In our political discourse which is always never short of drama; one of the highlights of the previous week is obviously the ‘transition’ of former Catholic priest, Frank Bwalya from his brief retirement from politics to the ruling, United Party for National Development. This occurred during the official opening of the party’s National Secretariat graced by no other than the Republican president, Hakainde Hichilema!
Although this latest development has been warmly welcomed by some within and outside the party, others haven’t been so kind in describing his next political expedition. “Njala yamunyokola! He’s a political prostitute! This man used to disparage the president not so long ago….” You hear them complain to the heavens!
What do we make of this?
Bane….. it’s not said politics creates strange bedfellows for nothing. There’re no permanent friends or enemies in politics, they say. Only an armature in politics would choose to completely insulate themselves from this reality!
There are always a few lessons that those misguided individuals making noise in the blogs can learn from this. During the time of MMD in power, Willie Nsanda, a hefty individual with gigantic hands, once stormed Radio Icengelo where opposition Patriotic Front party leader, Micheal Sata, was featuring on a live interview, roughed him up and tore up his woolen jacket……not some cheap cotton material from Kamwala!
What followed next? In a matter of time, Nsanda ended up not only being a closest confidant of the King Cobra, but one of the ‘gate keepers’ at State House as well! We can cite another interesting example. If we may give another example; when Sata was breathing heavily on President Rupiah Banda neck on his quest to take over from him, his Home Affairs Minister, Lameck Mangani, assured him he had gathered enough evidence Sata was a foreigner and that the police would be arresting him soon. Of course, that was just a question of hot air as Mangani would eventually fell out of favour with his boss. What happened next? He ended up being one of the party stalwarts in Sata’s party and a Minister for that matter!
Why are we saying all this?
Ignore Bwalya at your own peril as the ex priest is a warrior……a mover and shaker, an effective mobiliser, a great communicator, spin doctor at heart…..a frontline person! Which political party wouldn’t want to have such an asset within their ranks? Ba UPND, please embrace Bwalya.
At a time when the opposition has gone full throttle spewing propaganda aimed at painting a negative image of the President and his government; UPND urgently needs someone with the calibre of Bwalya not only to quench off the fire or diffuse propaganda, but mobilising party support as well.
Bwalya says he’s joining UPND to work; this is the man who is not afraid to feature on live or phone-in programmes; deploy him to the Copperbelt and the Northern regions to explain party policies, let him venture into the shanties to mobilise support. One other added advantage is that the former priest has been a PF member and has also briefly flirted with the Socialist party before; he therefore knows their weaknesses and where to hit them where it hurts the most!
Welcome aboard a Walya, as the Easterners would say.
Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
Some kind of warrior I suppose.
Catholic church is a big organisation on its own. It has meddled in governments and even brought down some governments. It has a big secret underground network all over the world . Be careful who you tangle with.
Yamunyokola
Warrior Bwalya!
Every one looking to develop zambia is welcome in UPND…….
However, no brown envelopes will be found……..
A hungry warrior. Frankly I don’t blame Frank especially with the hunger under upnd govt. 2026 UKA
Lol. It’s funny how from the title and first sentence I knew the author would be Auntie Bill. Auntie Bill, stick to writing your advocacy for street kids.
You fail to be a balanced political commentator. You are always complaining about the PF and how you were ill treated, you further complain about how you are sidelined as a UPND sympathizer, how you expect favours. It is, sadly, not surprisingly, that you will welcome everything your party does.
And slowly UPND is becoming full blown PF…by 2026 it will be rebranded PF with all PF members in UPND already you have almost 60% PF members in UPND…..however, the fighting will start once HH leaves office when choosing who will become UPND President after HH…..and thats when UPND will likely disintegrate because Kambwil….Nevers Mumba….Frank Bwalya will fight for UPND President not forgetting Gary Nkombo and Mweetwa and Edgar Lungu also will try to become UPND President
Even lungu joing UPND is because things are being run as a normal country…….
The hynas will only try to takeover where there is misrule and the electorate is unhappy………
All these PF leaders joining UPND realise it is better to work with GRZ as the people are content and will not be duped……..
Forward 2031……..
If UPND loses 2026 elections Frank Bwalya…Chishimba Kambwili…Miles Sampa..Nevers Mumba….Kelvin Sampa…Mawere….will abandon UPND and join the winning Political party….Bandits changing colors like a chameleon….so these morons can’t survive outside Politics…and remember that these defections are not free these guys are given brown envelopes and promised appointments….and Government contracts…the question is how will HH work with the same people he called Bandits…and Frank Bwalya called HH a useless President….AFRICAN POLITICS OF THE BELLY
UPND will not lose 2026……..
Try 2031……
Clowns Association of Zambia(CLAZ)
Never trust him with party secrets. He is just a mole planted by the opposition. He will start leaking information to other parties. Empty sacks, like Bwalya, will do anything for them to stand upright. He betrayed trust in all the parties he has been into. Give him access to information at your own peril.
Another recycled politician!
Awe we should be weary of these defections. In mature democracies when you are a conservative you will always remain so even if your party loses 20 times. Not so with Zambian politicians. Defections are not news worthy.
Ma defection ya everyday! Just form a riff raff party. Nawakwi is lonely
Frank Bwalya ignored by his boy friend Mm’embe and dumped. Poverty visits him big time.
Which father is a numbskull a this miscreant
ELC might be the next one to join upnd
Bill Kapinga asks “why are we saying this?”
He wants to give the impression there’s many saying this nonsense. Yet he is the only one talking like that. He really must be a desperate vuvuzela with Noone to blow his tune!
Bwalya as a catholic believes in forgiveness by our Jehovah God. I’m not sure if Zambians will forgive him for his political sins….
Oh is that why the pope has “forgiven” homosexuals?
It’s his choice. Hunger spares no one.
What is “an armature in politics”? Is that electrical gadget used to insulate politicians from ACDC?
Do not insult prostitues by calling Farter Bwalya a political prostitute. He is worse than that, A potaholic Nevers Mumba.
I totally agree with the author
We need Frank Bwalya the orator in UPND. Most of Bally’s minister are not rhetoric-capable & fail to articulate his achievements to the citizens, this guy will come in handy.
Zambia has short fall of worriers and heros indeed – is it the matter of ” a country of blind people “