Today's letters to the editor

Sat, 17 Dec 2016 09:55:22 +0000

UPND manifest havoc, chaos

Dear Editor,

It is very clear that the planned chaos and Armageddon that the UPND party warned Zambians about in an event that HH lost the August general elections, which he did, is now manifesting.

From the conduct of the UPND leadership both prior to and during the campaign period, it was certain that the party knew their fate.

I remember succinctly how the UPND leaders started fishing for excuses from different quarters so that when they lost the poll, they would have a basis for apportioning blame for their fifth time straight loss.

They mounted a vicious campaign against the electoral body to psyche the minds of the electorates to believe their message that the August general elections were rigged by the Patriotic Front (PF).

The ECZ was branded incompetent and biased way before the poll day. All this was a calculated ploy to find reason for an explanation to their campaign financiers why they lost the elections.

But why should the UPND promise havoc after losing the general elections as if it would be first and last time for them to contest an election?

UPND should not hold all the members ransom on account of the failure of their party president to appeal to the majority electorate in the past five years he has been attempting to take over the republican presidency. All they need to do is change their candidate and try another potential presidential.

Politics is more like a game of soccer where a non-performing player is substituted for a more agile and energetic player just so that the team can score the desired goals to emerge victorious.

Now that the two top UPND leaders have made it very clear that there will be no need for the party to go for the national party convention makes it hard for the biggest opposition political party to convince ardent democrats in our political sphere because they have exhibited dangerous dictatorial traits.

And the open revolt against HH standing for presidency in the 2021 general elections as reported on Thursday afternoon proves my point of the growing dissent against HH and GBM stance.

One thing is certain: not all UPND members are for the idea that HH and GBM must stand in 2021. The reason is everyone’s simple guess! HH has had a bite at the cherry for far too many times and has failed to get to the State House.

The clashes between two warring factions within the UPND party is a sign that not all members of the party are in agreement with HH and GBM position on not going for the convention.

Ackim Siawanja, Lusaka.

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Kambwili’s threats on Lusambo

Dear Editor,

I fully concur with all those who have called on the former Minister of Information and Broadcasting Mr Chishimba Kambwili to tone down in his ranting.

Reports that he threatened to beat the Copperbelt Province Minister Bowman Lusambo on allegations that he interjected him while debating in Parliament and that he accused him of having sold the golf land on the Copperbelt.

According to the article which appeared in our Friday edition, 16th December, 2016, Mr Kambwili even went further by referring to his fellow parliamentarian as a ‘boy’. Is this how unpalatable Mr Kambwili can be? Does he expects his fellow parliamentarians to refer to him as honourable if he can call the Copperbelt Provincial Minister a ‘small boy’?

Mr Kambwili must show a high sense of maturity in the manner he conducts himself both as a veteran politician and experienced MP. Much as Bowman Lusambo may be in Parliament for the first time, I do not think it is in order for Mr Kambwili to refer to him (Bowman Lusambo) in the manner he did.

What was even more disgusting was to know that Mr Kambwili openly stated that ‘after all Bowman is not a member of the PF’.  What we know is that Bowman Lusambo is a member of the governing party, and that is the reason he was accorded the opportunity to contest the Kabushi parliamentary seat on the PF ticket. If he were not a member of the PF, I do not think that he could have been allowed to stand. Clearly, Mr Kambwili harbours a grudge against the vibrant Copperbelt Minister for some reasons best known to himself.

It makes one reach a conclusion that the team of PF senior members that undertook a tour to the Copperbelt recently was on a serious mission to push PF new members aside of whom Bowman Lusambo happens to be one of them.

Does this confirm the reported disagreement between the party secretary general and Bowman Lusambo just few days ago?

Probably so because Mr Kambwili was, in fact, part of that entourage to the Copperbelt. There is a lot that have been planned for and the sooner the President gets to the bottom of this the better.

If anything, Mr Kambwili must be realise that by showing discrimination against new members of the party, he over ruled what the President said on the need to embrace all the new members to PF on the same day in Rufunsa.

I do not think that anyone should make themselves feel to be more PF than the others. Everyone who is a member of the governing party must be made to feel part of the bigger family.

It is naked truth that PF would not have won some of the parliamentary seats had it not been for the alliance with the MMD party. Therefore, those MMD members who have decided to become members of the PF should not be demonised by the so called founder members of PF.

Supposing the MMD never joined hands with the PF, could have so called founder members of PF managed to garner the votes in all the constituencies? Mr Kambwili should be realistic each time he opens his mouth to speak.  Mwelwa Chola, PF die-hard supporter

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LAZ challenged to condemn cadre  violence at court grounds

Dear Editor,

When special assistant for press and public relations to the President Amos Chanda featured on the ZNBC’s Sunday Interview program on which he expressed discomfort with the judgments coming from the election petitions, politicians and LAZ expressed displeasure.

In fact, Amos Chanda was attacked left, right and centre for simply indicating that the judges should not be seen to be partisan in the way they passed verdicts.

As is usually the trend, the opposition political party leaders misconstrued his sentiments to have meant issuing threats against the judiciary.

The overzealous UPND even went to an extent to state that Amos Chanda as a civil servant must be dragged to court over his involvement in partisan politics.

However, when President Edgar Lungu requested ZNBC to air the Sunday Interview programme the following Thursday after the 19:00 news bulletin for all citizen to watch and listen for themselves whether indeed Amos Chanda threatened the judges, no one has said anything thereafter.

This is how dangerous and shallow politicians can be when it comes to debating matters of public interest. They choose to concentrate on trivial matters at the expense of discussing serous issues.

However, it remains to be seen how the LAZ will come out on the ugly scenes that characterised the Lusaka High Court on Thursday afternoon after the UPND cadres went amok smashing cars and the court building in protest against the court’s decision to adjourn the hearing of the matter in which HH is challenging the election of Edgar Lungu and Inonge Wina in the August 11 general elections to Tuesday next week.

The behaviour of the UPND cadres was barbaric to say the least and a direct attack on the very judiciary that LAZ and UPND were alleging Amos Chanda had attacked a few weeks ago.

Why has LAZ taken so long to condemn the physical attacks on the judiciary by UPND cadres?

Is it because this time round it is their favourites who are at the tail end of public ridicule?

LAZ has been employing double standards in addressing serious public issues and that is why the public have concluded that the legal body is pro-opposition in its approach.

All patriotic and well-meaning Zambians must condemn the uncouth behaviour of the UPND cadres including the party itself if indeed they did not orchestrate and instruct them to run terror on the innocent judges of the High Court.  Ernest Tembwe, Lusaka