By Field Ruwe
Father Bwalya is right but….
Father Bwalya is absolutely right, Zambians should start arming themselves against PF terrorists, but not with guns, spears, knobkerries, and machetes; as he seems to suggest. An eye for an eye will be catastrophic. We already have too many a beloved lost to disease and accidents. Besides, President Michael Sata is at an overwhelming advantage. All of us, proponents of democracy, should arm ourselves with courage, intelligence, alertness, tact, and strategy. We need to chart a non-violent course of action to stop President Sata’s violent party and save him a ticket to the ACJ at The Hague. Like other leaders who get drunk with power he, and those who support the unruly PF cadres, may not fully understand the consequences of their atrocities.
The Pyromaniac-arsonist of democracy
Are we so blind we can’t see the telltale signs of dictatorship? How can we be so gullible as to allow this to happen right before our eyes? Do we not care for our country? How can we not see that we are fast getting back to the Kaunda days—to something worse? If there is a president capable of engulfing the country into an inferno, we have him at State House. Call KK a demi-god, FTJ a thief, Mwanawasa a cabbage, and Banda a fraud, if you like; it is proper to call Sata a pyromaniac—an arsonist of democracy. He, alone, is responsible for the violent climate we find ourselves in.
President Sata’s tolerance for violence can be attributed to who is as a person; boorish, intimidating, terrorizing, impolite, indecorous, and unlettered. Throughout his political career, he has shown that respect for fellow humans means nothing to him. He applies incendiary and confrontational rhetoric as a tool of suppression and as a way to foment violence. It is not surprising that today he is presiding over the most violent ruling party in the history of our nation.
As president, he is using violence for six major motives:
- as an intimidation apparatus;
- as a demonstration of toughness;
- as defense of his acquired power;
- as a device for dominance;
- as a concealment of his fractured past;
- and as a desire for eternal rule.
It is the president’s harsh rhetoric that is inflaming violent attitudes in the PF cadres, especially those inclined to behave violently in life. Let me say this, the PF hooligans who attacked and poured Chibuku (opaque beer) on Father Frank Bwalya in a failed effort to silence him, and those who stormed Bible Gospel Outreach Church of Africa in Matero and attacked members of religious and civil society organizations are some of the most dangerous criminals in our land. They are terrorists. They have a heart and eyes of a murderer. Let’s be clear here: If a PF district leader arms bloodthirsty thugs with butcher knives, pangas, machetes, and stones, and sets them on unarmed people, his intention is to commit murder. How else can such ruthless people use such lethal implements?
Refer to them as terrorists not militia
Please do not refer to PF terrorists as members of a “militia.” You are giving them a feel of self-importance. They are bands of unstructured and loose-knitted robotic thugs who are performing heinous crimes under orders from their district leaders with the blessing of the president. We call such people “terrorists,” and those who breed them “terrorist leaders.”
A “militia,” is a fighting force that comprises citizens of a nation that can be called to war as supplementary. In Zambia, the National Service is a militia. A militia is meant to protect a community, its territory, and laws. However, the term was tainted by Adolf Hitler and that’s perhaps why Father Bwalya and other leaders of the opposition are giving it a negative connotation to qualify the violent conduct of the president and his PF terrorists.
At the height of his reign, Adolf Hitler controlled his party’s 500,000 strong “Brown shirts” militia that used brutal violence in city streets. They were personally loyal to him and used intimidation and fear to enforce his will. His lieutenants at national, district, and branch levels unleashed the Brown Shirts on those with opposing views. They were beaten, many maimed, and some died.
Copying Hitlers Brown shirts
After WWII, Hitler’s type of militia was adopted by dictators in East Europe, the Arab world, Asia, and South America. In Africa, totalitarian dictators such as Gaddafi (Libya), Mobutu (Zaire), Sekou Toure (Guinea), Charles Taylor (Liberia), Jean-Bedel Bokassa (Central African Republic), and Kamuzu Banda (Malawi) created their own “Brown Shirts” and committed unnecessary atrocities, and forced countless into exile. Although not to a large extent, our very own KK also created the “UNIP Youth League” led by people like William “Tekere” Banda, who beat up opponents like Simon Kapwepwe.
Sata is doing the exact same thing. He is unleashing his “Brown Shirts” on his opponents to enforce a code of silence. He feels no remorse for people who attempt to check or challenge his power. The more the opposition is harassed and hounded the better. It is a tactic dictators use to bring the entire country under their whim. Surrounded by some of the most violent people, Sata is quickly becoming despotic and vain. Today, the man who assumed power on the ladder of free speech and a democratic vote has become entrenched and impregnable, a clear indication that he craves for sole and absolute power.
A Non violent Strategy of preserving Zambia’s democracy
The question is; how do we stop him from turning our country into a fragile state? How do we prevent a return to the Kaunda days? Is it possible to block Sata from becoming a tyrant without bloodshed? Yes, it is, and yes, we can. With nerve, personal sacrifice, good strategy, and organization skills, we can slow down his momentum and confine him to the presidential two-term mandate. We can, only if we devise a unitary non-violent strategy that shows ways of preserving democracy and impairing any dictatorial structures that may emerge out of Sata’s bag of tricks.
There are many ways to slow him down, or like they say, many ways to skin a cat.
A communique denouncing Sata’s tolerance to violence
First, all opposition parties, in concert with religious leaders, human rights groups, student organizations, and democratic institutions must convene a meeting and produce a communique strongly denouncing President Sata for condoning violence and down-playing the magnitude and destructive extent of his actions. Opposition leaders must inform the president that they are aware that he is using violence to intimidate the populace into acquiescence. They must remind him that political violence is the root cause of genocide; and that he must learn from all those leaders who, in the past, have engaged in genocidal activities; they are either in prison or have perished. In the same vein they must caution him that his tactics of opposition disintegration could lead to more violence, even war.
Walk for Peace in Lusaka and Copperbelt
Second, the opposition must go after his weaknesses. Let me emphasize; President Sata is not immortal. He did not fall from the sky. He is one of us. The difference is that he is our leader. We must respect him, but not fear or worship him. We must also be very careful because we all know him to be unpredictable and volatile. We either have a genius or a fraud on our hands. It has been the opinion of many people, including Fred Mmembe, that he is the latter. What is undisputed though is that Sata supports violence; that he is full of empty promises; he’s nepotistic; and he’s a divider. These are his weaknesses.
Adept progressives and outspoken opponents, such as Hakainde Hichilema, Nevers Mumba, Father Frank Bwalya, Elias Chipimo Jr, Edith Nawakwi, Muhabi Lungu, Mike Mulongoti, George Mpombo, and all those who know him must aggravate these weak points. They must bury their differences and work together. They must communicate ideas, news, and any resistance maneuvers. They must organize a walk for peace in Lusaka and the Copperbelt under the theme “Peace for All.” Using the appeal theme “If you are for peace join us,” they should call upon all peace-loving Zambians to join in the march.
Use of technology,social media to expose PF terrorists
In the event PF terrorists launch an attack, use cell-phones and cameras to take pictures, print them and ask those attacked (victims) and the public to identify their attackers. Let victims open dockets at the nearest police station. Have the attackers arrested NOT as PF cadres, but in their personal capacities. Take them to court and give it good press coverage. If the police refuse to act, encourage the victims to sue their attackers in civil courts, and provide them with good lawyers. Under pressure the attackers are likely to reveal their commanders. If they name a PF District Chairman, sue him in his individual capacity and label, him or her, a dangerous criminal, and send him to jail or make him pay dearly.
Resistance by the public
By staging peaceful marches, you are placing resistance of authoritarian rule directly in hands of the public—mainly the poor. The poor are the powerful. All the PF terrorists running around hacking people are doing so not because they love Sata, but because they are expecting rewards. Start targeting them and woo them to your side. How? Sata has already given the opposition an arsenal, that of removal of subsidies. Don’t lose sight of this crucial misstep. Adopt a noncooperation stance and openly counter PF leaders’ utterances on the matter and convince the poor that removal of subsidies will kill them. Release hundreds of your members to simply whisper “UNIP ya bwela” to their neighbors. Keep telling them PF is Sata’s UNIP.
Don’t give up on Black Friday
Don’t give up on “Black Friday.” The Matero attack has exposed the PF as a violent party. Believe me the incident has rebounded against the president and is causing dissention. There are high-ranking peace-loving PF members who hate to be associated with any form of violence. They are beginning to squirm. Most of all, the Matero attack has fomented anger and support among the public. You can be rest assured you have a few changed hearts.
Music
Another effective method is music. Petersen and Pilato have provided “Bufi,” the ideal song for reaching the poor. Identify some of the best rappers and singers in the country and make them compose lyrics that tell the empty promises of the incumbent and use them as rallying anthems piped through loudspeakers. Also, play them in cars, mini buses, bars, and restaurants.
There other ways. But it must be known that rattling King Cobra is not an easy task. It will require a major transformation from a constellation of parties and groups to a unified force. To a man of Sata’s clout, press releases, radio interviews, and inner-party protests are impotent gestures. You need a much bigger and stronger wave to sweep him away.
Adept progressives and outspoken opponents, such as Hakainde Hichilema, Nevers Mumba, Father Frank Bwalya, Elias Chipimo Jr, Edith Nawakwi, Muhabi Lungu, Mike Mulongoti, George Mpombo, and all those who know him must aggravate these weak points. They must bury their differences and work together………………..
chasefu IS MINE. chifubu out
Ubulela niti ndate Ruwe. Ki nako! Mang ni mang ulukela kuba ni lisho ni tebe!
What are u saying??? Please use English so that I may also benefit from your thoughts.
I have difficult in understanding what you mean by “we” when you are tucked away in your safe cove in USA.
It is also clear from your article that you have no idea what is happening in Zambia.
If you belong to the murderers there is no way you will understand what Field Ruwe is telling the Zambian people. Satan has blinded you not listen to the words of wisdom.
He needs a vote of ‘NO CONFIDENCE’ the Aussies have done it.
yes, you are right.
field ruwe need a ‘vote of no confidence’.
he should stop exagerating happenings here.
Can I just say its the present President who needs a vote of no confidence. Its not Ruwe,
Come back to Zambia and do the organisation not speaking from the fringes baba. Just be brave and start the revolution, its tricky mr PHD holder.
Iwe, he is not a Phd holder. He is a perpetual PhD candidate which is no guarantee you will one day be a Phd holder like myself.
Gotta love the irony. Dictating to people how to dictate a course of action that includes ‘making musicians’ write words out of someone else’s head. Look forward to seeing you lead from the front General. I hear comedians make great spoof rappers and singers. It’s actually a great way for you to get your point across… in person and make this step by step instruction guide to ‘freedom from pyromania’ a reality.
On the ground the people taking a beating have the right to simpler solutions. You need to visit ‘the poor’ in Zambia in order to realise poverty does not mean ‘lack of brains’. People of Zed humble and amaze me with their capacity to survive and still smile. They see one solution. Get rid of rubbish. I vote we deal with condescending attitudes in writing…oh no…
indeed..we shall overcome some day..the man will die ..he’s not immortal..
The Zimbo’s have been saying this for the past 20 years!
Come here ,who will fight the war for you iwe you are enjoying there
He has given you a strategy or a weapon to use which you did not know. You are fighting for the future of Zambia and your children. It is not for Field Ruwe. You see how you are misleading yourself and fail to understand simple basics of how to get back your freedom? No wonder Zambia is not moving forward because of people like you. It is shameful and you don’t love your country.
Looks like you are getting more bitter and bitter everyday bwana failed comedian.Slow down bro.Your fears are just a figment of your imagination.Maybe you can do better if you went to Zambia and found out what is happening on the ground than yapping hate and bitterness stemming from what you have been reading in the papers.Just keep on drinking your coffee in that USA of yours and let the voter in Senanga or Nabwalya decide what he or she wants.You won`t even be in Zambia if any war or some kind of calamity was to hit the nation.Loser !!!
This shows and prove the saying of a white man that a black person can’t lead himself unless if ther’s an inspector to check on the work is doing! please people of just to remind ourselves that there is no Zambia apart from the one we have and no where else will run to for redemption, if we mess up things and if we fail to manage ourselves, or maybe we want America to in for help as they did to Haiti no! is that what we are seeking for thats date mind please stop violence you so called PF cadres it is not your country alone but for all of us, no one will change your life if you can’t change it yourself,no one will give you a job if can’t have it yourself whateva you do today will be tomorrow consequence the promblems you ar going through today is because of the decision you made…
This is plenty cr@p!
“…We need to chart a non-violent course of action to stop President Sata’s…[good!]… violent party…[as compared to what?]…and save him a ticket to the ACJ at The Hague…[if it was that simple]…and those who support the unruly PF cadres…[name one?]…may not fully understand the consequences of their atrocities…[true, but how does the president fit into all this?]…”
“…It is not surprising that today he is presiding over the most violent ruling party in the history of our nation…[are you really being serious with this statement? How can one forget so easily given the UPND’s ‘mapatizia’ formula, former MMD chief vigilante and now UPND advisor to HH, one Tekere Banda’s violent past, and UNIP’s Violent vigilantes, really?]…”
Mmmm…
continue…
“As president, he is using violence for six major motives:
1. as an intimidation apparatus;
2. as a demonstration of toughness;
3. as defense of his acquired power;
4. as a device for dominance;
5. as a concealment of his fractured past;
6. and as a desire for eternal rule. ”
Field Ruwe, given that the postmortem you have given above is of PSYCHOLOGICAL nature, have you interviewed him [Sata], as a good “media practitioner, historian, and author” would do, for you to get a feel of what the man thinks and believes about these matters? Or you are just making these things up—and I don’t see ‘Psychologist’ as one of your credentials!
I recall Sata restraining his cadres even when he was in opposition. So what is this…
Well said. Ruwe’s folly has reached a new low. It would be good if he engages with his brain in a more constructive way.
Ruwe tawakwata amano boyi ! I feel sorry for your students.What you are doing is indirectly inciting violence.Funny how you chaps abroad are too quick to attack the government while hiding behind that PC.Don`t give up on black friday ,are you serious ? You want your friends to continue wasting precious times doing demonstrations to satisfy your inflated green card ego while you continue earning top dollars ? Wechinangwawei !!!
You see how you are behaving after eating with Lucifer. Are you not ashamed of your own thoughts? You are confused.
@kolwe satana…you are the one who is not thinking straight here.Inciting people to use underhand methods will never be the right means of removing a sitting government.The ballot will and forever remain the right way.Tell this myopic failed comedian to stop his rants.Let him go down there than limiting himself to the few people with access to the internet(most of them don`t even vote).Let him preach this same message in Shangombo,umwisho,Gwembe or Nabwalya chiyombo.
ba ruwe why commenting from overseas, you are a usless intellectual.
So far no support for bwana PHD Ruwe, wisdom and knowledge will never be the same!! While we dont support watever the BUFI guys are doing, RUWE’s rantings are highly misplaced and cannot be tolerated by any sane Zambian… This is not Zimbabwe nor Syria or indeed Egypt!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tell us what you will do to solve what is going on in Zambia than disputing what the PhD man has brought to our attention. You can’t see the sense in what he has written? May be you are no longer reasoning because satan has taken away your mind and soul.
Ha..ha..ha.., In as much as there is a lot of publicity of this violence thing, I think Zambia is at the moment very peaceful because even during bye-elections we don’t see much blood as compared to Mufumbwe incidences when even the Former IG Francis Kabonde had to take cover. To incite people to rise against a government is very serious and I hope this Guy learnt something about Obama’s victory when one state in the US wanted to withdraw from the Union.
Ruwe stay off heroin and crank. When you wrote this you must have been full of it. This article is bad bad bad bad and rubbish. Not sure whether you are writing a text book, operational manual and manifesto, the structure is bad bad very bad . Your article is disgusting and You are disgrace to PHD holders.
Hey, he is not a PhD holder. He says he is a PhD candidate which does not mean he will get his PhD. He may not get it! His rantings from the US of A may be an indication of his growing frustration that things are not going well with his so-called PhD.
I have been through serious PhD work and know what it takes to finally get it.
viakulola viae!
Ruwe, stay off Mexican weed and crack man! You are becoming delusional, you have no idea about politics just stick to history.
I can’t believe the docility of some okes here ! Mr Ruwe, you have unpacked & articulated the situation in Zambia very well !! Unfortunately, your advice has fallen on hard rocks. Simply because what we have back home are either Zombies or brainless freaks without the ability to perceive correctly, the seriousness of the situation in our motherland ! No matter how you love the country, don’t waste your energy, even if it is your God-given right to express your feelings ! Nuff said !
Mr Don’t Care,
If really we are what you are describing us, so are the Americans and the British. We simply voted out RB, we can do the same with Sata, but that vote will be 2016. We are wise we understand the constitution. Why waste time on Demos. No need. But wait 2016 is not far, if we are going to be impressed with Sata we will vote for him if not, we will not vote for him and he will leave office as simple as that.
If abiding and following the law is to be brainless freaks then you must be mad.
Empty tins make the loudest noise.Field Ruwe is spot on.People may still be basking in complacency now but when they reach rock bottom they will certainly rise up.Nigerians don’t take crap because of what they went through as a country.We shouldn’t wait for things to deteriorate before addressing them.But perhaps thats the Zambian way,just look at infrastructure,people wait for buildings,roads etc to totally deteriorate before they decide to do anything. when a road has one pothole its ignored till the entire road is a pothole and accidents start claiming lives.**sigh*
Mina amate, ex moma, what do you want mwe bantu sure, even if you talk and talk the only time to change a Government is through the ballot in 2016 kwasila.
What do you want??? Demostrating for HH, or Chipimo, no ways No Zambian politician is worth dying for. There are a lot of oppoturnities in Zambia, its only money which is a problem so put accross a suggestion that will make people have money to do things. Be positive and contribute to the development of the Zambian society.
Ba Ruwe, please keep doing what you are doing. Lusaka Times is full of critics who have never written an article themselves. Make sure post one every week.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions without an obligation to agree on all of them. This is a God-given attribute really, and so it is refreshing to read such terribly well articulated counter-proposals for our beloved country’s apparent downward trend in terms of free movement and expression by Dr Ruwe.
I immensely enjoy his wit and streetwise analysis, one would think he is still in the country.
Very doable and practical tips given. Like I said, if one feels so strongly inclined, peaceful demonstrations are a given in any modern state. So if HH wishes to stage solo protests at the Supreme Court, why should it bother me? It’s his choice, his time and right.
It’s important to read/hear other opposing views (merited or not) as everyone’s opinion matters.
Keep it coming…
The reasoning of Field Ruwe is like that of President professor Mohamed Mursi.
MMD cadres and UPND cadres behave the same way as PF cadres. UNIP behaved like MMD. If UPND was in power UPND cadres would behave like PF cadres. UPND cadres have displayed PF cadres behavior in Lusaka & Living’stone. So if Nevers & HH teamed up we will end up with the cadres with the same type of behavior.
Muhabi Lungu, Mike Muloti, Nevers and George Mpombo when they were in power never condemned the bad behavior of MMD cadres. How can Field recommend people who behaved like president Sata. If this group formed the government we could in trouble with their cadres and corruption,
A strong constitution and limit of the power of the president can help to cure or address the above problem of cadres.
HH, Nevers, Father Bwalya, Mike Mulongoti & George Mpombo cannot work together, they all aspire to the highest office. They can only work together with a selfish interest and in the end they will split up. For eg. Nevers has said that God has told him that he will be president so is Father Frank Bwalya. Do you think HH would like Father Bwalya or Nevers to be a boss? For sure president Mike Mulongoti and president George Mpombo would not dare to work under the young ones.
Some people think president Sata is dull and doesn’t think because he is not a doctor. How can people vote for Sata if he was useless?
Sata takes advantage of a weak constitution which has given him too much power. We need to come up with a better constitution to stop presidents from taking advantage.
Nobody takes you seriously, Ruwe. A sterile jocker, is all you are.