When we learnt that some senior citizens in Lusaka, retired Arch Bishop Telesphore Mpundu and one Brebner Changala to be specific, in their capacity as Our Civic Duty Association (OCIDA) had written the US Embassy suggesting that sanctions must be imposed on President Hichilema and some of his government officials, we were left flummoxed and speechless! We remained scratching our heads during the most part of day trying to figure-out what we had missed during our excursion from civilization tending to our goats in the village, to be greeted by calls of such drastic measures on our return.
As Mpundu was jumping onto a Washington bound to escalate their petition with US officials…….well according to Social media; back home, the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) chairman, eminent lawyer, Sakwiba Sikota, who we believe still has some unfinished business to settle with Hichilema for outclassing him for the UPND top position, was informing the media that they intend to submit a supplementary petition to the US government to reinforce the need for targeted sanctions against Hichilema and other top government officials for alleged human rights violations.
We rather got even more confused when some members of OCIDA distanced themselves from the letter written to the United States embassy in Zambia.
“Just like the decision to write to the US embassy, most of the statements have been issued by the OCIDA Chairperson without consulting other members,” revealed the OCIDA Trustee, Leslie Mbula, in a statement. “We therefore disown it and ask those associated with it to resign from the association on moral grounds.”
Where does this leave Mpundu and his friend, Changala? They’ve actually been exposed that they are part of the cartel which is motivated by sheer bitterness and pathological hatred for an individual, hence see nothing resorting to such acts of extreme unpatriotism.
The problem with those folks in Lusaka is that they tend to think our capital is Zambia and vice versa; whatever they say must be taken as the golden truth. However, those of us domiciled in other precincts across the country will tell you that after 7 years of anguish and misery, we’re finally enjoying a whiff of fresh air, some economic challenges notwithstanding. Violent party cadres that used to terrorise our citizens in the markets and bus stations have since been flashed a red card; every Jim and Jack can now go live on air and blatantly criticise the government, if they want to, without any risk of violent party cadres, some of them now serving as MPs, descending on them and beating them to pulp or indeed emptying the contents of theirs bowels into the mouths of helpless journalists; constituency development fund is being dispersed to every corner of the nation in equal measures in good time – ask Sunday Chanda; civil service jobs are being handed-out to citizens without discrimination; the opposition is allowed ample space to mobilise without any encumbrances – the list is of course, endless!
Now, where’s this hullabaloo about imposing sanctions emanating from? What sort of gross human rights violations has Hichilema’s administration committed to deserve sanctions as compared to the previous absolutely corrupt and brutal Patriotic Front regime?
Curiously, some opposition leaders have always taken pleasure in mocking and taunting Hichilema as a puppet of the West; in their warped thinking, a collection of Caucasians huddled in air-conditioned offices in Washington, London and Paris simply have to pull some strings and our president obliges without any qualms! Those who personally know HH will tell you the man is not a pushover. During his boardroom days, he’d authoritatively present his case and maintain his ground until he got what he wanted. True to this strong trait in him, Hichilema along with Presidents Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and William Samoei Ruto of Kenya recently issued a joint statement in the influential Economist Magazine, on the need to reform the global financial systems that must treat Africa fairly.
“Firstly, African leaders must be bold in promoting their ideas and participating when decisions are being made that affect the continent. The three of us have made it clear that we will not sign on to global regulations and agreements that are not shaped with our input,” part of the statement reads.
And during his state visit to Botswana early this year, Hichilema encouraged that country not to accept unfair trade conditions especially those that undermine and substitute decision making by African mineral producing countries.
Do you still want to insist Hichilema is a puppet of the West when he’s simply trying his level best to do business with everyone to extricate us from our current economic quagmire?
Well, unlike our colleagues in the East, one decent thing about the West even if they may have their own weaknesses, since we are all fallible, is that they won’t easily “bankroll” you before you satisfy certain benchmarks or conditionalities – how is your government dealing with corruption? Are fundamental human rights being upheld? Is there ample room for the proliferation of democracy in the nation? It’s totally unwise for anyone to expect Western embassies to rely on their twisted reports when they have their own ‘spooks’ lurking in their embassy buildings that actively monitor the prevailing conditions in the nation.
And just in case our friends have missed it, the United States government, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has announced $367 million (9.2 billion Kwacha) of new support toward Zambia’s national HIV response over the next year. In addition to this, Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has also revealed that the World Bank will provide 100 million dollars under the National Energy Advancement and Transformation- NEAT- programme aimed at improving the operations of the power utility company ZESCO whereas the Irish government has committed 300, 000 Euros towards the efforts to address the devastating challenges arising from the drought situations.
If indeed dictatorship is looming and blossoming in our beloved nation, how come the West is still ‘raining’ funds on us and still considering more funding to come out way, including debt restructuring by the International Monetary Fund?
Mwaloba ilyauma!
Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
Bitter about what, naiwe Lunkoto? Do not ascribe something to someone you do not know too well. For us who know the man, Archbishop Mpundu desires no position or riches for himself from UPND or HH. You are talking about a man who is content with the little car he drives as long as it takes him to the next place he wants to go. He is content even with a few suits he has as long as they can serve their function for the official functions he is invited to. He desires no gluttonous life for as long as he is healthy. His concern for the poor is such that he loathes wastefulness. As such he even picks and eats the crumbs of food that fall on the table from his plate. So what would he be bitter about the UPND and HH? You have in Archbishop Mpundu a very principled cleric who is so disappointed with HH and UPND’s bad governance that he finds it a betrayal of Zambian citizens if he dares not speak out and take action.
Matero Dr, they say sometimes ‘tondolo musuma’. You always talking about how well you know this emeritus relic of a bishop and yet defend ubupuba he’s doing everyday yahow? Lyonse fisushi from your mouth tawaishiba ukukaka imputy kwena? Lyonse pali this relic ni pwii pwii pwii typical pfidiots you are!!!!
May be for some people who went to different schools like the author of the above useless article, Mr. Kaping’a, the word “bitterness” has another meaning! Archbishop Mpundu is a very simple man, he leads a simple life with a heart for the poor! He must be regretting very much why he decided to team up with Hichilema and Upnd only to see the poor people of this country become poorest! First time since 1964! He must be cursing his stars every morning he wakes up! Some of us who knew were just surprised by the strange partnership of Archbishop Mpundu and Hichilema , because the expected change the bishop was supporting was like getting from a frying pan to a fire! Very sad! So the Archbishop has no grudge against anybody but a heart for the suffering people of Zambia. He knows that if things happening now are not stopped, Zambia will end up being worse than Zimbabwe! And that’s what must be stopped now!
We have not seen this bitterness before in our Politics. We understand the fight is not driven by any reasonable feeling for the poor but tribal hegemony by a clique that still feel other tribes cannot rule this country. This should be fought tooth and nail till end of time.