By: Anthony Bwalya – UPND Member
Modern coup d’etat are no longer promulgated and executed by dissident groups against legitimately elected governments.
Modern coup d’etat are a pure creation of governments thin on popular public sentiment but intent on holding on to power. In the process, they hijack and use all methods of subversion to undermine democratic principles and practices in order to tilt the balance and outcome of an election in their favor.
Just like slavery, the face of modern-day coup d’etat against legitimate governments, duly elected by the people, has invariably evolved and transformed into much more subtle, deadly forms – often difficult to pick up on.
Today, we have a PF government that has held hostage all instruments and institutions of democratic governance, through the use of intimidation, bribery and extortion in a quest to undermine the outcome of elections at every level, everywhere across the country – from Sesheke to Roan, from Bahati to Chilanga and now CHILUBI.
The January 2019 report into voting patterns was unequivocally clear in its indictment of the PF and its leadership around the abuse of public resources and institutions for their own benefit during elections.
The report cited specific cases of abuse of government vehicles by PF officials and Ministers, the abuse of state institutions such as the police, for carrying out illegal orders under the colonial, draconian Public Order Act in order to bar members of the opposition political fraternity room to campaign and engage the public freely. The same report is damning in its characterization of the use of violence, bribery, and extortion by the PF as a means to intimidate and buy off electorates ahead of elections.
The report also makes very specific reference to the PF’s unhindered abuse of the national broadcaster – ZNBC, for purposes of disseminating lies, propaganda and malicious innuendo against the opposition, while denying opposition political players equal access to the same media platform for purposes of sending out progressive messages of change and reform.
There are also reported and thoroughly documented accounts of PF operatives intimidating election observers in key polling jurisdictions across Lusaka and Copperbelt to undermine the process of monitoring the counting and verification of elections results at the polling station level.
Now, in all of these instances, no gunshots were fired; nor was there an actual shed of blood on a mass scale.
And now, we have unverified revelations of religious ritualism as having played a pivotal role in the outcome of a named general election.
Yet in all totality, what took place in 2016 was a classic coup d’etat against the collective will of the people. It must be noted, that occurrences of this sort also undermines the collective will of genuine supporters of the PF because they are denied an opportunity to see what their vote is truly worth because it is diluted by gross manipulation of process, public resources and personnel; and ultimately the disregard of all constitutional and democratic principles.
Today, we have a government that denies citizens pension benefits while it vehemently promotes, perpetuates, defends and shields grand political corruption by a handful of individuals relating to several billions of US dollars.
We have a government that is failing to deliver quality local healthcare and education while politicians and their families continue to enjoy the benefits of expensive private healthcare and education abroad, all paid for by the poor people of this country. And while majority Zambians are overtaxed, we have a government that perpetuates inequality by exempting public officials from paying their fair share of taxes, as well as continuing to apportion large sways of land to themselves in ecologically sensitive forests while excluding poor Zambians from accessing land.
Now, the good news is that Zambians have largely awakened to the reality of the torment of the sufferings we are collectively enduring, and we are largely in agreement that at the heart of all of this, has been a monumental failure of political leadership – with those holding the instruments of power only interested in exercising such power for the benefit of themselves, their families and business associates.
In 2021, our collective resolve must be to put an end to systematic dictatorship and restore to and for the benefit of the people, the power of a free and fair ballot.
Delusional donkeys, bitter losers!! Sensing defeat as their ammagedon strategy has flopped and the voting pattern hasn’t changed. Azalila futi, kachema….
Continue waffling Bwalya, if winning an election is by waffling the way you are doing then 2021 you have already won.
Don’t think it’s easy to rule the country but it’s very easy to criticize your opponent.
You have been accusing those who are the government that they are corrupt but no one has come up with the evidence. We want you to tell the electorate how you are going to improve the living standard of the poor people and how you are going to improve the economy of this country.
By accusing them we are not going to take you seriously.
Anthony tekanya…..
These people you have gone with in bed tomorrow you will realize that you are still any elien best for usage .
World won’t change any time because of you Anthony better go where you belong.Wisdom is better than folly.
Bushe kanshi who is the desperate man Anthony Bwalya? Anyanyanya mwe!
These hyenas think a zambian election can be won by meeting in sandton. Why not fight for power in your own land you asylum seekers. Me I fight my battle on home ground and the track record of election victories is there for all to see . Kz
Ubo bufontini ba Anthony.
Coup d’etat?
Te dobo iyo?
PF will win clean again in 2021 and us the people will deliver that victory.
Ulefwaya ulesabaila apa?
Puffing on lye ka habwalya.
When they say ‘Zambians will not’, blah,blah……whom do they include? What ….ALL OF US…’cause that’s just puff talk.
Majority Zambians know where their bread is buttered. Childish things like….’misuse of vehicles’……well when I was at boarding school we used to complain of new Mercedes Benz’s for govt officials! Surprisingly, our opposition are still grasping at straws! That’s not an issues based campaign….or is it decampaign or something skin to it!
Weak. 3 provinces verses the rest……..maths. Forgone conclusion! And I’m
In the picture above they look tired or not convinced of their fight!
How do you start declaring you are defeated before even the elections are held? MMD as bad as they were didn’t say these things to UNIP. At least the sold Zambia a dream with a manifesto. Then Chiluba happened and stole Zambia’s dreams. Can someone make an opposition party with heart and drive. FFD please awaken.
UPND IS STILL GOING TO LOSE IN 2021 BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO TRIBAL AND LACK OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP. ELECTIONS IN 2021 WILL NOT BE WON IN SANDTON, BUT IN ZAMBIA. EVEN THIS ANTONY BWALYA, IS HE ANTHONY BWALYA OR ANTHONY HABWALYA, BECAUSE ITS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND HOW A NORMAL BEMBA CAN BE SO DEEP-ROOTED IN UPND, WRITING EVIL THINGS ABOUT OTHER PARTIES VERY WEEK, WHEN WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY GARRY SEJANI WRITING EVIL ABOUT UPND! HAKAIVOTERA HUMWINE.
Bwalya, have you read the comments above , which Zambian are you talking about?
WE HAVE CHALLENGES WITH PF. BUT I DONT THINK WE WILL RUN INTO THE HANDS OF UPND. IT IS A VERY TOXIC PARTY. WE HOPE AFTER THE CONVENTION MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, PF WILL COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER. PF SHOULD NEVER ASSOCIATE WITH PERSONS LIKE KAIZAR ZULU THESE ARE STAINS ON THE PARTY. THEY MAKE US WORRIED.
You call HH kachema what is wrong with being a shepherd boy actually being a kachema is a blessing from God you can never be a kachema if you don’t have a good heart so Mr Zambian Citizen whatever you call yourself from today you should know that being a kachema is a special gift from above read the Bible every good and powerful king was a kachema full stop you can never be a kachema if you are a theif.
Unless LT is blocking UPND comments, 2021 will see Ichilema cry like RB.
Kkkkkkk indeed continue waffling Anthony Bwalya!!!But recall,as you waffle online,Dr.Chitalu Chilufya,GBM and other senior PF officials are with the grassroot in Chilubi talking development.It is such course,which enables a political party to win than waffling here.Nobody shall eat or buy UPND’s fake promises.Seeing is believing.Voters want to see actions from their leaders than fake promises!!believe you me,nomatter how you waffle here,PF will 100% retain Chilubi seat on 13/02/2020 and PF shall do so in August 2021!!Learn to appreciate the voting pattern for political parties in Zambia and your heart will be at peace!!More than 17 candidates applied to stand on PF in Chilubi,a clear sign that people know too well that PF is damn strong there!!THIS IS SIMPLY COMMON SENSE BO BWALYA!!