By Clayson Hamasaka
I note the write up by PF Presidential aspirant Emmanuel Mwamba on the outpouring of love and solidarity given to him in Monze yesterday when he went to attend the burial service of late Pastor Slyvester Chilimba Hamavwa who is an uncle to President Hakainde Hichilema. The President, First Lady and a lot of UPND leaders were also in attendance.
Mwamba’s write up reminds me of a horrible experience in October 2016 when we accompanied the then UPND President Hakainde Hichilema for a funeral of his relative in Monze East.
That particular day in Monze resembled a war zone as Police indiscriminately threw teargas canisters and discharged live ammo in all directions resulting in women, children and old people scampering for cover. The Police combatants were dressed up in full battledress and carrying heavy weaponry and their presence was overwhelming.
All this was a spirited attempt to block then opposition UPND President Hichilema from reaching his destination to mourn his own relative in his own hometown and place of his birth.
It was only after Monze residents resisted that we finally managed to cross the town to the funeral home in the outskirts of the town.
Now contrast this with Emmanuel Mwamba yesterday who was advised by his PF Party to travel with heavy security, obviously in anticipation of violence, because in their own mind, they still believe Zambians want to avenge the PF’s 10 years of brutality, but Mwamba drove basically all alone, and got lost and was actually assisted by a local rider who gave him a ceremonial motorcycle escort all the way to the funeral.
Now imagine this, Mwamba actually arrived when the Head of State was already seated. Normally in security protocols, even Ministers and senior government officials tend to restrain themselves from entering an arena where the Head of State is already seated. In instances such as being described by Emmanuel Mwamba, security would probably have advised him to stay away until the Head of State departs, especially that we are dealing with Emmanuel Mwamba whose profile and identity can not be missed, and whose persistent and vicious attacks on the Head of State are well documented.
In our days in opposition, we had countless instances where our entourage could not be allowed entrance to a venue, particularly if President Edgar Lungu was already seated. In few instances where we could be allowed, it had to take the event organisers to basically protest and allow us to enter. Even then, our sitting arrangement would be very far from the VIP tent.
Imagine that Emmanuel Mwamba yesterday was not only allowed to enter and sit near the Head of State when he (Mwamba) arrived late, but was even given a microphone, right in front of the Republican President, to address the same audience that the Head of State was addressing.
And yet, we hear there are plans to protest by the PF leadership during this week’s Democracy Summit because there is no democracy and no freedoms in Zambia.
And President Hakainde Hichilema has often talked about the futility of tribalism because most Zambians are intervowen by blood or through marriages. PF has unashamedly continued on their divisive crusade even in opposition. Who would have imagined Emmanuel Mwamba one of President Hichilema’s harshest critics is actually related to the President through marriage?
Now imagine the kind of talk that would have emerged if Emmanuel Mwamba was treated in the harsh manner he had anticipated.
These are the images of the 2016 funeral visit by President Hichilema in Monze.
This was indeed a good contrast.However,there sporadic appearances of violence perpetuated by UPND elsewhere which must not allowed to grow into violence as was in PF era.
There mustn’t be paying a blind eye to these acts of violence otherwise we will return to the era of full violence.
People don’t like your Hamasaka.
PF was ruthless indeed…good riddance!
That was a militia group ruling the country
Logic has its own description. HH is president, Monze is his home, ZP is under him so how can the police tear gas him? We ignore happenings because things are in our favor… wherever there’s been by elections ZP have not followed the party campaign time table. HH has overstayed in areas or has gone there outside Upnd’s allocated time and ZP have threatened the opposition.
“Overstayed, or has gone to at times not allocated”? What is wrong with you? Let me play Devil’s advocate: Lusaka, and the area all the way to Kabwe, is Tonga land, and the name Lusaka itself derived from a Soli (=Tonga) chief by that name… Are you saying that the Bemba, Nyanja, Lozi, Luvale etc and the other tribes who are not Tonga have overstayed in the Tonga land of Lusaka? What is wrong with you? I am a Zambian. I am Tonga. And I decided long ago that I am going to build a retirement home in Samfya, Luapula, because all of Zambia and all it has to offer belongs to me, as equally as it does to you.
Who’s talking about Tonga people… you are being too sensitive that you fail to see the message. Your zp has been doing the same things they did to Upnd in opposition. The only difference is that you can’t see it because it’s in your favor, f . O.o l.
Fuseke with your tribalism
What peace? My brother has been taken in. I repeat my brother has been taken in. They want war with me.
kkkkk PF was not welcomed in that area and stop cheating about Mwamba, no wonder we faced those wrangles very dispointing indeed.we all know the gimic behind this.Stop lying.
I pointed out that This Mwamba story was earlier reported by LT without the Emmanuel Mwamba details. Then it looks like someone ordered LT to rewrite and include Mwamba’s attendance. Now we can all see why. So that UPND tin-pot philosophers could pontificate about imagined parallels between HH and Mwamba’s experiences. Muti settinger ka?