Oasis Forum in disarray-Musoma

Sat, 06 May 2017 14:43:12 +0000

By BENNIE MUNDANDO

THE Oasis Forum is now behaving like a headless chicken because its sole purpose was to block Frederick Chiluba’s third term bid but is now in disarray because those it has been speaking for have become fugitives, ZRP president Wright Musoma has charged.

Mr. Musoma told the Daily Nation that the Oasis Forum was impotent and no longer had a clear vision of what it was supposed to achieve, alleging that the current bias against Government was aimed at pleasing former Post newspaper proprietor Fred M’membe who provided it with coverage to propagate his agenda.

He said the Oasis Forum had now become ‘‘useless’’ because it was among Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that were formed to propagate a certain agenda and that after their agenda was met, they lost track because they did not know what next course of action to take.

He said most Zambians were misled into believing that the forum meant well for them by blocking Dr. Chiluba’s third term bid but that since lies could not be contained, it had now become evident that the forum was “fishing in wrong water” as its anti-government antics had been exposed.

He said the forum had made itself an enemy of the current Government because its allies were at loggerheads with those in power but that its operations were under check as the people that supported it were facing their own predicaments.

“The Oasis Forum was solely formed to de-campaign Dr. Chiluba’s third term bid.

“After the third term bid failed, the Oasis Forum had no other objective to pursue but they had to remain together in order to eat, using the organisation but where are they today? The organisation has become toothless. They are in disarray because the people they were supporting are also facing their own challenges.

‘‘The Post newspaper which was giving them exclusive coverage is liquidated; the owner is a fugitive and so attacking Government is the only option for the forum right now,” Mr. Musoma said.

He warned CSOs against being used as pawn’s by political parties as they risked being irrelevant and useless.