Lunte MP Hon. Mutotwe KAfwaya writes:::::::::
THE HEAVY SILENCE, I FEEL IT TOO LOUD.
I wish Hon Mumbi Phiri well.
But Zambians know better – perhaps there is a way I would have liked to see Zambians respond, and that is by expressing themselves more freely and more frequently to help those in government to govern better
I recall some Zambians thinking that the PF government wanted to amend the Constitution in order to perpetuate ECL’s stay in office. Then they shouted from every mouth of every civil society organisation to every mouth of every opposition members of parliament of the time.
Some of opposition members of parliament would eventually toast and dance to the fall of Bill 10 at some privately owned property which would later unconventionally host government business.
Hungry Lion packs were shared among them with some softies representative of their financial status then. But we know that change happened!
Some today are called DJ minerals, akatuntulu and so on – very interesting!
What was the main reason for their refusal to support Bill 10 to the majority of them? The PROCESS! And so they campaigned against it like you’ve never seen them campaign.
The process did they judge not to have been inclusive enough.
The process did they judge not have been sufficiently consultative too.
And of course the content was wrongly projected to have had the agenda of perpetuating ECL’s stay in office longer than his Constitutionally allowed tenure.
As such, civil society joined in, the church joined in and some international community members weighed in.
And there we went, Bill 10 collapsed.
That process came to an end. The Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, as amended in 2016 remains intact to date.
Those who opposed the process while in opposition are in government today. They want to amend the constitution now. To do so, they want to follow an abbreviated process. They want to shorted further the process which led to their not only refusal but campaign against Bill 10.
Sufficient consultations does not matter to them now.
Inclusivity does not matter to them now.
What shall we call these people if not hypocrites- if they go ahead with this abbreviated process of Constitutional amendment?
I have heard some of them speak of shame, if this does not produce shame on their part; what will?
They even have the ability to say that they will rely on work done in the past. What audacity?
How can one rely on work which was rejected and disposed off?
When a Bill falls, it has been rejected for everything it stands for. It’s content, it’s intentions and it’s process. If a similar Bill has to be promulgated, any well meaning promoter must follow a new but enhanced process to assure legitimacy and demonstrate improvement. How difficult is that to perceive?
It is therefore a strong lack of sincerety and integrity on the part of whoever in government wishes to promote that constitutional amendment relying on the rejected and disposed off work of the past.
When people change government, they expect better from their new set of leaders. What this new set is saying and intending to do in this regard is lowering the bar below the old threshold.
That threshold which was rejected by the opposition of the time and other people, which caused the amendment to fail. How can a new government push to betray the conscience of its members and supporters who overwhelmingly rejected the process they now want to abbreviate?
It will accounted to you to have been insincere misleaders in an event that you follow through this work with an abbreviated process. It is immoral to say one thing and do the complete opposite.
Insincerity and immorality are a very bad combination for leadership. Both of the are antithetical to integrity which must must be the chief ethical consideration in leadership.
Speaking for myself, I long sensed your inability to govern according to your promises of good governance.
Today:
When I look at your cadres at the Electoral Commision of Zambia who are supposed to operate at policy level acting like they are employed at operational level,
When I look at the misconduct of the registrar of societies.
When I look at the ECL illegibility judgement turn-around,
When I look at the shameless intentions in the ministers stay in office after dissolution of parliament conversation, and the silence of even the most loud mouths in government on the matter; I see a desperate group beyond mcomprehension – and it will be accounted unto you as hypocrites.
Remember the people who talked the loudest against ministers stay in office after dissolution of parliament. Why should they be quite now?
Look at the content of those two government sponsored bills which were withdrawn after public pressure; the Cyber Crimes Bill and the Cyber Security Bill. Look the content of the Hate speech amendment currently underway. It is indeed what somebody said – ‘cry my beloved country’ – this land of my fathers!
If a government can spend time thinking and processing such work, when will it think and process programs to alleviate the suffering of majority Zambians?
Programs to reduce the price of fuel,
Programs to end load shedding,
Programs to reduce the price of electricity,
Programs to reduce the price of farming inputs,
Programs to reduce the price of the dollar,
Programs to reduce the price of borrowing,
Programs to reduce the prices of essential commodities,
Programs to improve drug availability in hospitals,
Programs to end government corruption,
Programs to end illicit financial flows,
Programs to end government maladministration
Programs to end national divisions – and many more! Where will you find the time? Just to ask again.
With the heavy silence of every mouth which talked the loudest in time past, it is more than clear that the Zambian people know better.
Even those who called the radio and tv stations in support of the ideas of the then opposition, today are producing videos of begging government to help them; saying that they are now suffering more than they were suffering when they were in opposition. Zambians know better –
Let those with use them wisely.
Naenda ine nikambako che!
Restoring EVERYTHING PATRIOTIC.
MK13.01.2024