Hamwiinde Munamunungu writes…
WHO BEWITCHED AFRICAN LEADERS?
We had our share from our President, Frederick Titus Jacob Chiluba, when in his early days in power yawned in a State House swivel chair how “sweet power” was. He said this in a State House televised Press Conference. We thought he was joking but he meant it as we witnessed years later.
As years advanced he pushed for a Third Term in office and all of us were surprised. He organized it as being the work of the Party ( MMD) as he remained in the background. There was a gentleman in the forefront actively helping out in the name of Michael Chilufya Sata, as National Secretary of the MMD. He mobilized aggressively and we were only saved by the belt which missed a notch in his dynamism.
The climax of the war was when my former Commander, Lt Gen Christon Tembo, then as VEEP of the Republic joined ranks with the Anti Third Term elements. FTJ was a civilian and Christon was a soldier who studied and applied the famous Ten principles of War in Military Studies and he won.
From this stand point Zambians know and understand the political concept of a Third Term. So when the PF talks about and pursues this Third Term concept Zambians know the direction.
Recently another soldier Gen Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria warned his West African leaders to stick to their constitutional term limits. This was in the wake of the bids by the Ivorian President Alassane Ouattra and that of Alpha Conde of Guinea. Both of these guys were due this time around to go but because “ power is sweet” they want to extend their stay. Both are advanced in age and in their 80s. Buhari too studied the famous Ten principles of War and soon these guys will remember him.
What therefore is the reason to go beyond the constitutional term limits? A friend asked me why this was so common amongst the African leadership. He cited Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s recent change of the Constitution just to ensure he stands.
In reply I suggested that it could be that through that” power is sweet concept “some leaders abused power excessively and dipped deep into the national treasury. They saw prison if they went out and therefore thought that the best was to stay in power till death. Secondly it appears this is another DNA in built mechanism for Africans.
One would think that ECL, as a lawyer is well placed not to pursue such dreams through the eyes of Bill 10. Legal experts have said that under the current constitution, he does not qualify because he has held office twice. It appears many would jump in to challenge his application lodged somewhere in July 2021.
It would appear that the Zambians are ready to change guards around this time next year. They are looking at the new platoon commander to take charge by 13 August 2021. In 1991 the people were fed up with Kaunda and UNIP. In 2001 it’s was FTJ people didn’t want as President. In 2011 it was the MMD that people didn’t want but could have tolerated RB if he had won.
Today both the PF and its leader(s) are not wanted. It doesn’t matter how much money will be on display, or the number of voters to be registered and to vote. The pain caused and passed through is unbearable. Some people feel the pain just by mentioning the word PF or whenever they hear that “ Dununa Reverse song”.
Time to reflect is now and the people’s anger is written on every face even amongst the so called PF cadres.