised electricity tariffs by 10 percent triggering shock waves in the population. The fit of raging anger of the masses is on various social media platforms and in the daily tabloids.
Today, the main subject of conversation on buses, stations, markets, churches, in homes, in stadia and in many private and public spaces is about how the people have been reduced to foolish victims of deception in the deceptive politics of the UPND government. One thing is clear. It is that beneath the surface of apparent calm and tranquility, there is a raging storm of anger triggered by reckless tinkering with the lives of the struggling masses.
Reacting to the booing bout at Heroes Stadium, the President lamented about the “arrows” thrown at him. He said that he does not believe in courts but in dialogue. Ironically, it is President HH and the UPND that do not want to dialogue over burning national issues. Channels of communication and dialogue with the leaders in opposition, for example, are non-existent.
Seven months have gone by since Dr. Fred M’membe and other opposition leaders called for a national ‘indaba’ an idea which government has ignored. Leaders from the opposition political parties, civil society, the church including traditional leaders are a necessary cog in governance. Ignore them at your own peril.
In the context of the wholesale national meltdown of the power supply, education, health, water and sanitation, transport and energy, what development can the UPND government talk about? By not taking steps to facilitate national dialogue to hammer out a collective position on how to resolve the challenges that have befallen the country, I am afraid, the UPND will suffer humiliation in public. No one likes to be booed.
Dialogue must be a top notch priority. It is an imperative necessity for a country broken by deep political schisms instigated by divisive governance. There is need to de-escalate political tension in the country so that our people can re-collect themselves and recover the “one Zambia; one nation principle for collective nation building.
The governed must love their leaders and those in leadership have a moral duty to reciprocate.