ZAMBIANS MUST BRACE THEMSELVES FOR HARDER TIMES UNDER THE UPND
A KBN TV Editorial
These are tough times for every Zambian, perhaps with the exception of a few politicians who have unhindered access to state resources at their leisure. The weight of the current economic downturn is so severe that even UPND cadres have not been spared. We have listened to several voice notes of cadres and councillors threatening to resign citing lack of leadership to steer the nation in the right direction.
Apart from the endless dark hours, the high cost of living, a badly performing economy with no job opportunities as well as less money in circulation, Zambians have to now worry about how long they will endure a glaring leadership failure under the UPND administration.
In three years of being in power, the UPND has struggled to find its feet and has constantly found solace in blaming the previous administration. Even the over celebrated debt restructuring and a bloated Constituency Development Fund (CDF) have failed to shield President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration from being exposed for failing to give some form of direction to the economy.
It would be comforting if Zambians were to only worry about the excruciating economic meltdown. It appears the nation must also lose sleep about the apparent deplorable governance record Zambia is experiencing.
When we first exposed the leaked audio conversation between Mr. Levy Ngoma, Political Advisor to the President and Mr. Joseph Akafumba, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security on 18th January, 2022, we were under no illusion, we knew the governance landscape was headed in the drain.
Months later, Patrick Nshindano was hounded out of the Electoral Commission of Zambia and the nation witnessed UPND party sympathisers installed in strategic positions like Mwangala Zaloumis as Chairperson and McDonald Chipenzi as Commissioner.
Things have never been the same since; the nation witnessed questionable decisions at the ECZ, including the shambolic handling of the Kabushi and Kwacha by-elections. Those two by-elections should have served as warning shots for an apparent and fast regression to the nation’s democratic credentials.
For example, very rarely have we seen political parties holding rallies lately without a lame duck excuse by the Police about imaginary security risks. The Police have followed opposition figures even as far as Church premises, to the dismay of Zambians. There has been a constant display of abusing the Public Order Act.
Zambia’s human rights record internationally has been condemned with the recent case being flagged by the UN Human Rights Body. This development corroborates with alarms raised by the Catholic Bishops, Law Association of Zambia, Chapter One Foundation, OCIDA, and the Church mother bodies such as the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia.
These organisations have sounded alarm about the shrinking democratic space including failure to expunge the Cyber Security Law as promised during campaigns, pointing to a deep seated desire by the UPND to tighten the grip on power and silence dissenting voices.
While Zambians are counting down to the 2026 elections, the UPND Government seems to be miles ahead in its determination to hold on to power beyond one term.
Recently, President Hichilema shocked the nation for suggesting on the floor of Parliament that Zambia could go for 8 to 9 years without holding an election. While a flurry of explanations has been given by several ministers, in the minds of citizens, the statement couldn’t have been a slip of the tongue. The startling sentiments come on the heels of the Government denying any plans to effect constitutional amendments to change the presidential limit from 5 to 7 years, removal of the running mate clause and 50+1 percent threshold to win the presidency.
Even more worrying is the fact that there seems to be other maneuvers at the Electoral Commission of Zambia to set up the Electoral Reforms Technical Committee which legal minds have branded as an illegality for want of mandate by the ECZ.
Instead of talking about reducing the excessive Presidential powers, the President is clearly enjoying the trappings unabated. We think today, the most scary lacuna in the constitution is the excessive powers vested in a President without anything to keep him in check.
Further, the timing for the suspension of three constitutional Court judges couldn’t be more wrong and highly questionable when the eligibility case for former President Edgar Lungu is coming up before the same Constitutional Court. Even more worrying is the fact that the Judicial Complaints Committee confirmed in a letter dated 1st June, 2023 that the matter of the three constitutional Court judges had been dealt with and closed. Therefore, to have those judges punished for a matter they had already been cleared of smells of vindictiveness.
It’s also important to remind members of the public that the complainant against the three suspended Court judges regarding the handling of the 2016 presidential petition, wasn’t just an ordinary citizen. Joseph Busenga is a media committee member of the UPND, who has since been rewarded with a job in Brussels as First Secretary Legal.
The rewarding of Busenga is clearly reminiscent of the hefty compensations that the State Chambers keep dishing out to several cadres on flimsy grounds, even for cases that are under nolle prosecuie.
Apart from effects of drought, the current hunger situation which has partly been occasioned by a deliberate and wilful ploy to export national reserves, seems to be weaponised as a political tool to cow everyone looking for means of survival into submission.
We have seen traditional leaders, the Church, civil society, political party leaders and many other critical voices going into survival mode by keeping quiet on some of the worst excesses we have seen in living memory.
Many people are beginning to ask how Zambians can expect free and fair elections when Parliamentary business keeps attracting public uproar, the judiciary seems to be compromised, the registrar of society is subdued under lock and key, the police are acting partial and ECZ does not seem to act independently. All things considered, the signs are written on the wall, it’s going to be a long walk to freedom and Zambians must brace themselves for tough times ahead.
