Perspective: Cry, the President has unfortunately lost his voice!

Pictures sent by State House of Sata addressing Cabinet

Not much thought would have gone into that State House attempt to bamboozle the public on the health status of President Michael Sata, writes Zambian Eye Special Correspondent. It was a gaffe of the rankest kind – a real bad job that missed the target by miles and was practically useless!
It was unconvincing – a waste of time that appears to have been driven by desperation and amateurish impulses. It did little to dispel the doubts and negative impressions that have rapidly built- up around the stricken president: The apprehensions, the questions and fears remained and were only heightened in some respects. As presented, the charade only underlined the fact that there is real cause for concern.
After what obviously must have been strenuous rehearsals since his mysterious return on July 5, the president could nine days later only manage the short stride from his office to the conference room-only! Fully ten days or so after his discharge from a Tel-Aviv hospital, he still had not recovered the use of his voice as the absence of audio to the pictures suggested. So real was the loss of voice that nothing could be done about it!
There is no room for complacency. The situation is serious,hardly reassuring and the time for formal evacuation by air ambulance may have arrived!
For, his condition would appear to remain very serious indeed. Talking is something we all learn at a young age. Losing the ability to do so as seems to have happened in this case cannot be taken lightly. There is need now to urgently consult local ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists before the condition entrenches itself- a politician without a voice is to be pitied; he is of no use to himself and his followers He absolutely needs to regain his voice. More “silent movies” as the one the country has been treated to can only damage and not enhance his image or reassure anybody – he must for god’s sake be helped to be able to speak again.
The State House attempt to deceive was thoroughly foolhardy but most of all it failed to hoodwink the public. Few believe that the president is fit and well even after the appearance of those ill-conceived pictures. The truth and there is national consensus on this, is that he isn’t enjoying the best of health at all at this time and there was no point therefore trying to mislead the people. It shouldn’t have been attempted in the first place because for as long as it was a lie, it was doomed to failure. Why couldn’t the evaluators(if any) see that?
Still photographs without any audio or “motion picture” would never have done it for a man who so loves to talk and throw his weight around like Mr.Sata. The plot was poor and the philosophy of it, extremely troubling and very damaging to the administration.
Why should the Zambian people who elected Mr.Sata in good faith and with goodwill be repaid only in lies and choreographed charades?
Why is the government showing such contempt for the same people who elected it? Who needs lies and this third-rate theatre –what for? What we have witnessed is a case of treating the ordinary people of this country in the most cavalier of fashions- the most brazen total disrespect and disdain of the people.
Given the relationship that exists-the umbilical cord that ties elected leaders to the people-thepeople deserve only the truth and to be treated with some deference, consideration and respect ! The actual truth must be told to them because they are legitimate stakeholders with a real and abiding interest in the well-being or otherwise of the president. He can’t opt out of that.
But No. This administration only sees the people as gullible dimwits who will shallow whole whatever is offered them- how so disrespectful!Clearly, by degrees the country is beginning to learn that voting for the Patriotic Front(PF) was a mistake and a veritable waste of time. Its leadership is a throw-back to the secretive one party state era and falls far short of the openness decreed by democracy which it claims to espouse.
The clever by half operatives who contrived this charade do not know their jobs and don’t deserve them. They should try growing potatoes or okra instead! It is also clear that despite working with him for so many years now, they still don’t know or understand the basic characteristics of the president. It is not usual for instance for a fit Mr.Sata to stroll into a room as depicted in the picture without having his hands in the pockets. It is very rare!
Equally, if he was truly fit and up to the job last Monday, his first task would have beento swear in the new appointees and certainly not sitting at the cabinet table. Swearing in new appointee is mostly all he has done since assuming office. He relishes it and is clearly high on his list.If he was fit and seated at the cabinet table he would have been talking –dressing down some minister or saying something pretty outrageous for the occasion and would have wanted that broadcast on television!
The first priority of a fit Mr.Sata would have definitely been swearing in because that seems in his understanding to be one of the primary functions of his office. There are more minions to be sworn-in and he would not have passed the opportunity to re-assert his authority.
Short of that, he would have been meeting chiefs in State House because since assuming office he seems to have convinced himself that he actually is a king and the chiefshis primary charges! This is perhaps the real reason why he wants the institution of Chitimukulu in the north to disappear- you cannot have two bulls in kraal as the Zulu king Mphande is said to have once remarked.
But sitting down to chair a cabinet meeting is very uncharacteristic and appears suspiciously choreographed. It is not within his element to enjoy or relish orderly meetings. They are a mere sufferance not least because they are held in private where there is no one to cheer.
What he enjoys are public engagements where he is seen to be in charge even though he rarely and for all practical purposes appears not to have the ability to talk or conducts himself appropriately! But that is him. So, even the choice of how to depict him was off!
Were he fit for sure, he would have strode into the conference room with his hands in his pockets, saying something quite inappropriate but without a care and not seated in an orderly manner at the cabinet table as shown in the picture. That only proved that he is unwell!
What the country has learned from the “State House spin” is thus clear if kind of oblique: It is simply that there is little improvement in his condition and if anything, he has now even lost use of his voice!