By Alfred Chioza
Not all PF members went out smiling after the loss of political power at the hands of UPND during the August 12 General Election.
A quick survey in many, if not all the districts of Zambia, the once fearful CADRES have fallen on hard times. The very first pronouncement by President Hakainde Hichilema was the banning of cadres at bus stops and markets. Everyone recalls that markets and bus stops were the milking cows of PF cadres. These are llaces where the PF thugs collected cash 24/7 and 365 days a year! Suddenly these outlets were plugged off! Cadreism was over. This caught most PF cadres with pants down: they didn’t expect PF to lose elections to UPND as they were sure that their masters would successfully rig the election and determine its outcome like they always did.
These cadres were soaking in the monies they extorted from Zambians: marketeers, bus drivers and illegal allocation of land. They played with cash! They married pretty girls and even grabbed other people’s wives. They even married professionals such as teachers, nurses, doctors, police officers, etc! They bought any type of motor vehicle for themselves and their wives/concubines. They lived extraordinary lives through extortion. They established their own class in society – people were envious of cadres. Many young men despised education and felt being a cadre was the coolest achievement. They identified themselves by different praise-name tags in the turfs in which they operated. Their sole insurance for continuity of this newly found business, was loyalty to the PF leadership hierarchy. These were the ones who made life of the opposition; especially UPND members a living hell. They had more powers than the police; they were above the law and operated like the Mafia! It was so good as it lasted.
Suddenly, NO MORE CADRERISM! This was the first executive order by Bally upon assumption to the office of the Presidency. Just like that! By the stroke of a pen. Markets and bus stops were liberated from the jaws of the cruel cadres. Since they didn’t see it coming; and typical of illiterates, they didn’t invest. Barely a year into the new dawn government, most PF cadres are a sorry sight. All the monies that fell like manna from heaven is not forthcoming. The marriages which were contracted as a result of money that cadres had, are now broken down. Cadres’ wives have fled with their children. The cadres are lonely and unrecognizable – they have dropped all the fancy nameplates. Some have resorted to dangerous crimes of stealing and kid napping. Their masters are also fighting their own corruption battles in courts of laws: their properties are subjects of seizure by the State. Annoyed cadres have become whistle blowers spilling everything that was deemed hidden.
The PF house is rattled and on fire and the comradeship is also questionable. Some outspoken and boastful characters seem to have gone crazy and bonkers. You can hear them hallucinating! This is the reality obtaining in the world of corruption. Few people are even scared to spend a night in their own houses, fearing the combined investigative wings’ visitations. Most have aged beyond recognition and have forgotten the use of Inecto to dye their hair. It’s getting rough out there!
The new dawn government may be faltering in dealing with the PF thieves but the Zambians have given it the cart blanche mandate to squeeze and deal with them severely. For the cadres, it is done: they have to embrace hard work and acquire new skills such as computer technology, agriculture, carpentry, bricklaying etc; and assimilate in the society as responsible citizens. Clearly, it doesn’t pay to be harassing other Zambians as attack dogs for PF leaders. Do you ever sit down and ask yourselves; why don’t PF leaders use their own kids as cadres?
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