UPND MPs Break Zambia’s Sprinting Record.
In what can only be described as a national embarrassment, UPND Members of Parliament and Cabinet ministers staged an unannounced athletics event in Parliament fleeing the chamber like a bunch of Grade 7 pupils hearing that the headteacher is coming with a punishment stick.
The topic on the table? The high cost of living in Zambia. The people wanted answers. Parliament wanted accountability. But instead of stepping up, our so-called leaders decided that their best contribution to the discussion was to sprint out of the building.
Political analyst Dr. Mwelwa had a lot to say about this circus. “I have seen MPs dodge questions before, but this was special. This was not just dodging it was a full-blown evacuation! I mean, one minute they were seated, and the next, they were gone. If Parliament had CCTV, we would be reviewing footage like a crime scene investigation,” he said, shaking his head.
The UPND MPs were expected to provide solutions, but instead, they gave Zambia something else entertainment. One eyewitness inside Parliament even claimed that some ministers didn’t just walk away; they ran, coats flapping, phones in hand, as if they had just seen a ghost. The only thing missing was a finish line and a commentator shouting, “And it’s Honourable So-and-So in the lead!”
https://fb.watch/xSAxQxL5id/
But while some may laugh, the truth is bitter. Zambia is at a crossroads. The economy is crushing the ordinary citizen. The price of mealie meal is dancing like kwasa-kwasa, fuel is draining wallets faster than a Lusaka pickpocket, and job opportunities are disappearing like MPs in Parliament. And yet, when the moment came to address these issues, our leaders chose to run away instead of run the country.
Dr. Mwelwa did not mince his words. “Leadership is not for cowards. If you cannot answer simple questions in Parliament, what exactly are you doing in government? We need solutions, not sprinters. The President should seriously consider appointing people who are ready to govern, not track stars training for the next marathon.”
At this point, Zambia must ask itself a serious question: If the people we elected to lead us are too scared to even sit and discuss our problems, what hope do we have? Running away from accountability is the same as running away from responsibility. And a government that runs away from its people is a government that has already failed.
History will remember this day not as a moment of leadership, but as a day of shame. And the next time these MPs come back begging for votes, Zambians must remember: if they ran from questions today, they will run from responsibility tomorrow.
February 20, 2025
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