Friday, March 29, 2024

Politics in Zambia needs to change

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PF candidate for Livingstone Constituency Lawrence Evans knell (middle) to ask for votes in Livingstone’s Kasiya Ward yesterday. On his left is Western Proince Minister Obvious Mwaliteta and his wife on the right
PF candidate for Livingstone Constituency Lawrence Evans kneel
(middle) to ask for votes in Livingstone’s Kasiya Ward yesterday.
On his left is Western Proince Minister Obvious Mwaliteta and his wife
on the right

By Florence Chalabesa

I have been watching from a distance the behaviour of Zambians in the political arena. I feel I need to say something because it’s far from being human and this is happening in a country that proudly states it practices democracy. This democracy has been observed to be full of bribery and corruption and people have pointed this out but the so called politicians have done nothing about it. I will once again talk about the happenings in the recent times that relate to the above.

What is so special about being a politician in Zambia? Recently I read the news on the campaign that was done in one of the constituencies and I could not believe what I saw. The aspiring candidate was kneeling down with his family pleading for votes OMG! Why would they be doing that?
[pullquote]Leaders should base their campaign on what they are doing and not want they intend to do once voted into positions[/pullquote]

People in the area were promised that some kind of development will be done in that area if they voted for the candidate.This candidate was from the ruling party. While it is okey to campaign for votes the manner in which this is done is very wrong especially if the party is already in power.

I am not sure whether it’s the Zambian people to blame or the politicians because both parties do not seem to care. People should be able to assess the situation themselves and decide who to vote for. Leaders should base their campaign on what they are doing and not want they intend to do once voted into positions. This should be left for the opposition as they are allowed to make people aware of their manifesto.

Most people that stand on the ruling party ticket tend to win elections only because the people Zambian believe the ruling party has all the powers, access to the tax payer’s money and in most cases their decision is final and permanent.

The political culture needs to change especially now that people are becoming more educated and are getting a glimpse of how politics are run in the developed world. I know people might say “we and not developed yet” but if you want to develop, start adopting the western culture into your own political arena. In the so called developed world politicians are there to serve the people and not to become rich. They go into politics clean and come out clean. It’s not too late to change and avoid the shame of having ex presidents being probed for abuse of office while in power and thus wasting more money on lawsuits.

21 COMMENTS

  1. Yalikaba ! Welcome to Africa.It is actually a common thing in third world countries.Just find out how it was done in Venezuela a few days ago.If you can`t beat them join them.Good advice though.

    • So this guy wants to mislead the masses with this below par article, PF won when it was in opposition how about you swallow that bitter pill, the reason why ruling parties win isnt because of what you have observed its simply because the opposition is in a mess, they need to get their act together period…once there is a credible opposition (s) then the opposite will happen. by the way what does ” Okey” mean..? am familiar with ”okay”

    • @Big L; The reason people are disillusioned with PF is that they promised so much and delivered very little on the Promise list. Essentially, were it not for the many lies and gullible Zambians and the fact that MMD had been in power for over 20 years and corrupt, the people just wanted change. Sata capitalised on this by promising the world and its mother to the Zambians. Under two years, most Zambians have realised that all those promised was just mumble-jumble (ukusabaila). The only way PF will return to power in 2016 is because all government machinery will be at their mercy.

  2. Service to the people is no longer a motivation for our people to go into politics. What is even worse is that we have politicians from the generation of freedom fighters who are not ashamed of climbing an anthill and shout at the top of their voices that they are in politics because they want to eat. In my opinion, politicians like Daniel Munkombwe are supposed to be fountains of wisdom politically. But look at the old man. He is always busy jostling for space with young politicians in order to lick the feet of whoever is in state house. How disgusting!

    • good observation there my man.
      am no fan of munkombwe at all.
      he is such a …….. awe mwe naleka kuti watukana.

  3. Politics in zambia will only change with new thinking, ideas and innovative perception. As ling as Zambians fall prey to old crooks like those in PF, nothing will change and Zambians will continue to be cheated that if you vote for the ruling party you will receice development. How and what type of development so far has gone all those constituencies that voted for PF in by-elections? Hasn’t the PFgovt got an agenda to develop the entire country? Zambians are naive to being cheated, that’s the culture we have enslaved ourselves with and one leader after another will come to cheat us and even today PF fails to explain its failure in almost all areas including corruption and the cheaters and the cheated go to bed.

  4. Author must stop being naive, blindly thinking western politics are cleaner than ours. Politicians the world over are driven by self ambition. Westerners just dress up their corruption in sophistication. Besides, west development has happened over centuries, so history has matured their institutions. their countries function in-spite of political corruption.

    • are you really serious or you just want to have some fun? this is politics being talked about here, revisit your comment and come up with a valid statement. don’t display your stupidity.

  5. ZAMBIANS SHOULD MATURE AND QUESTION CANDIDATES. THE ARTICLE HAS SOME SENSE IN THAT THERE IS SO MUCH CORRUPTION. ACTUALLY BY ELECTIONS SHOULD BE STOPPED. LET THE PARTY THAT WON DURING ELECTIONS HOLD THE SEAT UNTIL NEXT ELECTIONS. WHERE THERE IS DEATH, THEY CAN APPOINT A CARETAKER. THEY ALL GET IN TO POWER TO STEAL. HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. IF THE MP IS NOT PERFORMING FIRE HIM.

  6. “The political culture needs to change because people are becoming more educated and have a glimpse of what’s happening in the west….” Well, you are wrong! Do you know how PF came into power? By prying on the uneducated Kaponyas who they promised money and jobs in 90 days. These illiterates have in increased in our country and they’ve the power. Under Chiluba, they were called ‘Office of the President’ and had a Desk at State House, now they are called ‘Donchi Kubeba’. Un educated vernacular speaking *****s always with blood shot eyes, slurred speech, foul mouthed and clenched fist bigots. Here’s the bad news; they wield the power and their numbers increase every day.

  7. Indeed Politics in our great nation need to have a face lift. I am coming to believe what one brother said, he mentioned that the high poverty levels in Zambia are man-made, they (politicians) want people to hero worship them as Saviors and so continue voting for them, if all could become educated, this scenario of cheating and kneeling before the electorates would be a thing of the past.

    • Being Zambian and living in Venezuela a country that is rich in oil and tourism the so called socialism which is preached by the ruling govt doesn’t exist my brother the politics in this country is different to Zambia been here for 2 years and seen on TV and the freedom of press and the way the country is run is a police state the rich oil country is the highest inflation country in the region recently the currency was devalued at 48% you can imagine foreign companies have limited foreign exchange we don’t have colgate paste in shops crime is the song of the day recently the presidential elections proved to be the best electronic system in the world results are announced within 3 hrs afterwards but it could not tarry to the ballot papers and ruling party had 50.5% opposition had 49.1%

  8. Florence, which western culture are you talking about in politics? Every politician in the world goes into politics to get rich! In the UK, we have former MP’s in prison due to corruption and manipulation of expenses they claimed. In Russia, they have an oligarchy of corrupt billionaires and former president of France Sarkozy is been investigated for corruption. Most American politicians are corrupt, the money they receive from lobby groups in other countries we call it corruption. If kneeling is worse, see what the japanese or chinese do as a sign of respect.

    • That’s an assumption, the difference between politics in Africa and in the west is that western countries determine their own destiny where as we tend to follow what they do but follow in a premitive way. Western civilisation puts their people first. We tend to use the backwards ideology of just accepting what elders tell you. If an elder asks you to put your head in the microwave if want to get rich, objecting or questioning this would be taken as taboo. Zambia will still be there when we are all long gone so we need to shape it as best as we can and preserve it for our future generation. Corruption is contradictory to a better society.

  9. Zambian Politics are so funny,the same people from UNIP moved to MMD and condemned UNIP,the same moved to Pf and condemned MMD.The same people who stole in the UNIP government moved to MMD to steal and now the same people who stole in MMD are now in PF to steal.They are all corrupt and thieves with the same mentality.The same kaponyas or cadres call them what you like came from UNIP,MMD and are now in PF,no principles just like the politicians.Politics of the belly.

  10. West politics are far much better than African politics as far as development is concerned, if someone is accused of bribes or corruption step down on principle compared to our system where one will hold on to the position even if found guilty of abuse of office. In the western world there is corruption, but development is on the top agenda and leaders persecuted in courts of law. African politics is composed of patronage, royalty and hero-worship! Look at the likes of my grand father Mr Daniel Munkombwe with his talk that we all go in government to eat. Its sad that young people are still being hoodwinked by selfish leaders who say development will only come if you vote for the ruling party, these people ought to be told that they are custodians of the tax we pay. Change is inevitable!

  11. What u see in the politicians is a general reflection of what a majority zambians are. Pf did bring what u have written. If any they are trying to put to an end such things.But it is pipo like u that are resisting change.Look at a working culture .

  12. U begin with yo education system to change. The educated are a let down in zambia. Evidently they are at the helm of pepetuating retrograsive tendacies. lt has been there long b 4 pf came into power.lf any pf is trying 2 do better.U are not realistic

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