By Misheck Kakonde
It is with grave concern that I address recent incidents of political misconduct and misrepresentation of facts within our esteemed institutions. The actions of certain individuals, particularly Minister Gary Nkombo in one of the newspapers’ statements and the Speaker of the National Assembly’s behavior, are both disappointing and unacceptable.
Minister Nkombo’s treatment of women, as exemplified by his disregard for a woman selling kachasu, is deeply troubling. No individual, regardless of their position, should engage in such behavior, especially when it involves denying rightful compensation for losses incurred by the mother who was selling Kachasu. Such actions only perpetuate inequality and injustice within our society.
Furthermore, the misuse of parliamentary privileges to silence dissenting voices, as seen in the suspension of Members of Parliament like JJ Banda emanating from his Facebook post, is a blatant abuse of power. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, and it should never be curtailed under any circumstances, let alone through arbitrary and unjust measures. Moreover, all Zambians have a right to speak, and members of parliament enjoy parliamentary privileges while on the floor of the house.
Mr. Nkombo should not think Parliament is his house where he can tell a member of parliament Chisenga that she will go unpunished for calling the president a liar. It is imperative that Minister Nkombo, the Speaker, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, and all those in positions of authority understand that their actions have consequences. No one is above the law, and those who engage in lawlessness while holding power will inevitably face accountability. History has shown us time and again that justice prevails, and those who exploit their positions for personal gain will ultimately answer for their deeds.
Moreover, we cannot overlook the issue of factual misrepresentation, particularly by our president Mr. Hakainde Sammy Hichilema. The recent instance of the President misrepresenting information about the severity of droughts in different years is deeply concerning. The truth matters, especially when it comes to matters of public interest and policy decisions.
The evidence is evident, the drought of 1991 impacted a larger portion of the population compared to the recent drought in 2024. The President’s claim that 2024 experienced the most severe drought in a century is erroneous and deceptive. Such distortions only erode the public’s faith and trust in our leadership.
Furthermore, in 1991, Zambia’s population stood at 7,888,466, with 4 million individuals affected by the drought, constituting 50.75841962% of the population. In Zambia as per the recent census of 2023, we are 20,569,737, and 6,000,000 people are affected by the drought representing 29.1690652146%. The drought suggests a divine sign possibly disapproving of UPND’s governance, and these are dangers of poor planning and selling maize to other nations.
As responsible citizens, it is our duty to hold our leaders accountable for their actions and ensure that truth and integrity prevail in our governance. I call upon all stakeholders to uphold the principles of justice, transparency, and accountability in the service of our nation.
The author is a legal scholar, comparative politics specialist. Email: misheckkakonde@gmail.com
The author is one of the people who woukd want to see Zambians suffering so that they rule over the ashes of dead Zambians. There is no dishonesty here.
There is a regional drought affecting the entire southern Africa. FACT.
Because of the fact that there is a drought, Zambia urgently needs international support. Some of this support has already been delivered.
The extent of the drought is a matter of opinion. Different people will give different answers.
Let’s stop putting each other down.
Some people are daft. Severity of drought is not measured in percentage of population. It is actual numbers. The hectors where farming is done do not increase with population (FACT).
So how much of Zambia’s land received poor rains and how much of SADC land? Answering those questions will help fools see the point.