By Henry Kyambalesa
It has now become clear that Comrade George Kunda is not competent enough in discharging his duties as our beloved country’s Vice President and Minister of Justice. He is too petty to hold such key positions in our country’s national government.
A few examples of his pettiness are perhaps in order at this juncture: he has accused the PF of having an archaic constitution plagiarized from the UNIP government; he has accused Michael Sata of being a sadist and senseless person not having the intellect that could match the people that are members of the NCC; and he has accused Hakainde Hichilema of having deviated from UPND’s original philosophy of inclusiveness and non-tribal stance.
Besides, he has urged PF/UPND members who are allegedly not happy with the happenings in the pact to join the MMD; and, among many other partisan remarks, he has urged Hichilema to consider abandoning the PF/UPND pact because of PF leaders’ alleged incessant attacks on UPND Members of Parliament.
What more, he has alleged that tribalism is illegal in Zambia. Well, if it is actually illegal, why has he not directed the police to charge those he is accusing of the vice, such as Michael Sata?
And not too long ago, Kunda accused Fred M’membe of trying to take over state power by scheming to control the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and other constitutional offices for the purpose of making money.
As Vice President, Kunda is expected to preside over Cabinet and/or govern the nation if and when any of the following obtains with respect to the incumbent Republican President: absence from office, resignation, impeachment, death, or incapacitation (mental or physical). Unfortunately, his behavior of trying to weaken opposition political parties is inimical to the functioning of our nascent democracy.
Moreover, he is seemingly spending too much time engaging in a perpetual campaign designed to discredit opposition political parties. We need leaders who understand the need to make a quick transition from campaigning to governing upon being appointed or elected to positions of authority. We also need leaders who are at peace with having competitive political parties, a diversity of interest groups, a vibrant civil society, and a free press.
Besides, we need leaders who recognize the right of citizens to vote for candidates of their choice without being threatened that their communities will be excluded from the development process if they do not vote for candidates fielded by the ruling political party. After all, every person and every place in our beloved country deserves a fair share of the national cake!
Our beloved country is currently experiencing unprecedented socio-economic problems which Kunda and the entire Rupiah Banda administration should be addressing. For instance, tens of thousands of Grade 7 and Grade 9 students have continued to be spilled onto the streets every year, the healthcare system cannot meet the basic needs of the majority of citizens, the majority of Zambians have no access to clean water and electricity, there is a critical shortage of decent public housing nationwide, public infrastructure and services are still deficient, civil servants are still not adequately compensated for their services, a lot of civil service retirees cannot get their hard-earned benefits, and, among many other socio-economic ills, crime and unemployment are still widespread.
These problems affect us all in spite of the different political parties we belong to, the different languages we speak, or the 73 different tribes to which we belong. And we have the same dreams as members of the Zambian family; among other things, we all want a smaller and more efficient government, free formal education without Grades 7 and 9 elimination examinations, no examination fees, merit-based scholarships for vocational training and university education, low-interest educational loans, free life-saving healthcare for all Zambians, greater and sustained food security, and greater employment opportunities.
Moreover, we all want lower Pay-As-You-Earn and value-added taxes, lower interest rates, safer local communities, improved public infrastructure, improvements in garbage collection and disposal, improved socio-economic conditions in rural areas, speedy rural electrification, abolition of TV licensing and fees, lower water charges and electricity tariffs, a system of justice that is free and impartial in both word and deed, greater participation by women in national affairs, greater care for children and the handicapped, sustained protection of the fragile natural environment, preservation of our cultural values and traditions, a genuine effort to address the scourge of corruption, and consolidation of our oneness and common future as members of the Zambian family.
Zambia is clearly in dire need of a new cadre of leaders – leaders who have a genuine desire to pursue radical, comprehensive and well-conceived change that is designed to lift our beloved country from its current socio-economic decay and backwardness.
