Tue, 26 Sep 2017 12:52:41 +0000
Dear Editor,
I could not agree more with what Southern Province Minister Dr Edify Hamukale has said about misjudgement and poor leadership in the UPND.
Chief Mukuni’s singular act of snubbing the Government and inviting opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has truly baptised the party as a regional organisation.
Senor Chief Mukuni has crossed the line, and HH should have been politically aware to the danger of reinforcing national perception that his party was synonymous with Tonga tradition.
No other Chiefs or political leaders act so recklessly. Both Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba and Paramount Chief Mpezeni make vigorous effort to discourage display of partisan political affiliation.
The Bemba Royal establishment went to the extent of stopping vocal Chishimba Kambwili from attending Kusefya pa Ngwena ceremony to preserve tradition and the decorum it deserved.
What happened in Chief Mukuni was an ill-advised display of tribal egotism, which will continue to haunt him and Hichilema.
I totally approve the suggestion that the UPND leadership should remove HH from the top seat because as matters stand now, he is not taking his party or himself anywhere but to the terraces.
Turning the just ended Bene Mukuni traditional ceremony of the Toka-Leya into a campaign rally shows very poor judgement in view of the current political climate which is against tribalism.
The speculation that HH and Senior Chief Mukuni are business partners does not help matters in terms of integrity and good governance. This was an abuse of authority.
You cannot turn a traditional ceremony into a political rally. No other traditional chief does this kind of disgraceful thing.
But why has he began campaigning in his stronghold instead of courting areas which have totally rejected him? That was totally anomalous. But with HH anything is possible.
HH is displaying signs of extreme hedonism, the tendency to live in the moment without considering the consequences, always seeking to bolster one’s self-esteem no matter the risk.
Worse still, this condition could easily slump into narcissism, believing that one is better than others, exaggerating achievement and expecting constant praise.
And when you combine hedonism and narcissism and bullying, you get an impulsive, immature, incompetent person who when in the position of ultimate power easily slides into the role of tyranny.
But whether you like it or not, the reality on the ground, is that HH appears determined to play the regional or ethnicity card to boost his flagging political fortunes.
The display by his so-called business partner Senior Chief Mukuni to abuse the ceremony only served to making his chances of him becoming a national leader grow deemer. The “Bantu Botatwe” disorder has no future in a civilised and developed Zambia which embraces all citizens.
In my view, HH has no leadership traits and if by hook and crook, he takes over State House, he will be extremely difficult to remove using the ballot. He is the greatest lover of self-attention. An egoistic fellow.
So if the UPND leadership does not make changes at the top, like Dr Hamukale has advised, they can rest assured that HH is not taking them anywhere. The signs are all there even for a blind man to see.
Just look at the difference between him and Highvie Hamududu, a fellow Tonga, who, in my opinion is humble, approachable and certainly a nationalist and always discusses national issues.
For now, it is either UPND takes Dr Hamukale’s advice or sink into political obscurity. It is as simple as that.
Josiah Soko, Matero, Lusaka.
