WHAT IS THE VALUE OF LOCAL-GOVT BY-ELECTIONS TO BOTH PF AND UPND?
CONVERSATIONS WITH MYSELF:
Once again another opposition UPND Councillor has ” defected” to the ruling party, and this time its Morgan Mabamba of Kamakechi Ward.
In the first five year term of PF rule ( 2011 – 2016) there was a total of 25 ward by-elections held countrywide which were all won by the ruling party but were unfortunately all won back by the opposition UPND in the General Election of 2016. So, what’s the value of winning by-elections a year before General Elections only to lose them less than 12 months later?
To say the truth , the pipo are fatigued with these meaningless and valueless by-elections. Because they don’t gain anything, from the ” defecting” or in-coming one who doesn’t have the time to accomplish anything. The only beneficiary is the ” defecting” Councillor whom we are reliably told gets between K60,000 and K100,000 for ” defecting.”
It is reliably said that Mabamba is a student at Mukinge Mission Nursing School, and for a long time has been struggling to raise money for college fees, and we understand his vulnerability . I sympathise with him. But then, of what value is has been Mabamba to the pipo of Kamakechi for the past 4 years? He was, like with the majority others a mere place order. He definitely will not be missed by the pipo of Kamakechi Ward whose time he has wasted. And believe you me, after getting his ” defection” Mabamba is by this time already like a used, discarded and forgotten toilet paper.
The pipo of Kamakechi must be told the truth about who are the beneficiaries of these string of by-elections. Its not them! There are no good reasons for those by-elections. In developed countries of the world the rights of the pipo are supreme, and govt ensures that those rights are protected.
Just last week the pipo of Kamakechi lost their ancestral land to greedy leaders under the watch of a sitting govt. with its top district official supporting the move.
The Kamakechi Ward By-Election could not have come at a better time when the pipo’s ancestral land has arrogantly been given away due to greed by those in leadership. It has come at an opportune time when the Kasempa-Jifumpa Road is now a mess and none of those calling themselves in govt are doing anything about it.
I would have advised UPND not to be part of those waisting pipo’s time by voting for more mediocre leadership but forego the elections but there is need to tell the pipo the truth.