Why Zambians discuss President Hakainde Hichilema ‘s ‘BIG EARS’
On government’s invitation, yesterday I spent my afternoon at State-House and listened to the President explain amendments to legislation on the death penalty amd defamation of President. But what caught my attention was his cry over why Zambians waste time talking about his ‘big ears’ which he said he can’t do anything about and not about other important things such as corruption fight.
Actually Zambians did the same to Presidents: Kenneth Kaunda they called ‘fonkofonko’ because of his sunken eyes, FTJ Chiluba ‘kafupi’ because of his short statute, Mwanawasa ‘Cabbage’ because of his speech impairment, …the list goes on.
Well the reason is simple. Zambians discuss his big ears because thats mostly ‘all’ they can see and know about him. There are other important things but Zambians have been starved and condemned to poverty of information due to lack of access information Law. All they see are his ears so they would rather talk about them than speculate ignorantly over things they dont have information on.
The way our Zambian government works is such that the President chooses what information the public should have access to and not. This scenario has its own merits but in an event where a government in power has no tolerance to divergent views or is opposed to correction through being transparent, this position of the law can be very retrogressive because the government can just choose not to be answerable to their actions by just blacking-out its citizens by cutting off their access to valuable information.
When this happens the government can even enter questionable and harmful agreements on behalf of Zambians without them knowing as the case is with the IMF agreements the Hakainde Hichilema entered in which they have refused to disclose to the Zambian people, the Africom Military base they are setting up with the US without disclosure of the details to the Zambians, the MOU they have signed with the US to surrender our future mineral rights in the battery value chain which they too have refused to disclose to the Zambian people. Lastest the IMF yesterday submitted a report on Zambian’ Corruption and state of governance which unfortunately will also be kept a secret. How can we offer checks and balances if there is no disclosure?
This position of the law is grossly undemocratic and all stakeholders including MISA, civil society organizations and the church have cried for but politicians have promised to enact a law that will allow Zambians measured access to developmental information but once they get in power they abandon it. It is now 21 years since the proposed law known as the Access to Information Bill docked the chambers of Parliament but is still not signed by any of the previous Presidents including Hakainde Hichilema. The UPND government which also promised to sign it into law is equally skirting around it.
Well, the problem is known, as long as Zambians are denied access to important developmental information, they will continue discussing trivial matters such as the features on the face of their Presidents.
In the interest of progressive development, I challenge President Hakainde Hichilema through his Justice Minister Hon. Mulambo Haimbe and the information Minister Hon. Chushi Kasanda, MP. to present to Parliament the Access to Information Bill for presidential ascent into Law.
The move to sign the penal code amendments abolishing death penalty and the repeal of the archaic defamation of the President laws is progressive. However, it will not empower Zambians from the poverty of information they are being subjected to right now.
Information is power. Give the people access to important information and they will discuss important things.
Wherever we want to go our feet shall take us there.
Kasonde Mwenda C
Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF President