I have observed and listened with interest the sentiments that have been coming out of the PF especially from the senior leadership of the ruling party.
It seems as though there is more to what is happening than what our eyes and able to see. Senior members of the PF have criticised their party President directly or indirectly. Some of them have gone to the extent of blaming the head of state for the resignation of former foreign affairs minister Hon. Harry Kalaba.
I am not part of the PF structures and therefore will restrict my thoughts to what I have perceived according to what I see.
Years after late president Micheal Sata’s death, we are being told that the late president was deliberately betrayed by his handlers. Sad indeed… But my hope is that president Lungu has taken time to read what was written by Hon. Alexander Chikwanda.
Hon. Chikwanda provided such deep revelation that could be a window of opportunity for president Lungu to examine himself properly. Maybe those close to President Lungu are not presenting facts to him as they are or the president is just being himself? But what about the intelligence, does it mean they are also not advising the president properly?
I am of a considered view that President Lungu needs counselling and the best counsellor is himself. He should allow himself to listen to that inner voice he has been avoiding for a long time. He knows from the bottom of his heart that something is wrong somewhere and something needs to be done NOW! Those who care enough must advise the president that he is slowly becoming too proud and that is very dangerous for him and this country.
It is an indisputable fact that most ‘original’ PF members who suffered in the opposition with president Sata are not happy with what is happening in their party. Their feeling is that the PF has now been hijacked by the MMD. Just few days ago President Lungu appointed two (2) former MMD members to full cabinet positions leaving those who have been in the PF long enough. 16 MMD members have been given positions in the PF central committee the highest governing organ of the party. I hope the president knows that his people are not happy with such decisions too. Otherwise the true greens are wondering in whose interest the president is making such choices.
The President must seriously reflect on the decisions he has been making before it is too late for him. In fact I wonder how president Lungu allowed Hon. Kalaba to resign just like that. It is not rocket science for one to understand that Hon. Kalaba was one of the most sober ministers in the current government. Good leaders never allow strong pillars to leave office just like that. He should have prevented from happening in one way or the another.
But the bigger question is whether President Lungu is listening to the cries of the true greens or not? Those who are genuine PF members have avoided attacking Hon. Kalaba in any way, something which indicates that they still have respect for him. Only fake PF cadres have been paid small amounts of money in Luapula and Northern province and told match in solidarity for president Lungu.
Members have been leaving the PF and politically that is making the PF weak, you like it or not that remains a fact. But why does president Lungu seem not to care much about those who are leaving and the reasons being cited for leaving the mighty PF? I know that the president thinks he has no strong opposition but he must now know that the bigger opposition he will soon have to deal with is those leaving the PF. They know him better and they are capable of touching where it may hurt so bad.
As I conclude, I wish to remind President Lungu and those close to him that time always comes when political power is passed on to the next person. You won’t be in power forever. Be cautioned therefore that every decision you make, every Zambian is watching.
David, you hit the nail on the head, Lungu is being lied to. It is easy, because Lungu doesn’t know anything. I doubt he even knows nor cares about the ban by Namibia to buy Zambia food products. I doubt he know the full extent on the economy of this cholera outbreak and I doubt he know sadly that Zambians are dying of Cholera
David Kapoma you are NOT qualified to have a go at President Lungu.
Remain in obscurity and get a better job.
Just GO away
Thanks
BB2014,2016
He is not listening to his people because he is infecting them with cholera by aimless travelling the resulted in the wastage of resource that could have been used to supply clean water and proper sanitation. The ‘humble guy’ could not care less.
I can’t believe Mushota spilled into 2018. Ba ZICTA you are not doing your job.
Obatala, what you mean when you say Lungu doesn’t know anything? A person managing to become president of Zambia, you say he doesn’t know anything. I must say that your conclusion is misplaced. Every person always knows something. Even an insane person knows something.
I’m one of the oldest former Pro PF commentators on this forum and I can say something has gone wrong terribly. I make it a point when I’m in Zambia to travel on mini bus from time to time because that’s where you can gauge the true feeling of the people. I can tell you today its hard to find even a single person on the streets of any town in Zambia who is supportive of the President and that because they have been let down more could’ve been done but it wasn’t. The sad fact is there are few alternatives that an intellectual can honestly choose which is why some of us have opted for Peter Sinkamba despite lacking a mass appeal he remains the right choice to restore Zambia to its 1973 economic and social status.
Yeah! Lungu is cool a President, but just surrounded by hypocrites, let’s just support him in the next elections, changing a President won’t solve anything in Zambia.
WHO , that is political patronage , be patriotic to the nation, Zambia has a lot credible Visionary people out there to serve , also that his term is finishing , so let him just deliver now , but look now this embarrassment is speaking for itself . Indeed these are signs of failure , so all we can do is help him now to change things , but there is no tomorrow .
@2020Vision. We told you about Lungu, but you called us names.
I’m glad your eyes, like those of many Zambians have been opened.
You were blind, now you can see through the Dununa reverse song, the fake infrastructure projects which have left the country in worse debt than KK borrowed in 27 years, the fake “humble christian” image Lungu used to hoodwink christians (when he’s actually a heavy drunkard who has NOT attended a single Church service since August 2016).
2020vision, why take us back to 1973 economic and social status? You should envision bringing us up to speed, that is, where we ought to be at this point in time given the massive economic potential of this country, which has largely been mismanaged over the many years between 1973 and today. Today, it should have been 1973 economic status + 45years of booming economic success. Today, we will have crossed the line into the ranks of South Africa. But can cannabis do it for us? Just asking.
That is how leadership is. It is not true that those that call themselves true greens ought to be the ones to be given positions. It is always a matter of who can get the job done. Those that fought with the president might believe that because they fought together, he is their friend and thus sometimes would tend to take advantage and think they are irreplaceable. A true leader builds a team that will help him deliver on an agenda and not friendship or history. That is why in leadership we make enemies even with family. The man who says, “We fought so hard to be here thus we should be the ones to enjoy” is a wrong character. He will be complasant in his duties. Bring in thoswme who you can easily fire and not those who will overlook your authority and mandate in the name of…
The primary responsibility of a president is to form a strong performing team. Failure to form this kind of team means failure to govern.
……not long ago the people had submitted that they needed ministers from outside parliament and do you remember who removed that from the final constitution??.
This catastrophy is self- made and thats why finding the best people job to do the job is ever more difficult because he is left with only bootlickers who cant even figure that its abnomal to buy fire tender at $1m.
David you are such a brilliant mind. We need more young patriots like you comrade. Continue speaking for many. Well done statement.
Amos Chanda for President 2021
He’s running the country now, he may just as well continue
Did you men Kaizer Zulu?
Cusin, I have asked my brother the President to read and understand Chikwnda’s letter even though I have issues with him as Minister then , also that lets learn to make sense out of nonse that using police and ZICTA to intimidate people .
Some people are useful for some jobs others for other jobs. A prolific campaigner is not necessarily a good Minister material. A stone thrower in a party no matter how long has been in the party does not yearn him the right to be appointed to top positions. PF as a party has a lot of people that have no intellectual capacities as observed by Mr Chikwanda, Chagwa has to look somewhere to find people to work with. Ati True GREEN! True green for what? When you don’t have what it takes!
Yes people are disgruntled because of what they expected to receive in return for their contribution to the PF ascendance to power, but the question is is the whole house these individuals are making in the interest of the governed or is it solely about themselves, the President does not need approval of men he needs Gods approval that is people centered and any one who thinks he is not doing a good job with the crop of perceived MMD stalwarts, organise yourselves and face him in 2021 and who ever will be beaten in that election should shut up and accept the will of the people
ELmore , who ever you are , there is no third term in Zambia and let him just work now and go into retirement with either success of failure, but PF has a chance through who ever else , but unless they change they shall be out of Government that I can bet
A Zulu, akwasu, mbuya. You are not the ConCourt to call ECL’s 2021 candidature third term. You are not the law to judge. The supreme law, the Constitution and the Court will determine this.
haha, Zambian Citizen, one of the last PF supporters still standing kuno. 202vision, eyes opened, Moscow OP, eyes opened, Kudos, eyes half open but imwe eyes shut with super glue and concrete mix. Sad.
While its true that not everybody can be given a ministerial job after having had ‘suffered’ in opposition, its the manner in which its all been done by this president. The fact is this one is no leader capable of uniting people and you can see it by his threats every time he hears critics from within. Anyone with the so called presidential ambitions is an enemy to him, i mean his already there on top how can he be competing with people under him?? Yes you cant give everyone jobs but you can include them by interacting with them and consulting them. An all inclusive approach and maintaining a line of communication with them can easy all their grievances. Unfortunately all they hear are threats and more threats and you wonder why he remains clueless on issues. He has distanced himself…
*……He has distanced himself from his own.
I think David’s opinion is fuzzy. This “problem” has its genesis in Michael Sata himself and the events that happened when it was clear that he had a terminal illness. When this happened, the PF internally broke into factions that started positioning themselves to take power from the ailing leader: the True Greens with characters like Kambwili, Scott etc, the Loyalists who supported and respected Sata like Mama Inonge, Jean, Wille etc, and the Cartel activists headed by Wynter Kabimba, George Chellah etc. Now in this whole scenario, Chagwa didn’t even exist. It is the decision that followed, done by Sata himself that drove these factions into a brutal power struggle a la Game of Thrones style. When Sata beheaded the Cartel faction by firing Wynter, this whole group became hostile…
…towards PF and vowed to teach them a lesson lest they get their way. When Sata personally picked Chagwa, the True Greens protested fiercely and vowed to destroy the party lest one of theirs is chosen. That left the Loyalists respecting and upholding the great leaders wishes and backing Edgar Chagwa Lungu, an unknown candidate with no family or national history, a simple background but chosen on merit for his hard work, intelligence, ability to lead and no ferocious or bloodthirsty ambition like Kambwili or GBM. The Loyalists won the power struggle basically because the electorate accepted Lungu. When the other two factions unleashed their terror on the Loyalists, one character on the national level offered a solution. Mwanawasa’s kingmaker, the eastern powerhouse Rupiah Bwezani Banda…
…resisted advances from these factions and the southern political forces to render support to this new player on the political scene. This explains the MMD influence, who offer more loyalty than the factions fighting the president. Harry Kalaba switched to the True Greens/NDC who have promised to make him its leader. His exit from PF is more than welcome and long overdue. Edgar Lungu is a product of this power struggle and those complaining that he is not listening, like David Kapoma, are casualties of war and must accept the reality that losers of war will always cry loudest.
So if chagwa has the ability to lead, why is there so much confusion in the PF and also in the country? Why is there cholera when HH had advised your humble leader as far back as September to put in mechanisms in place to curb this disease? Why is the maize floor price the same as the price in 2008 under Mwanawasa? Why has the IMF refused to lend us money based on our current unsustainable debt? Why is the Kwacha at K10.20 to a dollar and why are farmer inputs still not distributed? Why are a lot of farmers still not paid from 2016? AM sure since you are the chief cheerleader of Lungu only rivaled by Lusambo you will answer these questions especially this last one which is how have PF policies under Lungu added value to the life of an ordinary Zambian?
…resisted advances from these factions and the southern political forces to render support to this new player on the political scene. This explains the MMD influence, who offer more loyalty than the factions fighting the president. Harry Kalaba switched to the True Greens/NDC who have promised to make him its leader. His exit from PF is more than welcome and long overdue. Edgar Lungu is a product of this power struggle and those complaining that he is not listening, like David Kapoma, are casualties of war and must accept the reality that losers of war will always cry loudest.
The resident’s office is a difficult one. Advisors are as important as the man they’re advising. I remember FTJ telling off a relative who tried warn about what was going on..FTJ simply told the gentleman that most of his advisors were PHDs, lawyers and there was nothing this semi illiterate was telling him. I had a ride with Eric Silwamba on the way to Leopards Hill for the burial of a relative. I tried to “engage and penetrate” but he proved impossible and very distant.
Well said Zambian Citizen kudos to you
Not that I support Edgar, but it’s easy to see through some people’s minds. Take someone called Tutwa someone, I remember a few months ago how he itemized the development the PF had brought to Kabwe and how happy he was. Just recently he came out to tell us how the PF had failed to deliver as per campaign promises to the people of Kabwe. After remembering that Tutwa was among the people who “made” Edgar Lungu president, I add two and two I find Tutwa had been left in the cold while Dora and Co have been ” rewarded”. Some time one needs to sacrifice without expecting rewards. I am afraid this is the norm in Zambian politics…. remember Dr Canicius Banda after being side stepped in favour of GBM?
It happened with MMD. Arthur Wina and Aka thought one of them was going to be minister of finance. To their surprise including me and many others a less known person Emmanuel Kasonde was instead appointed to the position after being nominated to parliament. As a result some people left government with Aka forming Agenda for Zambia AZ.
@Zambian Citizen. Your analysis is excellent. Your reading of the immediate-past-Sata political landscape is impressive. Kudos! You got the gist of why men like Guy Scott, Kabimba, Mulenga Sata etc have gone into political oblivion.
@Ndanje Khakis. Great observation. Many politicians will fall from grace by the same sword as Tutwa, Wina, Aka, Dr. Banda etc. Some learn and adapt. Others don’t. It’s no secret that Prof Luo wanted Veep position but a different person was chosen. I am reliably informed Kalaba equally expected assurances of a bright future in PF but Lol. Unless he has a long term plan, we can as well begin to forget about him. Our Zambian politics are very simple and yet subtle and complex in their own way.
On a related note: Remember the run-up to 2001 elections? A great men politicians fell by the way side. I am not saying what they stood for was wrong but just that politics is not for boys lol.
Last paragraph. …he who wields the axe controls the forest. When FTJ tried to manipulate Levy, Levy simply used his presidential powers and that was the end of FTJ and people like Chitalu Sampa. That’s how Zambian politics work.
@Ndanje Khakis. You are a political realist. The lesson in your last paragraph is yet to be learned by many. Our politics are simply what they are. Period.
Is president Lungu listening to his people? The answer is no and that is why we are in this mess period.
If your memory is as good as mine, you will recall what Rupiya Banda said on National Television after losing elections in 2011. He said and I quote “MMD will be back.” Brothers and sisters, it has come to pass. Rupiya is having the last laugh.
I have found this page interesting, especially where political analysis is concerned. Truly speaking we good political analyzers out there in Zambia.
Hear no evil, See no evil, speak no evil?