Today's Letters

Wed, 08 Feb 2017 10:08:20 +0000

A question of questionable UPND top leadership

Dear Editor,

The issue of the quality of Zambian judiciary has dominated ‘The Mast’ publications of late.

There is nothing more telling and giving concern than what top lawyer Hobday Kabwe revealed that there was no professional misconduct that warranted the dismissal of Judge Sunday Nkonde but Fred M’membe as usual was manipulating the minds of Zambians with the hope and hype of achieving his desires that were outside the judicial processes (“Top lawyer defends Nkonde over Mast attacks”, Daily Nation, February 6, 2017).

In a related item, I personally welcome PF media and publicity

committee vice chairperson Sunday Chanda’s brave decision to expose the conspiracy plot by Hakainde Hichilema and Fred M’membe of actively fanning divisions in the ruling party through ‘The Mast’ in preparation for 2021 general elections (“HH, M’membe plot exposed”, Daily Nation, February 6, 2017).

As God would have it, the PF Central Committee unanimously agreed to keep the Roan Constituency lawmaker

Chishimba Kambwili in the party after lengthy disciplinary deliberations over the lawmaker’s dismissal as Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services last year to the disappointment and chagrin of all ill-wishers in the UPND.

In fact, I read with horror Sunday Chanda’s revelation about how Chishimba Kambwili’s misfortune’s been used to stoke and fan embers of discontent and disaffection in the ruling party by the UPND leadership and ‘The Mast’ tabloid to cause the PF’s internal divisions.

How is it that in this day and age, manipulations of the minds of Zambians of this sort have been tolerated or even existed in some UPND leaders’ minds and actions? This is political conspiracy of the worst kind!

Finally, I have to say that I have the utmost respect and gratitude for the members of the PF Central Committee; the grassroots leaders too for agreeing to keep the Roan Constituency lawmaker in the party.

My message is: They should rise up, condemn, agitate, and ensure that this is the last time that they would ever tolerate Hakainde Hichilema’s tendency to continue making political capital out of Fred M’membe’s legal troubles (“Central committee unanimously agrees to keep Kambwili”, February 6, 2017).

Lastly, I hope other PF leaders and political sympathizers would follow Sunday Chanda and Hobday Kabwe’s examples. Parading people to attack the judiciary through ‘The Mast’, the UPND mouthpiece that’s owned by the UPND founding president Anderson Mazoka’s daughter, Mutinta who is Fred M’membe’s spouse would add to nothing
because

Zambia has laws and procedures pertaining to the judicial officers’ conduct.

It is worth noting, however, that UPND will never be developed into a nationwide political juggernaut like the PF as its general membership would like it to be, if UPND top honchos continue to make undemocratic and unpopular decisions that cannot loosen the party’s Tonga-grip in Southern Province for the best interest of other ethnic groups that they’re supposed to serve.

Unsurprisingly, the complicity of UPND president Hakainde Hichilema in the Fred M’membe’s owned newspapers’ legal battles does not truly reflect the UPND grassroots’ popular thinking that the party must solve its own problems.

It is becoming increasingly clear that some UPND top honchos are creating difficult challenges that are likely to affect the seemingly good progress of low-ranking leaders in the rest of the country.

Ultimately, the questionable quality of top leadership in the UPND is what would hold them back.

Mubanga Luchembe,

LUSAKA

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Open letter to minister of general education

Dear Sir,

I am a concerned grandmother, and the only person who can answer the questions for me on Kasama Girls Boarding school sexual abuse is you.

I write to add my voice to the matter of the brave young lady who decided to voice the painful circumstances she and her fellow school mates were living under and going through.

I write to voice my concern at the lack of your ministry and indeed yourself as minister in charge of general education in our beloved country Zambia.

Maybe you have said something about this matter but I have not heard it as it has not been on the PF publicity and information’s facebook page where I get all my information about PF MPs performances, because they are not your children?

Your colleague the minister of transport Brian Mushimba is busy answering questions and reassuring the Zambian public about the Mazhandu family Bus accidents and attending funerals of the victims. This news is on the PF facebook  page)

Please may you address the following few questions:

1. What is really happening in our schools today in terms of sexual abuse especially for our girls and boys in boarding schools dotted around our country? Do you have any intentions to conduct a nationwide visit and audit on this matter to find out how wide spread it is to ensure it never happens again.
2. Is sexual abuse a big problem between teachers and their students. What are the statistics? And why does happen? We may think it is only the girl child who is being abused but you may also find that it is happening to the boy child too.
3. How does your ministry intend to deal with this problem long term? And what are the long term psychological problems/mental illness are we likely to see in the future, is one of them the current spree of women killing their men? The countries high domestic violence in all its forms?
4. A lot of teachers go for months without their wages and this can lead teachers to abuse their students out of sheer frustration. here I am talking of teachers beating children in classes and also the quality of education delivered by such teachers. What will you do about this problem as it is a normal practice.
5. Our education system is in a deplorable state as it is, please tell us your vision as a new Minister and how you will turn round this sector round.

And finally the last question and one suggestion.

1. Should male teachers be teaching the girl child about menstruation ? or should we have female teachers teach this particular subject?

Suggestion: Can we only have female teachers in these girls only schools?

It seems we are so bankrupt of creativity and innovation to address the challenges that are now a permanent feature in our society.

Like our city’s blocked drainage system that ensure our town and homes get flooded every rainy season. Lusaka residents have to move houses during this period.

It seems our elected officials do not have the knowhow and will not ask experts for advice, or just do not have the stamina for the huge challenges that face Zambia on all fronts.

I thank you Minister Wanchinga for your time and attention to this matter and I look forward to your reply.

Charity (nee Gondwe) Maruta

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Retired miners cry for land

Dear Editor,

Please allow me space in your newspaper to earnestly appeal to Government to expedite resettlement of retired miners.

In Dec 2015 after Mopani purged thousands of miners due to the fallen metal prices globally  government promised to give us farms so that we could not only continue to sustain our families but also contribute to economic diversification.

What has baffled us is that we are in 2017 and still farms have not come fourth. Our economic status as jobless people is becoming worse each with day that passes.

We are still hopeful that promises of farmland will be made good this year so that come the next farming season we shall plant on our farms as opposed to rented land.

We do not know what is causing the continued delay but we remain faithful and solidly behind the leadership.

We know  Government will do it and shame the skeptics.

Viva PF.

 Ngoma C, Kitwe.