UPND LOYALISTS FEEL IGNORED, SIDELINED…holders of political power within govt have
become unresponsive to their members – Mooya
By Ernest Chanda(The Mast)
CANADA based Zambian political analyst Justine Mooya is calling for hope among UPND supporters.
Mooya invoked the legacy of late party founder Anderson Kambela Mazoka to inspire hope among UPND supporters who have been sidelined or “feel abandoned by the current leadership”.
He reports of struggles “many UPND supporters have faced over the years and their continuing disenchantment” despite their role in the party’s rise to power.
Mooya addresses the “deep sense of betrayal many UPND loyalists feel” after years of sacrifice for the party’s cause.
“Many supporters who stood firm through the party’s years in opposition faced personal and financial hardships. Some lost their businesses, others lost loved ones and many still languish in jail,” he said in a statement. “Despite these sacrifices UPND supporters are now being neglected with some feeling as though they have been reduced to objects of ridicule by members of the opposition Patriotic Front (PF).”
Mooya specifically mentioned that those who once held the UPND leaders’ backs 24/7, “day and night, during their time in opposition are now left out in the cold with little recognition or support from those in power”.
He pointed at betrayal from within and leadership disconnect.
“A major point of contention is the apparent disconnect between UPND leadership and its grassroots supporters. The holders of political power within the UPND government have become unresponsive to their own members. Despite promises of an inclusive governance model, many UPND loyalists feel ignored, sidelined or outright excluded from opportunities such as government recruitment programmes,” Mooya said.
He cited examples of prominent UPND supporters and lawyers like Martha Mushipe and Keith Mweemba, “who fought for the party during its darkest days only to find themselves marginalised when the party gained power”.
He pointed to this as an example of a “broader pattern of neglect that is eroding the once-strong bonds between UPND leadership and its base”.
Mooya also highlighted the issue of public sector hiring, particularly in the recruitment of teachers and nurses, alleging that the process has been riddled with bias, “with UPND supporters being overlooked”.
“The Public Service Management Division (PSMD) remains filled with PF cadres and relatives of those in higher authority, perpetuating a culture of nepotism and political favoritism at the expense of meritocracy,” he charged.
Despite the growing frustration, Mooya urged UPND supporters not to lose hope.
He reminded them of the God “who delivered the Israelites”, suggesting that “divine intervention could still bring them to their promised land”.
Mooya encouraged UPND members to hold on to the “legacy of Anderson Kambela Mazoka whose spirit is watching over them”, reminding them that their struggles have not been in vain.
In a pointed rebuke of the current administration, Mooya recalled a statement allegedly made by UPND leaders that they were not elected by UPND members alone but by the Zambian people as a whole.
“This is reminiscent of a traditional Tonga saying, ‘TAATA WULYA TWEE’, which translates to ‘a deceitful father during hunger tells his family that he is eating ash’, but in secret is eating honey,” he said.
According to Mooya, this reflects the disillusionment felt by many who sacrificed so much, “only to be met with empty promises”.
He argues that his critique reflects the larger dissatisfaction “within sections of the UPND who feel that the party’s leadership has strayed from its founding principles”.
Mooya believes that many of the youths who fought for the party’s survival have been left out in the cold, with the government’s focus shifting away from its original supporters to a more general appeal to the electorate.
He criticised the government for encouraging citizens to form non-functional cooperatives instead of addressing real situations.
Mooya called on UPND members to be truthful to the leadership, stressing that the party must not forget its “loyalists’ blood, sweat and tears”.
He expressed a sense of urgency, emphasising that the “God whom they worship will send a Joshua to lead them into the promised land”, referring to the biblical leader who succeeded Moses and brought the Israelites to their destiny.
Mooya said his call for hope and perseverance in the face of adversity “reminds UPND supporters of the core values and struggles that brought the party to power”.
He said while the challenges ahead are daunting, his appeal to the spirit of Mazoka and the biblical analogy of deliverance “reflect a deep yearning for inclusion and a return to the UPND’s founding ideals”.
Mooya said his impassioned statement captured the frustrations of many while also providing a glimmer of hope for a better future in which the sacrifices of UPND supporters are “finally recognised and their voices are heard”.