Weekly editorial comment by: Sikaile Sikaile
It is all a misconception that lies in Zambian citizens’ attitude. The people seem not to be aware of their responsibility in Governance issues.
A few days ago, I read an article by someone who was warning the opposition to oppose ECZ attempts of what the writer said is an election rigging plan. He went on to urge the opposition to stop sleeping and do something or forget about winning elections. Imagine what would happen if the opposition managed to deal with ECZ and unruly PF cadres without support of the public. Will they ever have respect for the people? Of course not.
Today in Zambia we have all lost the definition of what opposition is. We think opposition is limited to political parties that have not formed government. This is where we have it wrong. Take it for instance, the national registration card exercise is busy capturing foreigners at least it is alleged. All we want is to see NDC, UPND, DP, MMD etc to be the ones to fight these mischievous maneuvers by those in power.
This is where we get it wrong. The issue of issuing NRC’s to foreigners borders not only on national security but, the very foundation of sovereignty, it should bother every one. In this case, every Zambian must rise up to protect their sovereignty and national security. Alas we all think that’s a job of the Kambwili’s, Hichilema’s, Kalaba’s, Lukaku’s or Mumba’s of this world.
Have we by the way noticed that the today’s higher institutions of learning are far much different from the old ones with little technology? The university of Zambia students today only protest of delayed meal allowances. Our fathers, mothers and elder brothers university students of the old days protested even on issues to do with governance because they understood that for good education services to be in schools, there has to be good leadership.
When Kaunda declared this country a one party participatory democracy, students protested. I know majority of us were not yet born, but the history of our country is there if we want to know where we are coming from. The problem with our generation is that we don’t like reading.
They even protested on the inclusion of a presidential empowerment fund in the constitution. Because that money had no control mechanism as a result it would make a president a millionaire over night like what we see now.
In 1990 the people joined hands as opposition and fought the one party dictatorship of Super Kenny and they won. MMD alone was not going to defeat Kaunda. In 2011 due to raising corruption people and students alike joined hands with Sata and fought the MMD impunity and they won. I am pretty sure that the olden days students would have fought this evil spirit called Bill 10 as it is retrogressive to the gains we have scored as a nation.
However, it was in 2015 that the cadres and few musicians feel they installed a president in power. It all started with the late William Nsanda mobilizing cadres from markets to go to Mulungishi and fight Scott to install Mr Lungu by means of pangas and machetes against Sampa’s camp.
The condition was simple, they were promised to run all bus stations if the operation succeeded. Through violence and intimidation, all is history.
It was from that day that the cadres felt they were king makers and became above anything else that they can wake up and beat the hell out of a minister or law enforcement officer and they will be free. Their violence was rewarded with a Lungu presidency.
In behavioral modification, it is claimed that when a behavior is rewarded (positive reinforcement), it will be repeated and more advanced, and today you see our men and women in uniform saluting PF cadres desembarking an aeroplane. When violence was rewarded, all we will experience is increase in intensity of violence among ruling party cadres. For us to change the status quo, we must go back to the drawing board and define opposition correctly. The very reason we have youths opposing wrong doing yet call themselves non partisan.
When we start defining opposition correctly, we will then have decency in our country. If one abhors corruption, violence and many other vices then he/she is the opposition and must join hands with the like minds to defeat those vices. Take it this way, if the opposition political parties alone stand toe to toe with bad governance and triumph , will they ever need our support? Will they ever respect us as meaningful citizens? This is the reason we must all stand for what is right and defend our great nation Zambia from ba mwankole, basakala nyongo.
Sometimes we even mistakenly think JK won the elections with a song in 2016. When in fact the man who won the elections is a foreigner Mr Emmanuel Chavula aided by Mrs Isaac Priscilla who breached our sovereignty and National security and entered our server room at ECZ and changed figures . Because he was not Zambian, he mistakenly recorded Chitulika as a constituency when in fact it was just a polling station.
This battle we see in Zambia is not for the opposition political parties alone, it should be for you and me. My greatest appeal to you my fellow citizens is that let us all do something in our own limited capacity as concerned citizens. Even donating a twenty kwacha to front liners is a big contribution in liberating Zambia from the jaws of hyenas.