Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Gary Nkombo has told the News Diggers Newspapers that the New Dawn Administration is now in a defence position; they have to defend their party into the next election.
We couldn’t agree more with him. But what does it take for a party to win or defend an election? The job of scoring goals (delivering development) mustn’t be left to one individual – the President in this particular case. It ought to be a team effort! As things stand, only President Hichilema and a handful of his ministers seem to be the only ones ‘bragging’ about the various milestones this administration has achieved since they took over. Which brings us to this question; where are the other players – the Bulawayos, Nsulukas, Mpombos, Kundas, Kapatas & Lusambos of this regime? Officials that are eager to defend
Perception is always important in politics; this is basically the way something is regarded, understood, or interpreted by the general public. At a time when our nation is grappling with a few challenges such as the energy crisis, exorbitant prices of mealie meal and the spate of crime etc. we expect ministers and permanent secretaries to be always on hand to keep the nation abreast with what measures government is putting in place to ameliorate the plight of our people.
During the Kenneth Kaunda days, it wasn’t uncommon to always see government officials in the news defending the government with ease and impressive bravado, the harsh economic environment notwithstanding! The likes of Copperbelt Minister Alexander Kamalondo, Lundazi Governor William ‘ Tekere’ Banda, Central Committee Member Fines Bulawayo, UNIP Cowboy Sikota Wina, Daniel Munkombwe and Finance Minister Gibson Chigaga easily come to mind.
Fast forward to the Frederick Chiluba ‘New Kulture’ era, we were always mesmerized by a retinue of his outspoken lieutenants that never shied away from reminding our people about the ‘dark days’ of UNIP, while pleading with them to give the ‘new kulture regime’ time to implement their party manifesto. Finance Minister Ronald Penza was always a guest on TV and radio stations presenting his homilies on macro and micro economics while the likes of Local Government Minister Michael Sata, Copperbelt Minister Kangwa Nsuluka and Minister-without-Portfolio Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda, Agriculture Minister Guy Scot, Health Minister Boniface Kawimbe equally went on rampage making ‘the right noise.’
When the alert citizens finally thwarted Chiluba’s third term attempt and Mwanawasa was ‘awakened’ to step into his shoes, we saw a team of new ‘vuvuzelas’ in town – Daniel Munkombwe, Mike Mulongoti, Sylvia Masebo, George Mpombo and Gen. Ronnie Shikapwasha, Kabinga Pande to mention but a few.
As fate would have it, the cold hand of death took him away before he could conclude his second term in office. His vice president Rupiah Banda came in with his own hardcore fanatics who wasted no time defending government with their blood in both the August house and outside -Vice President George Kunda and Cabinet Ministers Benny Tetamashimba, Michael Kaingu, Brian Chituwo, Angela Cifire and Gabriel Namulambe etc.
Not surprisingly, the man that would make him weep in front of the TV cameras after suffering an ignominious defeat barely 3 years at the helm, Michael Sata commonly known as ‘King Cobra,’ lined up a team of cantankerous and bragadocio characters in his cabinet who were quick to treat the opposition to severe tongue-lashing whenever they criticized government – the legendary Chishimba Kambwili, Stephen Kampyongo, Wynter Kabimba, Jean Kapata, Nkandu Luo and Davis Mwila!
Bo Edgar Lungu, who somehow shockingly found himself occupying State House had his own faithful disciples in the likes of Bowman Lusambo, Brian Mundubile, Ronald Chitotela, Steven Kampyongo, Alexander Chiteme and Dora Siliya. They did not only do a fantastic job defending his government, but equally went after your throat in case you crossed the red line! Lungu even managed to plant a cadre at the Disaster Management & Mitigation Unit (DMMU) who was doing nothing, but politics.
If we may now come to the elephant in the room – the current administration; how come we don’t seem to be hearing much from the cabinet ministers save for a few such as Gary Nkombo, Elvis Nkandu, Elisha Matambo, Paul Kabuswe and Charles Milupi? Is it because they are not prepared to step-out of the comfort zone and stand in the firing range to be grilled by the press or they are busy cutting deals and preparing ‘safe landing’ just in case there is a change of government in the next elections?
All we demand are serious answers and nothing else!
Prince Bill M Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
Mayeng’u, Zambezi
In all fairness, what is there to defend when it is all broken.
PF Mealie meal K130 UPND K400
PF Fuel K17 litre UPND K34 litre
PF Dollar K21 UPND K28
Then defend what, evidently things have worsened, Anyway there is free education to fill our stomachs, laughable
The problem is HH. He wants to run government as a personal business. Chushi Kasanda was removed because she always wanted to tell the truth. Her successor can only tell lies which even a nursery child can tell is a lie
Perhaps the New Dawn ones are too clueless to step out into the open, lest people find out how little they know about the president’s vision!
A vision shared is far much better than keeping it to yourself
Fair Analyst don’t deceive yourself with misinformation. Your comparison will only make sense if you tell us what those figures you’re showing for the Defunct TuPF criminals government were when they came into power. For example they found the dollar at K5 left it at K17 according to you but it could have been higher than that.
Vote wisely vote for HH7 in 2026/31