The cartel’s agenda for the aggressive agitation

By Justin Mupundu

What’s the cartel’s agenda for the aggressive agitation for national ‘Indaba’? How is agitation for national ‘Indaba’ linked to the perceived tension in the country? Would national ‘indaba’ be used as a brewing pot for peace and unity or for regime change?

Tension exists only in the cartel’s minds and their supporters. But agitation for national ‘indaba’ is meant to spread that perceived tension outside their political domain.

However, President Edgar Lungu has accepted to dialogue even without the proposed agenda provided the United Party for National Development (UPND) recognises him as duly elected Republican President.

But the opposition UPND leader, the incarcerated Hakainde Hichilema has vehemently refused to recognise President Lungu as duly elected President.

The UPND holds an opinionated view about the disputed 2016 election results that their vote was stolen even without credible evidence.

Yet I exposed how they lost the 2016 election with credible evidence in the post-election analysis entitled: “Who scooped the 2016 election?”

The disputed 2016 election results may take centre –stage of the agenda, and overshadow the national ‘Indaba’.

The UPND may not settle even for government of national unity, but coerce President Lungu to cut his five-year term short and call for fresh elections.  The opposition party wants regime change!

This explains why the agitation for national indaba is a ‘paint-Lungu-black’ campaign. President Lungu has now two images: The real and the media-created image.

Zambians have known President Lungu, a 60-year –old lawyer and politician, as a humble and warm person who always wears a smile.

But the cartel, in unholy alliance with the media and foreign agents, including some diplomats accredited to Zambia, have painted Lungu black by portraying him as a dictator.

This media-created image is a scheme designed to influence public perception, and canvass support for a regime change.

The cartel’s mores in government is another great concern: a network of source of vital government information.

This idea is borrowed from the first Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda’s era:  In 1990,Kaunda cut his five-year term short, repealed the Constitution‘s Article one that ushered in plural politics, and called for fresh elections. He also pardoned treason convicts and those that were facing treason charges.

Those pardoned include Edward Jack Shamwana, Lt. General Christon Tembo, Lt, Colonel Biswayo Nkunika, Lt. Mwamba Luchembe and others.

Dr. Kaunda’s move was prompted by food riots that was sparked- off by the removal of food subsidies. The removal of food subsidies saw mealie-meal price sky-rocket, thus fuelling the already running high tension in the country.

But Kaunda’s 27-year rule, with an iron fist, is different from the 1991 multi-party democracy era,and the 2016 election in which Lungu was re-elected as Republican President.

While Kaunda was a sole presidential candidate since 1969 to 1989, but since 1991 the country has held 8 democratic,credible, free and fair elections peacefully.

Although, some isolated pockets of incidents of violence have been recorded, the election atmosphere has been generally peaceful.

However, each of these eight elections saw about eleven contestants in the presidential race.

The cartel, President Lungu’s critics, has used some of the media outlets to tarnish his image: Made unveiled reference to him as a dictator, and poured scorn, ridicule and contempt on the Head of State.

However, Lungu has endured all filthy things spat on him from the mouths of these proud and arrogant people.

But how can a dictator allow such media outlets space to tarnish his image? This is a tacit demonstration that President Lungu believes in the freedom of the media.

Many of President Lungu’s critics are suffering from a guilty conscience: Some vent out their anger out of frustrations, others are yet to recuperate from the 2016election loss tremor, and learn to perceive national issues in perspective.

My advice goes to both of them: Anger affronts reasoning. It’s not wise to speak when you are angry, butto waituntil you calms down. Then, you can be able to see issues clearlyin perspective.

Similarly, it takes long and specific interventions to recuperate from a tremor.One workable strategy is togo for a retreat- far away from the noisy-world. It can either be to the rural outpost mountain or a safari lodge located 200 km away from town:There you can look at the waters of the river or the sky. This is the most effective way of recuperating from a tremor.

As a government-in-waiting, theopposition provides checks and balance to the governing party.

But UPND, which is the country’s biggestoppositionparty, behaves like a rebel group.

Hichilema, who is also popularly known as HH, a 54-year old tycoon and politician, unlike Lungu who is humble and gentle man, is a proud and arrogant man who has refused to concede defeat gracefully.

HH and his cartel have instead painted President Lungu black.

But conceding defeatgracefully and accepting victory magnanimously are both tenets of democratic elections.

While Lungu wasmagnanimous to accept victory, HH has refused to concede defeat gracefully.

Who between President Lungu and HH have exhibited dictatorial tendencies?

Lamenting over the 2016 election loss that’s 10 months behind us is poisonous toHH’s health.

As a ‘YoungTurk,’ he can re-contest many more elections even after losing five times, which comes after every five-year term.

The rule of law means that: “The law must rule and not men.” So if President Lungu succumbs to the demands of HH’s sympathers to release him from prison, then his action would-be tantamount to dictatorship.

Every Zambian, including the UPND knows that they do not want a dictator. They want a President who respects the rule of law and upholds the tenets of democracy as Lungu does.

President Lungu respects the three arms of Government’s independence: the executive, the legistrature and the judiciary.

The cartels, in an unholy alliance with the media, havealso been peddling falsehood in an attempt to coerce President Lungu to pardon HH.

But why should HH‘s incarceration raise so much dust, and not Obvious Mwaliteta, Keith Mukata and some UPND cadres’?

HH’s incarceration is not different from that of the former Lusaka provincial minister, Mwalitieta, Chilanga area member of parliament, Mukata, party cadres, and so many ordinary Zambians?

These people have rights to claim release from prison if HH is released as well?

As for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and some individuals that have raised similarconcerns, they should realize that they owe the country peace-keeping and unity maintenance responsibilities.

President Lungu has the right to censure foreign diplomats accredited to Zambia for meddling in the country’s internal affairs.

Diplomats represent their respective Governments to the Zambian Government. Meddling in the country’s internal affairs is tantamount to the breach ofdiplomaticetiquette.

The clergy, who are the representatives of the Prince of Peace, Our Lord Jesus Christ, should facilitate and mediate the PF-UPND reconciliationtalks.

But it’sregrettable that some clergy have joined force with the critics of President Lungu.

But in facilitating and mediating, the seemingly intractable stand-off, they should bear in mind that: “A give-and -take principle is critical.

However, the clergy have a noble task to unite and not divide the country, and build the country in peace and not pieces.

Every patriotic Zambian from all walks of life should join forces with the clergy and heed USA President John Kennedy’s wise counsel: “Do not think of what the country can do for you, but think of what you can do for the country.”

Indeed, we all should focus on what unites and not what divides us.

I personally intercede without ceasing for the President, the Vice president,ministers,MPs,judges,mayors,Council chairpersons,District commissioners, Councillors, Opposition leaders(including the incarcerated HH),NGOs,Church leaders, traditionalleaders, themedia, interestgroups, and every Zambian.

I have taken this initiative to put national issues in as a built-up for national ‘indaba.’I will also volunteerto serve as the observer of the PF-UPNDtalks.

However, leaders of the Church mother bodies are expected to take the lead, and initiate a consensus-building processfor national dialogue: Engage the proud and arrogant UPND leaders to get ready for a face-to-face dialogueon a round table with the Head of State.

Nevertheless, these political leaders should take the Holy Bible‘s James 5:6 wise counsel: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

God has set up a ladder to help climb up from down: Humility is the ladder. So those who aspire for the highest office in the land should climb up via this ladder otherwise they would fall.

This explains why the Holy Bible in Proverbs 18:12 says: “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honour.”

Respect for political leaders and elders are both a Christian virtue and value that everyone should thrive to practice.

President Lungu deserves respect from every Zambian regardless of their status in society, tribe, creed, colour, and etc. The bible teaches us to do so.

The Bemba proverb also offers a wise counsel on the matter:”Infumu itukwa kumbali (A Chief or King can only be insulted in private and not in public).

Further, learnfrom the Holy Bible’s Romans 13:1-2watershed counsel: “Everyone must submit himself to the governingauthorities, forthere is no authority exceptthat which God has established. Theauthoritiesthat exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.”

The Church through the clergy should also provide counsel to those who are spiritually blind, people who are groping over the wall, like men without eyes, feeling their way in the dark.

The media, like the Church is not only the mirror that reflects society’s moral decay, but also offers counsel to the wayward children and straying adults.

Together with the governing PF, opposition UPND, NGOs, interestgroups, traditionalleaders, theChurch, the media and every patriotic Zambian from all walks oflife, Zambia will uniteand build the country’s bridge of peace.

The country will ever remain, ‘One Zambia One Nation’, asociety wheretribe, race, colour, creed, status and etc. haves no space.

This a daunting task for every one ofus. Let’sraise our voices: “United we stand, divided we fall”.

The national indaba should be used as a ‘brewing pot’ for peace and unity, and not regime change.

The author is a freelance journalist political analyst