Sampa is a toothpick – can’t make cracks in PF

By Joe Mwansa Lombe Kaluba

One of the pre-requisites of democracy is that people or citizens should have access to information. Though having that access should be facilitated by all political stakeholders, human rights activists and democracy promoters, I feel people should also play their part in accessing this information.

Politician and citizens alike should read more and try to understand where we are coming from as a country in terms of our democratisation and political development. Reading and understanding these elements helps politicians to grow their political maturity and help citizens to understand and read between the lines. Young politicians should always long to learn from our history and what is happening in all political parties.

The likes of Vincent Mwale, Levy Ngoma, Mulenga Sata, Cornelius Mweetwa, Mumbi Phiri, Miles Sampa, Dora Siliya, Patrick Mwanawasa among others should do their best to learn from yesteryear politics. Aided by what is happening today, political maturity will come along if no emotions or misleading spirits are not entertained. One thing I would also like to highlight is that overestimating oneself by mostly young politicians can bring about doom to some. Learning as much as you can will help you grow. Remember you are just a stone which is connected to other stones.

What we lack is maturity among our young or whom I may term as politicians of our generation. They are easily moved by selfish motives and emotions. Once you have people who behave like this just know that your future political leadership is mostly going to be doomed. That’s why I have always said that reading politics is very important. This is not only for politicians but also for young voters. Try to follow what has been happening in the last five to fifteen years or so. Try to understand what lead to what and what was the outcome of an individual or group action. Learn from this and you will see that you will make a good politician or citizen who is not going to be cheated.

If you where not active or you did not know what was happening probably you were young try to read and ask questions. People will always look smarter than you are because they read regardless who is writing. You have to understand that people get exited for nothing because they know very few people read to understand our politics, development and simple economic happenings.

I can promise you a lot has happened in the last 15 years. People have left and formed parties but nothing has changed. People thought they were popular that if they left a named party they will win elections. Alis Zambians had other thoughts.
For argument’s sake for those who were not there or for those who started following politics because of social media.

Before the 2001 General elections. Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) was at crossed roads, More than 20 strong party members left the party. Among them two former Vice Presidents- Gen, Godfrey Miyanda who formed Heritage Party and Gen Christon Tembo who with the likes of Edith Nawakwi( former Minister of Energy/ Finance), Dipak Patel(Former Min of Commence) formed the Forum for Democracy and Development(FDD). In the election year Patriotic Front(PF) was born when Michael Sata resigned from MMD.

So if you look at that group you will see that it came out of MMD with a lot of both political and governance experience. Almost all of them had senior government positions. Some were in their multiple terms in their constituencies. Imagine Sata who was known in almost every district just managed one Member of Parliament and only 3.4% of Presidential votes(came out seventh out of eleven).
Remember the rebel PF MPs, Machungwa, Mulobeka, Sinyangwe and others. They left PF. The question is where are they? Politics… LOL.

So when people says the resignation of Miles Sampa has made cracks in PF. I just laugh and say political ignorance is at play. Just look at that list of former MMD members above. People thought they were popular. Up to now they are still in opposition. And today people are saying a former Dep. Minister and a rejected Provincial Dep. Minister is popular. Rejected you may ask? Miles Sampa was rejected by people in Southern Province that’s when President Sata appointed him Commence Depute Minister.

As l have highlighted above, young politicians like Sampa should take it easy. You can’t be a Toothpick and pretend to be a mazembe (earthmover). You have to take it easy and learn politics, grow in the way you do things and more importantly mature.

In this time and age we can’t afford to have Under Five politicians or Tombolilo ( tadpole) leaders. Otherwise you will end up launching a party that is already registered.

Have a great week.