Jonas Shakafuswa writes…
Looking at arguments for and against bill 7 brings me back to the reality of politics. Strengthening the hold on power. When the PF brought Bill10 everything was rosy for them.
Today for them to take the stance taken by UPND then in opposition to campaign against Bill 7 today makes a lot comedy. You sow what you will reap.
For me PF made a very bad road map for future Goverment to walk on. Yes today UPND will take whatever loopholes there is in the Constitution making process to strengthen their hold on power. But then tomorrow we don’t expect UPND to cry foul when future regimes use the same tactics. For UPND an ardent student of PF’s misrule are just walking the talk of PF in Government.
I really don’t think UPND has a formidable opposition today to dislodge them from power. UPND are just learning that running a Government isn’t simply replacing ethnicity. It is hard work which can’t bring results within a short time. They opposed everything including working with the Government of the day. Celebrating failure to their advantage. What they forgot was those failure will haunt them as they try to correct them. This is a reality of governance. You can’t change a system overnight. You can replace it with human beings who eventually show the same inefficiency like their predecessor. So we should not look at replacing a region with another in Government as a solution.
Today PF and most opposition ‘consortium’ think it is easy to unseat UPND and bring back the glory of power and control of the Country’s resources to their region. UPND isn’t going to give up easily. It isn’t only UPND. The people of the so called Zambezi region who were victims of regional politics won’t let go easily either.
Going back to politics where tribe mattered most than citizenship makes us dig our heels deep in the sand to be moved. A redefinition of politics is the only route which can give hope to all Zambians that Politics can be a tool for the emancipation of the Zambian people. In as much as am opposed to UPND ills.
I don’t think I will be ready to go back to where am characterized as a Tonga and not good enough for any service to the Nation. Neither will I support a return to the Same politics which rendered our people second class citizens in a Country where our regions provide more to GDP than their regions.
As a people we are very accommodating and very accepting to other tribes to live in our midst. Here we need a complete change of mind set to ensure confidence that someone from the Muchinga region will accept us as a people they can work with for the development of our Nation. Not a repeat to the persecution we have experienced in the most years of our self determination as a people.
As for now I will watch the way the game of Kingdoms unfolds. I won’t be economic with my usual checks and balance on the State to encourage HH and his Government to show the Country that we are different and bent to steer the Country towards Unity and peace as we develop our country and the people toward a strong Zambia where tribe or region is not a factor in bringing about One Zambia One Nation
Very good write up sir. It is time to let them know that power has now shifted and the earlier they realize that fact the better for them. Otherwise BP cases will be more next year after elections when they lose again. We know who they are and what they stand for