Today's letters

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 13:05:20 +0000

The NUMSA and Post Newspaper’s connection

Dear Editor,

The front page article of the Daily Nation of 27th February 2017 titled “NUMSA exposed” in which it was reported that details had emerged that National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) general secretary Irvin Jim was a long-standing ally of Fred M’membe who contributed immensely to the creation of the Rainbow Party, rekindled the suspicions held by many conspiracy theorists.

If conspiracy theorists were kept awake retracing the events that led to the NUMSA general secretary’s strongly worded statement in which he threatened that his union would launch a campaign to boycott Zambian goods and lobby to end South African trade with Zambia following the arrest of Fred M’membe’s wife, and further adding that the union would also mount a protest event outside the Zambian embassy in South Africa, sleep will not come easily now.

Since the formation of the Rainbow Party, the Post Newspaper (now in liquidation) did all the publicity for free,  it initially provided secretariat facilities at its own boardroom and ultimately gave away its own residential property in Ibex Hill to be used as the secretariat of the Rainbow Party, the story had gathered momentum with a force that was – in the light of the fact that the Rainbow Party was allegedly a springboard from which Wynter Kabimba and Fred M’membe were to test their popularity – perhaps unsurprising.

But as speculation mounted about who said what and why after Fred M’membe had switched his support and allegiance to the UPND, cynics and critics might have been wondering who to trust in the Rainbow Party.

But Fred M’membe made law-breaking mistake after mistake and in the end he’d lost everything.

He disobeyed lawful court orders to surrender all the assets of the Post Newspaper now in liquidation.

His intransigence led to the discoveries of scores of hidden trucks owned by the Post Newspaper parked at privately owned hideouts in Zambia and South Africa.

Perhaps not forgetting that Fred M’membe and his wife invited trouble on themselves from law enforcement agencies in order to seek empathy and sympathy from the Zambian people and so they deserved whatever was happening to them because they were not above the law.

The fundamental feeling was that they failed to win the hearts and minds of the law-abiding population with their arrogance and impunity.

They underestimated the will and wisdom of the people, and the credit must go to the Zambian law-abiding people.

Around about then conspiracy theorists really got going again.

Surprisingly quickly – in fact within hours of Mutinta Mazoka M’membe’s arrest for tearing the Magistrates Court’s warrant of arrest against her husband, the NUMSA general secretary issued threats that were international in nature – it was nothing short of touching on the sovereignty of Zambia.

And all the while, pressure was mounting on the Zambia Police command to break its silence on whether for sure it played a hand in tearing Fred M’membe’s warrant of arrest.

Perhaps predictably, though, the Zambia Police command’s since remained quiet on the matter – and conspiracy theorists’ speculation has continued to grow.

Could NUMSA and Post Newspaper’s connection be a considered law-breaking case of give a fool enough rope;  to hang himself perhaps?

Even though, conspiracy theorists affirmatively contend that by all accounts, Fred M’membe is on the run a guilty man.

Mubanga Luchembe,

LUSAKA

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UPND bleak future

Dear Editor,

I wish to agree more with your contributor Josiah Soko of Matero over the future of UPND and its leader Hakainde Hichilema.

I agree with Soko that for as long at UPND remains a regional political party it should forget about forming government because it has a minority following.

This ‘bantu botatwe’ thing is not only an antique but cannot help him anyway.

HH and UPND should now start marketing themselves in the remaining 7 regions if they are going to have any political impact in Zambia.

To continue insulting President and his PF government is pure time wasting.

Whether you recognize him or not as the republican president, that is yet another useless stand because Lungu is firmly secured on State House turf. This is a naked fact.

From what I see HH and his UPND will be weeping until 2021 and by the time they realize they have to do it will be too late. Another 5 years on the promenade.

And indeed if ECL will be allowed to stand by the Constitution, I can bet with my life, Lungu will this time round come more organized and again beat HH hands down. It is only a matter of time.

I am not a prophet of doom, but UPND in its current form is a waste space, not going anywhere, hence specialising and sticking to insults to cheer up the troubled souls of its leaders.

For starters, it should go for a convention and if possible elect new leaders to take the party to greater heights.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with UPND as a party. It is only its current leaders who I think, are depraved captains at sea.

It should go into serious metamorphosis and come out wholly altered to draw new members from all 10 provinces. Then it will be talking big political business.

Anything short of that will not take the party anywhere. Mark my words

Jay Kabemba, LUSAKA

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FTJ University welcome but…

Dear Editor,

Zambian people and the world appreciate the Government of our beloved and great President, Mr. Edgar Lungu and his decision to recognise the good legacy of Dr. Chiluba by constructing a university in Luapula in his name.

It is a great achievement in healing our nation from the damages caused by M’membe and his fellow crooks.

However, there is a very serious issue about his properties. The regime used to prosecute him until his court clearance through acquittal.

Our humble appeal to our good Government is to fully engage all four administrators for a clean handover to his family.

Citizen