By Sishuwa Sishuwa
What has largely determined the legacy of successive presidents of Zambia – except Kenneth Kaunda’s – is their attitude towards corruption.
Zambians love, trust, and respect a national leader who shows clear or demonstrable will to fight past and especially present corruption, to deal decisively with the corruption of their officials or associates including those in the inner circle. This is what sets Levy Patrick Mwanawasa apart.
As I stated yesterday on Diamond TV (for a recorded version of the programme, please click on this link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=XrPgZN4l5fE), Levy was so decisive when it came to fighting corruption that officials, including Cabinet ministers, accused of graft were dismissed long before the public complained and subsequently prosecuted. This is the leadership that President Hichilema should demonstrate if his crumbling fight against corruption is to be taken seriously.
As it stands, it would be fair to say that Hichilema’s anti-corruption fight is failing because he lacks the political will to fight corruption. This may be because the president is either involved in corrupt activities, is too close to some of his officials who are corrupt – thereby impairing his judgement and making it difficult for him to act against them – or is a captive of a network of both private and public actors who, for whatever reason, seem to be tightly holding his balls (figuratively speaking!). The situation is not helped by Hichilema’s tendency to listen to only those he likes. In other words, the president has shown a rigid unwillingness to listen to even reasonable advice, especially if that advice comes from people outside his inner circle or whom he thinks do not support him.
What a pity because Hichilema, following his historic election, had a golden opportunity to wage a genuine and faceless fight against corruption, unite citizens across ethnic and regional identities and coalesce their energies for nation building, restore Zambia’s democracy, resuscitate its economy, develop a culture of meritocracy especially in the civil service by appointing competent men and women to key formal institutions, and work towards building a truly functioning country that works for everyone. Sadly, Hichilema is steadily building a coalition of opposition against himself, largely emanating from how he has handled these key issues.
Once again, I appeal to President Hichilema to reassess his priorities, place public interest above personal relationships, change course for the better, and rescue his failing presidency. Or else, this African proverb shall come to pass: “A fly that does not heed advice gets buried with the corpse”.
hh must just follow Biden mwebantu and leave
Who in his cabinet has HICHILEMA got respect for ? NONE! He is full of himself only. He does not trust anyone of this ministers. And those ministers know it.Does he trust Felix, muchima, silvya, Milupi Gary and others? NOT AT ALL .In fact he is comfortable dealing with Jito, Hamasaka and other of his Chola boys If he had a way he would picked his cabinet from outside parliament . He would have filled the cabinet with business colleagues.
HH lacks charisma, he can’t speak eloquently. It’s an attribute that Zambians look for in their leaders. So he can only depend on meritocracy to maintain power but unfortunately he’s lamentably failed on this score. So he’s relying on dictatorship to suppress dissent , but can he win against Zambians? I doubt. How many people stood with him when Edgar locked him up for 4 months? Are they still with him? No.
Moderated, time to take a break
I sadly have to agree. It seems HH needs people who owe him nothing and have known him when he was a simple nobody in Zambia and can be blunt with him so that he stops and asks himself what the heck he is doing in some of his acts. I’m only seeing things from a distance and has reported by the media who may have their own agenda but I’m beginning to get worried. HH it seems to me is messing himself up.
It’s biblical!
He is already messed up…
The problem is he’s got too much trust in Western goverments
KK, Michael Sata and others were once incarcerated on orders sitting presidents, on dubious grounds, no Western organisation or government came to their rescue. But when HH was put in for an obvious reason the west had to send an envoy to order his release. There must be something he’s pledged to give them. Let’s be alert.
Have you forgotten that the West was on the side of Chiluba and Levy? How could they go against them to come and ask for the release of KK and Sata?
That’s Chiluba is not mentioned…. just like HH, Chiluba was a tool for western powers against Dr Kenneth Kaunda.
HH must resign now,,
This guy is not fit for public office! I wonder why it is taking Zambians a long time to realize this. In an ordinary country, most of the things he has done would warrant an impeachment. Sometimes we should stop blaming leaders and look at the electorate! False pastors have done a lot of damage but what about the people who follow these false prophets? Are they clean? Similarly the people who vote for snake oil salesmen to lead them, are they clean?
Ba of , stop fooling yourselves. Hh is doing the the Best in this time of global difficulties and natural catastrophic situation Zambia is experiencing. Only thieves and corrupt quarks want to take advantage and manipulate the situation and citizens
I agree with most comments the problem is we dont have a credible opposition
and dont want failed parties back again as Zambia deserves a break !!
So unless a new party is formed he is going to get another term sadly this is a fact
already his campaign has started in the rural areas
I am afraid the President won’t take this advise either. He is drunk with purposeless power. Most people thought he would make a good president. Alas, the same people are so apprehensive now, ditching all the neaming confident they once had in him. Sad.
Bally is heading for one term only with this team he has kept around him. scandal after scandal and we suspect even more are on their way soon. pity as we thought he might do well.