Mid this year, I published an article in The Mast Newspapers and of course, several Social Media outlets entitled, “UPND Government Not Communicating Effectively.” Here’s an excerpt of part of the gist of my argument:
“With due respect, Information Minister Chushi Kasanda and her PS, my good friend Kennedy Kalunga have lamentably failed to weather the storm from the rabble-rousers masquerading as opposition political parties! Clearly, they can’t withstand mounting pressure from the likes of Antonio Mwanza, Chilufya Tayali, Emmanuel Mwamba, Raphael Nakachinda or Nixon Chilangwa. They can do better at the Ministry of Religious Affairs if at all such a ministry was to be resurrected or better still in the diplomatic service.”
In what would be seen as my prophecy coming to pass, I made the following suggestions, “Given the cantankerous and highly charged political atmosphere currently prevailing in the nation, government deserves indefatigable and fearlessness fellows ready to shoot from the hips such as a combined lethal team of Cornelius Mweetwa as Minister and Thabo Kawana as PS!”
Although it has frustratingly taken long to come; at least finally, the President has cracked the whip! Madam Kasanda and her Permanent Secretary, the soft spoken Kalunga have been given marching orders albeit long overdue. While the nation grappled with a few challenges here and there such as the offensive prices of mealie meal and fuel coupled with the energy crisis earlier in the year, madam Kasanda and Kalunga seemed lost at sea.
As narcissists and naysayers went on rampage trotting to each and every Radio and TV station as well as putting the Social Media to effective use to spew out anti-government propaganda, the duo carried on as if there weren’t burning issues begging their immediate attention. The only moment they would bother doing any damage control was when a lot of damage had already been done and the masses would have already jumped to wrong conclusions.
We expect nothing less of proactivity and vigilance from the new entrants in these critical positions. We’ve little doubt Cornelius and Thabo are equal to the tasks; they obviously possess the necessary attributes and credentials to put off or prevent any raging infernos from spreading and getting out of control to the extent of bringing the entire government into contempt and ridicule.
Now that the president has heed to our cries and taken the necessary steps to reinvigorate and revitalise the communication wing of his government, we would equally encourage him to shake-up the UPND Secretariat in Rhodespark which would in turn revive the inept UPND media team which is undoubtedly in comatose. Mr. Batuke Imenda is obviously a decent and honourable man; we have nothing against him. We understand he’s a good administrator; he can actually make a brilliant diplomat in one of the Western capitals. Unfortunately, the role of Secretary General isn’t a good fit for him…..he doesn’t strike us as someone willing to get his hands dirty by frequently making forays into the shanty compounds to whip up support for his party.
Let us not pretend, the 2026 general elections will be quite crucial as the financially well lubricated Socialist Party and the Patriotic Front, former ruling party, flex their muscles to try and unseat UPND from power. The ruling party is currently disconnected from the grassroots; the leadership must urgently identify someone with the caliber of Obvious Mwaliteta, the current UPND Lusaka provincial chairman to bring new energy and excitement to the Secretariat.
Mwaliteta is definitely a charismatic and down to earth fellow; he has no qualms palling around with the masses in the shanty compounds, and drinking or at least pretending to enjoy Chibuku or Chibwantu with them as he converses with them in Bemba or Nyanja. More over, he has got the youthful age to his advantage making it easier for him to relentlessly traverse the width and breadth of the nation mobilising support or interacting with the party structures as way of encouraging them and listening to some of their challenges.
Salute!
Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
What whip naiwe? Cornelius Mweetwa has been complaining for being confined to provincial duties. So Chushi apart from being a soft target was also holding what Mweetwa claims is his rightfully his job.
It’s people like you who cause civil strifes in Africa.
This Kapinga should stop poking his mouth into affairs that he has shallow knowledge of. Journalists do not want this ministry because it is an interference with freedom of speech, so stop endorsing it by giving silly suggestions on who should head it. Its like preaching against drugs but here is how to use them.
Government may “deserve indefatigable and fearlessness fellows ready to shoot from the hips such as Cornelius Mweetwa and Thabo Kawana” but not as Minister or PS. It is a waste of taxpayers’ money! Ministers arent employed to “shoot from the hips” They have more serious things to do. It doesnt require a Ministry to do propaganda for government. Joe Biden has a unit that does that at the White House not an entire ministry.
There’s no whip here but ethinic cleansing.
And we dont need this Ministry-PERIOD!
Tribal
Seeing tribe in every thing written in the media…….
What a sad life.
1. A serious look needs to be done on HH’s “sense of judgement”. He is the CEO of the Zambian Enterprise and the Appointing Officer of the Zambian Executive Team.
Why did HH keep Ms Kasanda for such a long time? HH knew she would “not” handle the job before appointing her and better people were their at his disposal. She failed basic requirements and prerequisites needed for her role. Her appointment shocked some of the people in the HH’s cabinet and at least UPND at large.
2. It’s easy to blame her. I have to admit I criticised her. Hoewver, maximum blame must go to HH, because he knew she was out-of-her-breath from the word go.
A democracy doesnt need a Ministry of Information and Media-PERIOD!
Lies by HH to the Zambian people are what are going to sink UPND. Kasanda refused to use her ministerial position to be repeating HH’s lies and she got the boot for that. No amount of shake-up of the UPND secretariat will save it from the wrath of the Zambian voters in 2026. The UPND have lamentably failed to attract investors for our mines and copper production has been falling leading to a massive depreciation of the kwacha. The cost of living has gone through the roof as agriculture continues to be mismanaged leading to the high cost of food and more hungry mouths in Zambia.
My fear is that this man is working on the machenism to rig the election in his favor. People should be on the lookout. He’s not like Lungu who in his stupor mistook the noise from cadres for popularity.
Useless Praise singer Lumbani madoda…keep blowing your Vuvuzela loud you will soon be appointed…thats the formula in UPND government if you’re starving and looking for employment….just become a praise singer
Forward 2026…….
And beyond
What cracking the whlp iwe chi karla!! You are promoting HHs tribalism. By next year the entire cabinet will be t0ngas. The entire upnd government are all mbo lows. Tribal dogs!
Cornelius Mweetwa as Minister and Thabo Kawana as PS!” are a formidable pairing. They are superb communicators, they are both articulate and well spoken, they speak with confidence and authority.
They will be able to get the government’s message across and counter the lies and misinformation of the opposition.
Government job is not to use speech in order to convince me or others. We say actions speak louder than words.
To start with why would government be blaming millers for the high cost of mealie meal? Why not just say the truth that government can no longer cushion the cost of the commodity on behalf of the citizens. But instead you continue piling lie upon lie. You call liers like Kawana formidable?
You are not fighting the opposition, you are fighting me and others.
The same authors that misled the late PF are at it again. Chushi Kasanda was a very good minister of information, what did she not defend or say. Mob psychology peddled against her is bad
Her only crime was not being a t0nga
She was a very absent minister…….
Absent because she didn’t agree with upnds tribal stances.
She couldn’t lie enough on behalf of the Upnd.
She was actually a poor minister because this is a bum Ministry. Its dead. It doesnt fit in with our future plans. We want to be a democracy and people shouldnt be controlling and supervising our speech
I remember with shock when GRZ enacted the partial withdrawal of pensions and the president condemed the lack of GRZ information regarding ………
Mrs Kasanda, wanting to look active…….
issued a statement encouraging people to take advantage of this faculty, only……..
Not a single word of caution for the people withdrawing their pensions………
She was a one dimensional minister……….
Even that partial withdrawal was illegal. Okay those who did withdrawal enjoyed the money but a law was breached. Several staff members have been fired for various offenses but the main one is for opposing the withdrawals. But when a lion is desperate it will eat anything including grass.
Now that she is out of the limelight all the slur can pour, run down on her. Remember, you reacted similarly when DPP Lillian vaccated office. There is total miscommunication in UPND, hence the party and government daily contradictions. Smoke Cassandar is not a politician. Seen from her grooming, she was employed as the front face of UPND, though it still remains true that she was not the only underperforming cabinet member.
Spaka wants to say: She was a Bemba
Deja Vu you Bembas are liars. I have lived on this earth for four decades now I am yet to see a lion eating grass. One hungry lion here in Europe in Eukraine was just returned to Africa and it had been starving in the botanical garden but it never resorted to grass. Ubufi muma proverb musiye
Special Pepper
If she is bemba and useless…….
Why should she not be fired ???
You think because you are bemba , you can abrogate your job and remain untouched…….?
Sorry……..
Forward 2031….
And beyond
#Mwa-le. You see why Ngonis will always serve a Bemba….a proverb is just there to express the gravity of a situation. My Wife Cook Me Axe doesn’t mean literally to cook an axe etc.
What it means is that out of desperation the Upnd will do anything.
Dejavu
Lungu told us……..
Our of 10 theives, 7 are you know who………
And Gary Nkombo who forced a child to drink Kachasu is ten dimensional???
Bill Kapinga is celebrating that he has influenced the promotion of Kawana and Mwetwa. Very soon he will tell us he is prophet Bill. And we must all listen to him or perish
YOU MEAN SPIN DOCTORS?
You were in Cabinet and you should have said it in Cabinet and NOT in public. So you are a woman who would say bedroom maters in publics! Terrible woman.