While visiting the offices of The Mast newspaper on Monday April 15, UPND president Hakainde Hichilema recited his tale of reviving Zambia. There was nothing new. It was expectedly a vicious onslaught on President Edgar Lungu and the management of national affairs.
Hichilema’s visit to The Mast premises coincided with the publication of an interview he offered chastising the national dialogue process. Well, it’s no longer strange to hear Hichilema accuse the government of all sorts things.
Zambians have obviously become accustomed to Hichilema’s political rhetoric. Most, if not all, his pronouncements are mere hot air. He preaches what he does not practice or dare practice yet finds pleasure in thrusting them on others in the name of proper management of national affairs.
Hichilema claims if the UPND win an election to govern the country, if they’ll ever do so, zero tolerance on corruption, political violence will be among the hallmarks of his administration. He promises an efficient management of the economy and a better Zambia, one perhaps of “milk and honey.”
Further, Hichilema roundly condemned the national dialogue process declaring he and his party will not cooperate with the new law passed through the National Dialogue Act.
When listening to Hichilema for the first time, his political rhetoric can be sweet music to the ear. But those who have seen through his time in the corporate world as well as management of the country know these are sweet nothings aimed at hoodwinking the Zambian people into voting for him for personal aggrandizement.
They say charity begins at home. And therefore, if Hichilema preaches zero tolerance on many things he outlines, he should be seen to practice them in the UPND.
He also talks of freedom of expression and how it’s promoted in countries like the United States where placard carrying protestors show up at the White House to denounce the Head of State. He claims this can’t be done in Zambia.
In a country where insulting the Head of State is a criminal office, President Edgar Lungu continues to endure a barrage of insults and ridicule from Hichilema and his supporters. Those the police have pounced on may have faced their day in court but many go scot-free.
On his zero-tolerance agenda, nothing wrong with it. In fact, that’s what we should promote as a country. But If Hichilema claims and means what he says, how come he has never distanced the UPND from the Mapatizya formula. Mapatizya is a code name for the violence practiced by the UPND. You’ll never hear Hichilema condemn or distance the party from it.
And when the recent bloodbath occurred during a by-election in Sesheke recently, Hichilema’s supporters and UPND members used the Mapatizya formula as part of their campaign strategy. Did Hichilema not hear this? If he promises zero tolerance against violence, why did he not stop his supporters? Instead, they were armed with pangas and machetes.
What has Hichilema’s position on the UPND Lusaka Province chairperson Obvious Mwaliteta who was apprehended with offensive weapons during a by-election in Kafue recently? Is this the type of zero tolerance Hichilema is preaching about?
Anyone who lived the politics of second Republican president Frederick Chiluba and the third term bid remembers William Banda and the Kulima Tower boys. Who now is William Banda to Hichilema? While frail and old, William Banda still remains an integral part of Hichilema’s inner circle.
Nothing about William Banda suggests he has turned away from his violent nature and one can only predict what would become of him if power is surrendered his way as the case was between 1991 and 2001.
Theft and corruption haunt the UPND and its members. Hichilema has never categorically denied this fact. Today, he is surrounded by the likes of Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and Chishimba Kambwili both of whom have issues with the prudent management of national resources.
Both GBM and Kambwili took advantage of their positions in government and amassed massive wealth which they are using to fund their campaigns to remove the PF from office. Hichilema sees nothing wrong and goes round to claim zero tolerance against corruption.
Not too long ago, his civic leader in Kanyama was jailed for stealing funds from the Lusaka City Council. Kanyama Ward 10 councillor Brighton Bvilumba was jailed for stealing K56, 000 from LCC. There is no record of Hichilema taking any action against such a one and we can even assume this man will return to his position when he leaves prison.
There is an MP in Livingstone Mathews Jerew who was arrested for abuse while Mubika Mubika was arrested for allegedly stealing funds through FRA. Both are still active members of UPND and Hichilema finds no reason to ask the gentlemen to step aside and allow law enforcement to continue with investigations.
Hichilema himself is a product of white-collar mischief. He can boast to be among the richest Zambians today because of his trickery in merchandizing national assets when he was hired as negotiator of the privatization process.
Taking advantage of his position, Hichilema engaged in insider trading; buying off assets at give away prices leaving his country at a loss of millions of dollars. That’s clear theft, but well woven in the language of a thieving accountant/economist.
Part of the suffering the people of Luanshya and many other towns on the Copperbelt can be attributed to Hichilema’s criminal deals. The story of Ramcoz is well documented and Hichilema’s finger-prints are dotted all over that corrupt deal.
He built an empire around himself that even gave himself access to positions on various boards at the expense of other Zambians.
So, what zero tolerance is he talking about? Charity begins at home and this grandiose plan should start with himself and within the UPND.
While Hichilema sees everything right with placard carrying Americans enjoying their First Amendment at the White House denouncing their leaders, he sees everything wrong with anyone calling him to a convention to legitimze his prolonged stay in office.
For once, before Hichilema goes out there to outline some so called sweet agenda of the UPND, he must look into his political party and practices.
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