Today's letters

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 09:51:40 +0000

Be candid, Edward Mumbi

Dear Editor,

In as much as I agree with the sentiments expressed by former UPND spokesperson for the opposition party’s president Hakainde Hichilema, Edward Mumbi that Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) should apolo-gise for insulting the judiciary because only an uneducated person who does not understand the rule of law could insult the judiciary, however, I take serious exception to his veiled comments about GBM’s academic exploits (“GBM must apologise to the Judiciary”, Daily Nation, Febru-ary 22, 2017).

For the reason that Edward Mumbi did not mention any of GBM’s edu-cational achievements at Chifwani Primary School in Kasama in his comments;  I am compelled to think that in future, he needs to be abit more candid and do more research on GBM’s biographical and educa-tional data.

In Edward Mumbi ‘s  comments, was he insinuating that GBM man-aged to proceed to Form One or Grade Eight elsewhere in Zambia, de-spite his several failed attempts with Grade Seven leaving examinations at Chifwani Primary School in Kasama?

What actually happened with GBM’s efforts with his secondary school education?

For this reason, my suggestion to Edward Mumbi would be to do thor-ough research on the educational issues associated with this particular UPND political leader before drawing any veiled conclusions which may misinform the public.

I hope the above information would encourage other cynics and critics to be more candid and do more research before they comment on issues educational and judicial that have to do with GBM.

Mubanga Luchembe,

  LUSAKA

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Don’t mistake prosecution for persecution

Dear Editor,

I write to tutor and actually lecture Zambians that there is a difference between prosecution and persecution and the public should not dance to the gallery of the political honchos.

The law calls for prosecution of those found to have broken it regardless of their standing in society and should not be done exclusively but inclu-sively.

Persecution however is using law or state machinery to silence perceived individuals.

With the aforesaid, let us dissect to see if those crying foul or those sup-porting them have not committed any criminal activity. The media should also endeavour to not only disseminate information only but to teach the public on the unfolding happenings in our Country as well in an honest manner.

Let us not dwell in the secondary but on the primary.

I don’t want to say who is right and who is wrong but I know for sure that tearing a police officer’s uniform for example is a criminal offence, just like evading tax and obstructing an officer from carrying out his/her duty is.

As to whether those crying foul of being persecuted are actually being persecuted and not being prosecuted for wrong doing therefore is not for me to say but the above analysis gives any sane Zambian food for thought.

So many poor Zambians are being prosecuted on daily basis Country-wide and would appeal to those with the muscles to also speak for them and not only for the well to do in Society

Many of some cannot even afford legal representation because of their status in Society.

Let us not have the animal farm syndrome of the rich for the rich and the poor for the poor.

Show your leadership ingenuity also for the poor.

Wisdom Muyunda

CHINGOLA

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Misplaced Zambian hopes

Dear Editor,

I recently read an article in which the writer mentioned that, in the USA, white people are five times richer than black people, while in the UK alone, half of young black males are unemployed.

In Africa, poverty has become our middle name, even in countries like the Republic of South Africa where before black rule, the country was listed among the most industrialized nations in the world.

Yes, as blacks we can point to colonialism or blame whites here and there for our suffering.

But for how long is this going to be? For a change why can’t the whites begin to point at us blacks and our wealth, as the reason why they are poor in their countries?

Fellow countrymen, women, and youths; unless we are able to understand where we are and why we are where we are, I can’t see us coming out of our most evidently self-inflicted poverty in this nation, especially with the current blame game.

Success will never lower its standards to accommodate us Zambians or even other Africans.

We have to raise our standards to achieve it. God provides food for every bird but not in its nest.

One of the greatest gifts God the creator of mankind gave to us all is the ability to think critically.

Sadly, we don’t see the need to use our brains and are instead always looking for a prophet or a shepherd to prophesy into our lives.

Zambians for example have known to save not to send their kids to school; but to fly to some “synagogue” in Nigeria to go and receive a special anointing. This great faith but surely how does this get your children out of lack?

Donald Trump is reported to have said black people are lazy. I think what he meant was that black people are cognitively lazy. This I believe was not a racist talk, it was just some brutal truth.

Africans are the poorest people in the world, yet they are the most religious, believing that God will miraculously bless them with wealth even with “no hands on” as long as they followed or worked in league with a popular prophet or joined a “person to holder” family church.

Not long ago I was also part of the black circus of religion. Being in a so called charismatic church made me completely retarded as I could not use my God-given brain to think for myself.

I entered the church building with money and left it there thinking that would give me a breakthrough.

But it did not. Not that God does not want us Christians to support His work, but that we are all going to church for very wrong reasons or hopes. (1 Corinthians 15:19)

Nigeria and Zimbabwe probably have the highest population of prosperity “prophets” in Africa.

Even though Zimbabwe is now the second poorest country in the world, while Nigeria together with Somalia, Sudan and Yemen are the only countries in the world where there are United Nations declared famines.

The poverty stricken people of Zimbabwe and  Nigeria are obsessed with false prophets as their hope for living.

Today, I watch in sadness or even madness as thousands of Africans particularly fellow Zambians and even the clergy, abandon their minds in the name of some Nigerian religion, prophet or god. And no one can stop them.

White people on the other hand are more successful financially than black people simply because they use their God given gifts. It is that simple.

Mukuka Chilufya

CHAMBISHI MINE TOWNSHIP

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Let’s help promote good government programmes

Dear Editor,

I write to appeal to government to make sure that its good intended programs are strictly monitored to actually benefit the intended many marginalized poor of this great nation Zambia.

I have observed with dismay how for instance the much talked social cash transfer program has not benefited many intended beneficiaries.

I am on ground and has actually spoken to many people in western province who claim not to only have received but even heard the much talked about social cash transfer.

My question is, who then are the beneficiaries of this well intended gov-ernment program?

I may be in town but my mother is in Limulunga La Mulena in Western Provence yet has not just benefited but even heard of this good govern-ment program meant to alleviate her wellbeing.

It goes then to say that someone somewhere is not doing his/her job correctly and should face the wrath of the authority.

If President Lungu can take development to Dundumwezi when all are alive to the perceived bad story it is known for politically, why techno-crats shouldn’t advance the good government programs to the intended people.

Concerned.