Quality politics

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:39:10 +0000

Zambia deserves quality politics devoid of scare tactic which are intended to intimidate and sully the atmosphere with innuendo, suspicion and fear.

The ballot and not the bullet was, is and will forever be the benchmark on which regime change will be effected.  Zambians are sane and mature people who will resist and subvert any effort to achieve change by any means other than the ballot box.

As far as we know, and as reported in our Sunday edition the only succession battles raging at the moment is within the Patriotic Front leadership. It was FODEP President Chipenzi who called on President Sata to fire ministers who are busy amassing wealth to support their succession campaign.

Therefore it is wrong to generalize and it is for this reason we disagree with the Minister of Defence Mr. Godfrey B. Mwamba when he publicly uses suspect media to articulate a political position founded on government function.

The two should be differentiated. As Minister of Defence we expect him to be circumspect, discreet and not alarmist.

The suggestion that a group of people are planning to assassinate the President is not only alarmist but totally out of keeping with the dignity and level of operation deserving of the position.

This is a matter which the appropriate security apparatus should have investigated in and indeed they degenerate into personal vendetta that could culminate into the tragedy that the Minister is alluding to.

Much as we may disagree with President Sata and some of his policies, we would be the first ones to oppose any means of regime change including what the Minister has alluded to.  Not even the senior army personnel who are obviously angry after being unceremoniously removed from office, would contemplate such an eventuality, and if they did contemplate it, and government is aware of it they should have been brought to book.  But it is wrong, very wrong and unconscionable to raise fear and despondency at this time when the country is preoccupied with very serious issues.

We also hope that the President can now read between the lines.

It is interesting that the matter comes on the eve of the Supreme court hearing of the tribunal to investigate the alleged misconduct of three judges over the DBZ saga.  It is not difficult to conclude an association that once again national attention is being diverted from a serious issue involving theft of funds to an emotive statement that should be condemned for what it is.

The truth is the fight for succession to the presidency is not among the ordinary Zambian people it is among the top brass within the Patriotic Front jostling for positions.  They more than anybody else would have something to gain if, God forbid, the eventuality envisioned the Minister of Defence came to pass.

Ordinary Zambians would be worried because the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know.  We know Mr. Stat and we can hammer him for his mistakes without him claiming assassination attempts on his life.  It is important that we all respect the political playing field and give each actor the room and space in which they can exercise the guaranteed constitutional right of conscience, expression, association and assembly.

We know what has happened in other countries, where law and order have broken down.  Some of these countries such as Somalia are still to recover, yet others are in the throes of further degeneration as they clumber for democratic credentials.

This talk about political assassinations must be put to a stop because quality politics deserve more