The Zambian circus
In the last few days the nation has been treated to a circus of deceit by our leaders in goverment. While it is understandable that sometimes issues that may affect nation security need not be fully publicized, that matter of concern as citizens is on how the government especially his Honour the Vice-President and the Minister of Information have conducted themselves regarding our President’s absence from office.
It has been public knowledge for the last two months that our President has not been in the best of health. This is evident from the various photographs in the media (not photoshop by the way). Those members of the public, who have had a chance to see him at close quarters either in court or at the Freedom Statue have also raised concerns over the status of health as seen from his frail frame. I have not seen the President in person (during this time) but I have listened to media recordings of his speeches at a swearing-in-ceremony and when he met the Chinese VP and his delegation that he has struggled to speak. The majority of the citizens of Zambia (except for a few sadists) do not take joy in our President being indisposed. However, concern arises from the worry of going through another traumatic experience as happened a few years ago when we lost a great leader Patrick Levy Mwanawasa, SC.
State house guards
Over the weekend, we were treated to the drama of the President being secretly (which is understandable under the circumstances) evacuated to Israel. Interestingly, this was followed by an announcement that he had arrived in Israel for a ‘working’ holiday (at the invitation of the Outgoing Israeli President). This news item came barely two hours after the guard of honour stationed at the front of State House had knocked off. Short of being teleported it is highly unlikely that the President travelled to Israel in two hours. By the way, the guard of honour were on duty the whole day on Saturday too. But again, one may argue as a matter of parallel that U.S. President Obama has travelled to war zones on secret mission where the world only get to know either when he has arrived or on his way back.
A muted government response
Fast forward to this week Tuesday. With increased speculation on the state of the President’s health and whereabouts (after hearing conflicting statements from government officials) his honour the Deputy Speaker humbly requested the republican V.P. to provide an official statement on the matter. I suppose the nation breathed a sigh of relief hoping that for once they would hear the truth. Alas they were dead wrong. What followed were more lies and the Deputy Speaker curtailing any further debate on the matter. The latter action can only mean that things are not as they have been purported to be and to avoid further embarrassment to the government everyone should shut up.
But, if I were the Vice-President of the republic my statement to parliament would have read as follows:
What I would have told parliament as Vice president
Mr. Speaker, I rise to give through you an update to parliament and consequently the nation on the matter of H.E. the President’s absence from the country. Sir, as the nation has come to realize that our President has not enjoyed very good health in the most recent times. This has been a matter of concern to us too as a government and party in power. Owing to the said concerns and as responsible leaders, who assist the President in running the affairs of our beloved country Zambia, we in consultation with his doctors decided to send him to seek specialist examination at a medical facility in a friendly country. Sir, as you may be aware our President is a very hard working man but in the same vain under the present circumstances he needs more rest than not. We believe that by being in a distant location that will also help him get the much needed rest and thus help him recover quicker. Sir, I am at this point not in a position to say exactly how long the examinations will take but suffice to say that the nation has an Acting President, who shall ensure the continued smooth running of the nation’s affairs. Through you Sir, I humbly beg this August house and the nation as a whole to keep our President in their prayers so that he may return to the country sooner than later. Thank You, Sir.
Government leaders need media training
Our leaders need to under go extensive media training in order to learn how to handle crisis situations. In this day and era of fast electronic media and the social network denial is not the solution as people have access to information. There is need to address sensitive but nationally important issues with a semblance of maturity rather than giving comical responses that end up confusing people. For example, Israel confirms the President is in that country for medical treatment and meanwhile, the Chief Minister for Lies and Denials is busy insisting that he is on working holiday. What will they say if the worst happened and the President does not return? Will the story change to he drowned while scuba diving in Israel?
By Charles Tusheni
N.B. These are my personal views and do not at all reflect the views of the Lusaka Times publication
If only the vice president was as mature as you Mr.Tusheni. I agree 100% with what you say
IF I WERE GOD:
1:Make sure only a Tonga rules ( Unfornatunately this wil never happen)
2:Kill HH (under 5) when he was still in the womb through misconception (Unfornatunately Mazoka ended up dying instead)
3:Make Tongas generous ( Unfortunately they are greed,selfish & tribal)
4:Make Tonga a “majority tiribe” (unfortunately they are minority tribe south of Zed)
N.B. These are my personal views and do not at all reflect the views of the Lusaka Times publication,PF,Guy Scot,Bembas,Ngonis,tribes from the East & the rest of the tribes.
If i was Hakainde Hichilema
1.I can stop using Zambian watchdog to spread my propaganda
2. Apologize to Sakwiba Sikota for using my being tonga as a qualification to succeed Mazoka.
3.Concentrate on my businesses because i have been spending a lot of money in the last years and every time me and my supporters thinks we are about to form the government.
4.Become less bitter
5.Get a decent haircut
6.Tell my tribesmen to stop being too tribal and voting in tribal lines
7.Stop wishing Sata any sickness or death
8.Stop being an attention seeker
9.Stop being an alarmist
10. I can try by all means to sell my party vision because it looks like Sata won`t die now.
N.B. These are my personal views and do not at all reflect the views of the Lusaka Times publication or UPND cadres
It is incredible to see how much many of us want Guy Scott to confirm our own wishes and prejudices! It is evident that as long as the government representatives do not satisfy our prejudgements or communicate something that reflects our own assumptions, we will regard them as liars or mischievous. Have we for once considered THE POSSIBILITY that Guy and his ilk may be telling the actual truth and that we (the dissenting voices), and those feeding us all kind of data on this subject, may be wrong?
@The uneducated villager
Would you kindly please elaborate on what you mean ‘own wishes and prejudices’? What the Zambian people are asking for, and they are legally entitled to know, in case you didn’t know, is the condition of the person they entrusted with custody of their republic, they want to know: is their domestic servant, Sata, okay, where is he, is he dying, why the secrecy, why the economy on truth. Even you, uneducated villager, aren’t you wondering?
The ***** G rated I would skin your b***ls with a raze balled, I don’t support anyone but saying bad things against all Tonga’s (tribe) makes me very mad. Enjoy the weekend and I wish you all the very best in Life maybe later you will learn something (life can change even is seconds)
Important discussions such as that of the President’s health shouldn’t degenerate to trading of insults or the tribal slurs being displayed here. It doesn’t help this already unbearable situation folks…
Thank you Charles for sharing your non-partisan views. I hope Guy Scott doesn’t label you as UPND. I wonder what the PF think about Sata’s trip…
Muleikalafye bachikamba imwe.You will never be a vice president.You will instead continue being a loser.
@Kabodi its clear from how you are unable to articulate issues that its you who is the Loser. Everyone knows PF has not managed this situation professionally and intelligently. Its comical that they wanted to use Shimon Peres as an alibi but he just happened to be on his way to the USA! We want to see video footage of the president wooing investors as PF maintains.If he is sick we shall not ask for pictures because that is disrespectful but since government insists he is fine show us the pictures!
@Kadobi! @Kadobi! @Kadobi! I have nothing more to say other than that you are really @Kadobi. This man’s suggested statement makes a lot of sense. It would probably have killed unnecessary speculation and innuendos.
‘I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately, close at hand. And that hasn’t much improved my opinion of them. ‘
Zambian youth need to take charge of Zambia.
Hahahahahaha!!! ………. What will they say if the worst happened and the President does not return? Will the story change to he drowned while scuba diving in Israel?
You r right….But the People in Power r already used to lies and u wht do expect frm Them ?
Its only easy to say tht if u ve been OPEN THRU out your life. Being open doesnt mean u divulge information which is not for Public CONSUMPTION.
WE need ‘EXTREMLY INTELLIGENT and POLITICAL MINDS in Govt. NON matches tht of Dean Mung’omba and MazoKa.
Even HH safika po….!!!
Where is Mrs Sata in all this? Where is she smiling?
The First Lady is stressed enough with the President’s state of health so much so that it would be demanding too much of her to comment on lies from people, who have failed to handle a likely not so dare situation. PF should consult RB on how he handled the Levy Mwanawasa situation. Better still seek guidance from VJ on the lessons he learnt from after his initial lies about the late Mwanawasa’s hospitalization in London.
Sata’s first wife who was a school headmistress wouldn’t put up with this rubbish and would have a word with Kabimba cartel….Dr Kaseba knows she has time on her side and she can easily get a toy boy when the old man retires indefinitely. Its no surprise she is using her position to polish up her cv at our expense.
LOL!!!!
Thanks goodness you are not the VICE President.
Dotty Scotty is under pressure from whatever we might know,….. He gave answers that he probably thought were “best” given his understanding of the situation….
He is not as stupid as some online bloggers would want to think….
You are very correct that he is not a stupid man. He attended two of the World’s great learning institutions. But the problem is that he makes himself sound dull and clueless at times. He missed out on a perfect opportunity to bring the speculation to a close in a better way than relying on the Deputy Speaker to impose a ban on further debates.
IF I WERE GOD:
1:Make sure only a Tonga rules ( Unfornatunately this wil never happen)
2:Kill HH (under 5) when he was still in the womb through misconception (Unfornatunately Mazoka ended up dying instead)
3:Make Tongas generous ( Unfortunately they are greed,selfish & tribal)
4:Make Tonga a “majority tiribe” (unfortunately they are minority tribe south of Zed)
N.B. These are my personal views and do not at all reflect the views of the Lusaka Times publication,PF,Guy Scot,Bembas,Ngonis,tribes from the East & the rest of the tribes..
It is true that sickness is as a result of Adams sin, but we get sick, sometimes we heal at other times we don’t accept both. Getting sick is not a weakness or a crime. Unless there is something really wrong with your mind. Ba presido is not well, It is time boma realised that and inform the nation
HH please REMEMBER this Man (CharlesTusheni for the position of Government
spokesperson when you form govenment in 2016. Very professional Man. Muzungu opusa cant do that!
Mature and sensible. Anyway what do you expect from a man of good education who has spent a good time of his life with the likes of our defence minister and information minister to mention a few who look and think like kachasu drunkards? That was brilliant Mr Tusheni. That was going to deflate any body with sinister motives.
This kind of thinking is the reason why we have people who claim to be economic managers yet we are yet to see which economy they have manged before except their personal wealth which even the least educated in the society are managing. This tendency of thinking that if ‘I’ if I ‘were the Vice president’. The moment you step into that office you realize that it is not about what you think but what should be done collectively and to the situation at hand.
One point you forget is that Guy Scott may not have been in loop of the goings on and if push came to shove and he happen to find himself in the dock of an inquiry its this “unacquaintability” of the situation that would save his skin.
Here is a guy who wakes up in the morning proudly puts on his jacket and stands in front of the mirror, and calls him a veep yet he cannot act as a president even for 24 hrs….has this man honestly got any pride or integrity. I would like to ask Charlotte Scott what she really thinks about this whole set up.
You will never even be a councillor in for life . Stop dreaming that high.
I concur with you ZP. He is too wise to be a councilor. He is dreaming for bigger and better things. I wish I could meet this guy. He seems like the only wise PF cadre in town at the moment.
They are all afraid to spill the bean because they will be accused of having bewitched the president in order to succeed him by the pf cadres hence the silence.
We call this Wisdom!
It takes a wise person to put it this way.
Wisdom does not come with much education!
If i were the vice president, I would have stepped down long ago as he has no powers whatsoever, it should have been him who stood in each time the President has been out of the country, a ceremonial vice president that s all Guy Scott is, but I suppose it s the salary and all the perks that go with it; The man is humiliated all the time and he has no pride or he would have resigned long ago:
@G rated, Golden…hahahahaha very interesting characters. what tribe is president kabimba!!
any way thats besides my point. you guys members of a very interesting group of people, very quick to point little specs in other peoples eyes when you got logs in yours.
theres is no need, lets unite for the good of zamvia and our children
What a mature contribution by the writer and yes, we wish our friends in government can handle this differently. Our prayers are with the President if he is unwell.
I don`t think Guy Scott is normal? Whatever he says does not carry any sense at all.
We expend too much energy on matters of secondary importance to the country and people get very good jobs for doing such despite their lack of skills for those jobs. It happens everywhere; in MMD, PF and now some people are doing it in support of UPND hoping to get a good job should HH become president. While the issue of the president’s health is of great importance, I feel arguing and insulting each other on what Scott should have said is rather imature. Our level of debate is further compromised when we bring in issues of tribe. I know a province that has produced one of zambia’s former presidents but if you check CSO data, it still ranks one of zambia’s three poorest provinces despite the fact that the people in that province overwhelmingly supported the man for being their…