By Kasebamashila Kaseba
WHERE IS JACK MWIIMBU GOING OR RETURNING TO PARLIAMENT OR DEBUTING IN CABINET OR BOTH?
— when success rejected succession —
Why does Jack Mwiimbu want to stand for the record five terms or times or 25 years, outlive four of seven presidents to become perhaps the longest serving MP (or perhaps rival the record of Daniel Munkombwe, of being Minister for five of six presidents, (except EL who buried him with HH among others) than work for the victory of HH to be a nominated MP and appointed Cabinet Minister?
Is Mwiimbu then doubtful of HH’s victory or cannot trust HH for MP nomination and Cabinet appointment or HH cannot guarantee victory at his sixth attempt?
Otherwise, part of the problem here is that Mwiimbu was inherited, by HH, from Anderson Mazoka himself.
Secondly, HH too has been adopted six times without indicating an adoption or terms limit win or lose.
HH, at six adoptions in 2021, is one ahead of Mwiimbu’s five adoptions in 2021.
On the other hand, Mwiimbu cannot aspire for president which is occupied for 15 years since 2001and cannot be UPND VP for tribal balancing.
Further, HH lacks the do or die that is killer instinct to every adoption, to be trusted of electoral victory this time.
Mwiimbu himself has been on one of UPND’s central safest seats of the heartland Monze.
Only when HH will also see a limit to adoptions and vote rigging victimhood, to seize the one chance opportunity or adoption, as Mazoka or EL himself, will HH stop blowing chances, to earn Mwiimbu trust.
Our Constitution has no presidential term or two terms limits and EL shall find new excuses or justifications (of development) to go for the fourth term.
EL, like Mwiimbu, through the Constitutional Court and ECZ, has made the presidency his safe seat.
EL and HH have both ignored the lack of two terms presidential limit or lack of interest in recognition of the number of times of contesting or terms one can rule that is the undoing of HH towards EL and Mwiimbu.
HH needed to openly declare that the 2016 Constitutional amendment has had a lacuna of no term limits and commit to two terms limiy whether it means a term and half as Mwanawasa ruled.
That is, demonstrate that it is adoption opportunity more than duration of terms.
The one to make HH understand that lacunae is conflicted Mwiimbu without a term limit as an MP.
Mwiimbu may have performed as an MP but has overstayed and had been horrible as UPND chairman for legal compared to Mwanawasa in 1991 or Kabimba in 2011 or Sangwa in 2021 in using courts of law in fighting for power.
Mwiimbu and HH successes are measured from lack of succession, just like EL. That is, they are judged as successful for being the only ones with the opportunity and privilege of power and performance.
What Mwiimbu is doing to Mutinta Mazoka-M’membe is what EL is doing to HH or HH did to Sakwiba Sikota.
That is boast of performance but block others from the opportunity.
That is also to say, if Mwiimbu has performed well, he also failed with his term or time management and impact creation compared with one term MPs.
For example, Cabinet overstaying during 2016 elections had incumbent and petitioned President EL also overstaying during the presidential petition court hearing which prejudiced the case or EL threatening judges during his third term presidential eligibility court hearing which also similarly prejudiced the case.
Speaker Patrick Matibini not taking over also prejudiced the presidential election petition court case.
In short, it seems Mwiimbu who could talk against third terms and overstay has been more interested in his stay as MP than UPND and HH’s lawyer in court and now being Cabinet minister. Which Cabinet Minister he already is as leader of opposition.
Mwiimbu, say, at 20 years in parliament, given an opportunity by Mazoka in 2001 should have been the one to also give an opportunity to Mazoka’s daughter without electoral adoption challenge as UPND change of guard or generation.
In 1991, KK, at 27 years in power terribly failed to read the signs when his children and Nkumbula’s and Lewanika’s children mounted a second generation rematch for their fathers.
Mwiimbu, too, has failed to read the challenge from a Mazoka second he could have graciously or honorably stepped aside for. (I am aware of another and older Mazoka in parliament.)
He maybe hounded by this that his fifth term may not be happy just as EL’s third term shall be a sad term.
Whatever can be said, that electoral adoption in Monze is important in many respects including being symbolic of change. Importantly, politicians are serving themselves and generally don’t know how or when to say farewell.
Fifth termer Mwiimbu’s (and third termer EL’s) perhaps best opportunity for farewell and secure his legacy seemed this term.
Otherwise, 2021 – 2026, is politically and economically, not a good term or is legacy destroying for both Mwiimbu and EL plus the ordinary Zambian.