Pilato releases song that questions President Sata’s Performance

Singer Pilato

Popular Zambian musician, Pilato, has released a song that questions Zambian President Michael Sata’s leadership performance since he took over the Zambian Presidency in 2011.

Pilato whose real name is Chama Fumba released the song entitled ‘One Day’ earlier this week. The song highlights the many challenges that Zambians are facing under the Patriotic Front (PF) government and the leadership style of President Sata.

Pilato’s song questions the President’s resistance of the installation of Kanyanta Sosala as Paramount Chief Chitimukulu. The installation wrangle which is between the head of state and the Bemba Royal Council has led to the resignation of one of his closest allies who was also the major financier of the PF 2011 election campaign, former defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM).

The song ‘One Day’ pits Pilato asking the President various issues including the high cost of living particularly the price of mealie meal which has more than doubled in the last two and half years of the PF rule.

Mealie meal, which is ground maize, is used to prepare Zambia’s staple food nshima which is a thick porridge. The price increases of mealie meal which is normally sold in 25kg bags has in recent times seen the rebirth of the ‘Pamela’, which is mealie meal packed into smaller packs of 1kg or 500g to make it affordable for most Zambians.

The price of mealie meal was K35 in 2011 before the PF government took over office and the current retailing price is more than K70 in most retail outlets.

The song also questions the government’s borrowing spree which has increased Zambia’s external debt to over US$3 billion in under two and half years of PF’s rule.

Pilato questions the president over the thorny issue of a new constitution which the PF government promised to enact within the first 90 days of their governance but they now seem to have renegaded on the promise.

The release of the song, ‘One Day’, comes barely a month of the release of ‘Pa Chindindo’ another song that has been critical of the President’s performance. ‘Pa Chindondo’ was compiled by Sunga Man.