Tue, 26 Sep 2017 11:53:14 +0000
THE alarming rate at which lies are being peddled in the political arena in this nation is worrisome and undoubtedly needs to be checked.
All of sudden, an industry of falsehood characterised by rumour-mongering has emerged and is threatening to destroy the very fibre of this nation if allowed to thrive.
Judging by what is happening in our political circles, we can’t help but conclude that politics has been reduced to nothing but a game of hatred and falsehoods underpinned by unsubstantiated allegations.
Touting untruths seem to have become a national sport where some power-crazy opposition politicians and uninformed citizens have a penchant for making unsubstantiated corruption accusations against President Lungu and his Government.
We have in mind the so-called US$42m fire trucks deal which of late has raised so much brouhaha and heated debate in the nation.
Shockingly, despite the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) and even an arbitration court in London, clearing the deal, some people are not happy.
But if ZPPA, ACC and a London court of arbitration exonerated the deal, what more is there to prove?
Unless people are doubting the integrity and impartiality of these three intuitions, then they should come out in the open and tell the nation.
If they are still smelling a rat, let them tell the nation the truth in the same way they came out to peddle lies – that there was no way the 42 trucks could fetch that much.
We dare say that these politicians have not only eaten humble pie but have been left with egg on their faces now that the truth of the matter has come out.
It is evident from the massive criticism levelled against the government over the fire trucks deal and the US$1.2bn Lusaka – Kitwe dual carriageway road works that this is meant to poison the minds of the people… to sway them from the successes the PF government is scoring ahead of the 2021 elections.
It is also obvious that in both cases, the fire trucks deal and the costs involving the Lusaka-Kitwe dual carriageway road works, some people deliberately opted to ignore the truth for falsehoods.
In the case of the Lusaka-Kitwe dual carriageway, Housing and Infrastructure Minister Ronald Chitotela a week ago went to great lengths to elucidate and justify the costs of the road works.
We give the minster thumbs up for expounding on this matter and putting to rest allegations of corruption.
However, we urge the government to ensure that it provides the nation with adequate and timely information in future on such massive infrastructure projects to prevent envious politicians from taking advantage to mislead the people.
The politics of hatred and falsehood the nation has witnessed in the past months should be stopped at all costs if this nation is to succeed and move forward.
