Is the State Under Siege?
Wynter M. Kabimba, SC, ODS
The return to multiparty democracy in 1991 brought a great deal of relief to Zambians who experienced the excesses of the One-Party State rule.
Democracy meant hope and freedom for all. It also promised a stable society in which social and economic progress would thrive without let or hindrance. But above all this, most of us looked forward to a functioning State as the overall centre of power and good governance.
However, what was not remotely anticipated was the gradual emergence of other power-centres which would heavily compete with the State in an equalled manner and with a clear agenda to render the State almost dysfunctional.
It is a common historical phenomenon that power is always contested. But, in a democracy, the people give their power to their elected representatives. They give them a mandate to exercise it on their behalf and also in their interest. And, therefore, any other group of citizens, however noble their intentions cannot and should not claim to represent the people more than the men and women the people voted for to run the affairs of State with the president at the head of State power structures. This does not, however, mean that the church, traditional authorities, opposition political parties and civil society organizations are irrelevant or that they have no role to play in the affairs of State. What they cannot do or should not be allowed to do is to act like separate or parallel state entities in a power-sharing arrangement with the elected representatives of the people and the State.
These unelected entities are all subordinate to the State. Whereas they may claim to represent their constituencies, they lack the legal mandate in a democracy to claim the same authority which the State commands. To purport to do so is to sow seeds of anarchy in a democratic society.
The early signs of the State’s loss of its hold-on power is when the competing power-centres start projecting religious, regional, tribal and ethnic interests to promote and preserve personal or narrow group interests over and above national unity and identity. These are smoldering fires to which the State can only turn a blind eye and a deaf ear at great cost to its mandate and the survival of the nation-state.
Let me say with an instructive Dutch proverb that, “Little is done when many command.”
There is an equivalent in my mother tongue, “there’s no commander among equals. (Zyembela beelene.)”
Last week Arsenal beat Real Madrid…. now Madrid are European champions several times over…. suppose Madrid told the referee not to stop the game until they won it? Total chaos. In their desperate bid to keep power at all costs our governments end up destroying the law and democracy itself…. the judiciary is intimidated, the election commission is compromised and other agents become ompartial in their operations.
Let’s play our politics like an ordinary game… you win or lose life goes on.
Dejafoool nonsense as usual! Suppose the referee refused the Madrid request
I agree with KabimbaI .The responsibility of the so-called partners,stake holders ,interested party etc is only to offer concerns,advice,alternatives and such other insights.The final decision maker is the presidency which is the highest elective executive office.An adviser whose views are not adopted should never go ballistic and start plotting the downfall of a president
The usual garbage from him……..,,
Your whistle blower was jailed ……..
Where is the evidence you swore he had ???
Or was that evidence part of the usual garbage you spew ????
FWD2036
#Ba Ch*”””*la Spaka don’t be like a starved dog that expects food even from those breaking into it’s masters home.
Where is the evidence, naimwe????….,
Stop trying to deflect attention away from the evidence you promised munior Zulu had……..
FED2041
Well put SC, may the deaf-punking end now!!
Look at the mess the USA has landed itself in with MAGAs in Republican Cloak!!
With the economy brought on its knees by UPND, the Honourable thing is to say twakangiwa. But do they ever say that in Africa, no ways. Instead they even self praise themselves and pay weak minds to shout that government is working in crystal clear light of lamentable failure.
What do you mean, GDP in august 2021 was -2%, as of today, Zambia’s GDP is 2.5% and projected at 6.6% by end of 2025. Dont tell me all Zambians were having 3 meals a day before 2021. Even in life, success comes with sacrifice, ask any successful person, they had to sucrifice or risk. The current difficulties are temporary, just do your part as an individual and all will be great. All countries, including deveoped ones are experiencing economical hardships, economies have shrunk, Zambia is not an exceptional.
BOOOOM, Kabimba has just hit the jackpot, which is one of the core issues !
You have even, the pastors talking as if its them representing the people.
And then you have these demi-presidents…the Sean Tembos, with zero followers, but in the forefront claiming they represent the people.
Yet, in a true democracy , people are represented by the elected MP and the government of the day.
I think, there should be only one “President’ the rest should be reffered to as “Leader’ of a Party.
Kabimba is tellling you, the constitution changes should move ahead, stop listening to these demi-Presidents advocating otherwise.
No ways. People are not represented by MPs. MPs are representing their parties and not the people who elected them. It is wishful thinking to think MPs are representing the people. The reason there is very little objectivity in Parliament, it is just polarised along party lines because the MPs represent their parties only.
@Chinibaba,
Simple: By voting, citizens are participating in the democratic process. Citizens vote for leaders to represent them and their ideas, and the leaders support the citizens’ interests.
Anything outside this principle is tantamount to R@PING! any meaningful democratic constitution.
Well spoken SC
This is so refreshing from a senior citizen who has rightly conferred SC.
It is mostly crooked politicians and businessmen behind these fake centres of power…….,
Nothing to do with serving the people or the country.,……..
All to do with enrichment of their portfolios and pockets………
They hide behind tribe and religion to push their evil narrative………..
And some dumb citizens get duped
FWD2036
Kabimba is right. Our problem is that the so called opposition wish to behave like a parallel Government. Their problem is that some of them stayed too long in Government and they cannot adjust to their new role. They are even opposed to the introduction of new bank notes and constitutional amendments. For me this amounts to stopping the current Government running the affairs of the country. What a reasonable opposition should be saying is that they will re introduce the old bank notes, they will reverse constitutional amendments if at al they bounce into power.
Upnd used to do the same including refusal to give way to the presidential motorcade.
Why do deprived people feel they have a right not to agree to unjust system, but speak against such injustices? Are people there to hold their leaders accountable for what they do in public offices?
Spaka away from the topic. Sorry for the outburst. Forget it ever happened.