By Hjoe Moono
Today we see the highlight of the state of governance in Zambia through the charge and arrest, after many attempts of the Kasama Central MP, Hon. GBM, Former Minister of Defence and former occasional Acting President of the Republic of Zambia. Just as steel is perfected only at high temperatures, the perfection of man has to come through extreme endurance.
In Zambia, political persecution & repression has been the rite of passage to attain national governance. KK spent months in prison, Chiluba was over and over take on by KK’s government. Mwanawasa suffered in his own special way and died only to be praised posthumously. Our H.E. MCS spent many days and nights in Chimbokaila, and like the Shaw-Shanks redemption defied all odds to become the greatest opposition party leader from Chimbokaila prison into state house. RB, currently sadly missed by many is undergoing the political mill at the courts with his immunity lifted. HH, Nevers, Frank Bwalya are also currently being cooked in the courts and the many tramped up charges being levied on them every day. Elias, Milupi, Nawakwi seen to be insulated from the process, guess we have a long way to go with them.
Political persecution can be defined as the suppression of a certain group of people with the aim of blocking them politically. This happens when the groups decline to co-operate with the dominating superiors (Such as GBM’s resignation from his ministerial position).
Political repression is the persecution of an individual or group for political reasons, particularly for the purpose of restricting or preventing their ability to take part in the political life of a society(threats of expulsions, nullification of election result, hindering of selected candidates in elections etc).
Political repression is sometimes used synonymously with the term political discrimination. It often is manifested through discriminatory policies, such as human rights violations, surveillance abuse(tapping into phone records/conversation—ask the Kabwata MP), police brutality(ask UPND & MMD Cadres), imprisonment(ask the recent journalists from Evelyn Hone and Daily Nation and other independent papers) and tramped up charging of political activists, dissidents, or general population perceived to be against the state, the Party and Its Government(PIG).
What is interesting about today is that GBM made this bold step to step right into the firing line and heating chamber of the PF by resigning. Only Sata offers immunity from prosecution and persecution of his followers and cronies. All those that seemingly disobey him are taken on by the police and courts of law where we have an actor Chief Justice.
No sooner had GBM resigned than the police pounced on him with charges allegedly committed two years ago. Actually, some of the offences were allegedly committed when he was acting as republican president. So one would ask, did it have to take his resignation to make the PIG (Party and Its Government) realise that he committed offences? It seems the PF has embarked on the same cheap governance mode that so the MMD out in 2011. Good thing is we have seen this early, as with a plant that shows no sign of good fruit, terminate it before it grows (Bob Marley and the Wailers)
I have said before that GBM seems to be like the weatherman in the political sphere of Zambia. He joined PF from the MMD when MMD was in power. Like today, the MMD persecuted him, took to his businesses and family and wished him failure in his business. And a few years later PF was in power. And they too, the PF, like the MMD, are on him. Now even worse, they are deep into his family and businesses, probably taking a full swing of the pendulum. But guess what? The MMD did the same to him a few years before the elections. We know what happened. The only difference now, unlike then, is that GBM has a larger appeal than before.
If I were in PF, I would be scared, very scared of what is about to come: GBM is being politically perfected. I can imagine he says to them: Do your worst, and when you are done, we will meet in Kasama Central, and 2016.
What’s next uncle MCS?
PF is yet to recieve a Deadly blow. GBM will b victorious.
Sata is born frm a lower class or lineage in Bemba system and he is ‘bitter about it’. If it was in India he wud have killed himself due to embarrassement due TO LOWER CASTE. NO one knows Sata in ShiluBemba Kingdom.
What does this even mean?
THOU SATA IS NO HAPPY WITH GBM,I DON T THINK HE IS THE ONE PUNISHING GBM.IT IS THE CARTEL WHO WANT TO DESTROYE GBM.SATA DOSE NOT FORGET PIPO WHO HELPED HIM.THATS THE GOOD THING WITH SATA.ALL THE GOOD GBM DID IS PEAKING BEFORE SATA.THE PROBLEM HERE IS KABIMBA…..
GBM has to grow up as a man. He could be a huge factor in Zambia’s public life if he would just clean up his image. He is successful in business and that’s a plus in his favour. But he should curb the idiocy of flying off the handle at the drop of a kid’s hat, beating a woman is the lowest one can sink, harassing and beating your employees is another no no, but this man has been doing it and he aspires to high office, with a short fuse like that? Whatever he has to his credit side his violent nature cancels that out. People are living with the nightmare of having violent Katongo Charles Mwango as president, can’t we at least give them better hopes?