“I have … noticed … that … most of the leaders of the Opposition Parties have been quiet and not providing proper checks and balances to the ruling Party. The majority of the Opposition parties have not been making comments or analyzing the economy apart from the UPND and to some extent the FDD in order to provide necessary checks and balances to the ruling Party…. When did you last hear about General Miyanda, Eric Chanda, Nevers Mumba, Elias Chipimo, Dr Sondashi … talking or writing about the economy? It is very rare indeed. One can conclude that these parties lack depth to such an extent that the majority of the Opposition Party leaders do not understand the basics of the economy and are scared to expose their ignorance!”
Kalima Nkonde’s articles thus far have been well written, but his latest piece on 13th November 2015 (quoted above) leaves much to desired. Not only is his article patronizing by projecting himself as the smart one while talking down to opposition political parties, its contents reveal that his political analysis is naive and shallow.
Nkonde has inadvertently revealed that he is an “attack dog” for the UPND despite his attempts to portray himself as an independent analyst. I make this conclusion because of his claim that the UPND is the only major party (followed by FDD) offering good policy positions, which is completely false because UPND are actually quite shallow when it comes to analysis, compared to my party the MMD.
As a member of the MMD National Executive Committee and MMD Media Team, I know that we have done a lot more research and analysis than Nkonde can imagine and we have posted many statements on our website (mmdzambia.org) and Facebook page (facebook.com/mmdzambia).
We have also held press briefings to advise the ruling PF. The last one held by our President Dr Nevers Sekwila Mumba went into great detaildiscussing the economic problems we are facing and the practical solutions. There is a video of it posted on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/mmdzambia) and it was published by Lusaka Times.
We were the first and only party that pointed out that the PF are going to waste $1 billion on Zamtel and we therefore advocate for Zamtel to be given back to LAPGreenN. Nationalization of private companies is not compatible with a free market economy. We released on 5th January 2015 our “Ten Point Master Plan” in which we have committed to reduce Corporation Tax in Zambia from 35% (fifth highest in the World) to the African average of 29%. We are the only ones saying this.
Among many of our unique policy positions, we have promised to give a referendum to Barotseland and respect whatever decision they make, although of course our strong preference is that they remain part of Zambia. We have also said we shall build Peter Matoka University in North-Western Province (after hearing the cries of the North-Westerners) and we shall reform the Zambian legal system to greatly increase the number of lawyers thereby reducing legal costs and the cost of doing business.
We have also committed to outsourcing to the private sector such functions as border processing, tax collection and garbage collection in our plan. No other party has produced such a comprehensive master plan with a rich depth of analysis that can be used by any reasonable government.
I find it hardly believable that Nkonde could have missed all these many policy statements when they were published by many media houses such as Lusaka Times, Zambian Watchdog, The Post Newspaper, Mwebantu New Media, etc. They have been covered by Muvi TV, Radio Phoenix, 5FM, Hot FM, and many other radio and TV stations all over Zambia.
It therefore appears to me that Nkonde is not being truthful and is just here to push the UPND agenda. If he was a serious analyst as he proclaims to be, he would have checked out the websites and Facebook pages of the opposition parties he is attacking and he would have found our powerful policy statements on our website.
The most plausible explanation of Nkonde’s rantings is that UPND have become so desperate to win they will go to great lengths, including enlisting his services. But of course UPND cannot match the MMD as we are the best party in Zambia with the best policies. UPND is just another big experiment which Zambians will do well to stay away from.
Their President Hakainde Hichilema has promised to legalize an illegal market in Choma that is sitting on Zambia Railways land and for which there is a court order to evict the squatters. He has also promised to reduce mealie-meal prices within two weeks of forming government which of course is totally absurd, unless he wants to bring back price controls like the PF are threatening to do.
Nkonde has made the incredible claim that opposition political parties do not carry out research to find out the actual needs and concerns of voters on the ground leading to superficial statements. This is another false statement. How can he possibly know that we do not research?
Nkonde has advised the smaller parties to merge with the bigger ones because remaining alone means they are selfish and egotistical. This is the most nonsensical statement in his article. If late President Michael Sata had followed this advice, he would never have been president of Zambia.
The history of Zambian politics shows that alliances and mergers never work because politicians are too dishonest. We have experienced attempted alliances with both PF and UPND and they double-crossed us by poaching our members while pretending to be having talks with us.
Our advice to Kalima Nkonde is that he should keep his misguided opinions about the MMD to himself. We are not interested in hearing his advice to opposition parties on how to win. He is conceited and a political amateur. He is better off sticking to writing about economics or how much the PF are messing up. To use his own words, he is a disgrace to political analysis.
Lengwe Bwalya
MMD National Youth Treasurer and MMD Media Team Member
MMD is the wrong party to provide checks and balances because of the way they had to run the economy for 10 years
What a mature way of answering back at upnd vuvuzelas. I have always respected mmd and its policies also its maturity in offering cricisms to pf not ifyabupuba and shallow under5 upnd party.
Th opposition are hurting coz Kalima told them th truth. Sata hd so much influence wen he ws in opposition, which i dnt see in any of these current opposition parties.
People, do not attack the individual just lay out your achievements so that people can judge for themselves.
That is where he went wrong.
This is a major problem in Zambia. People are quick to turn the tables when they should be focusing on their own strengths.
MMD should be wary of this Lengwe chap. His ranting is not consistent with a loyal blue unless of course he is an RB blue.
Nkonde article, however flawed it was, was a wake up call especially to the major OPs to do more to expose the weaknesses of PF. Attacking UPND doesn’t help MMD in anyway. Nor does telling us of websites that are not accessible to majority voters.
Indeed, a string of websites, the majority of Zambian voters know nothing about websites, and that campaign strategy, if that’s what it’s meant to be, is an exercise in futility.
…all these talks about opposition…who is best…who is barking the loudest is all nonsense to me….on a bus journey from Lusaka to J’sburg there are usually two drivers..one in a drivers seat and the ‘reserve’ seated among passengers…for heaven sake focus your attention on the driver in the driver’s seat…ensure he is not dosing…not attending to a mobile phone while he is in that seat…and more important ensure that he does not sneak out for his favourite alcoholic drink at every stop over station….forget about the ‘reserve’ driver….he is not in control for now….if the driver is proves to be incapable or incapacitated…the passengers have the power to substitute him…..no matter how loud the reserve driver shouts at the driver…if the passengers are cool with his…
..cont’d..
….if passengers are cool with his driving they will let him drive all the way….so, Mr Kalima, next time attack the gullible passengers other than the reserve driver….
…in 1990…there were no ‘reserve’ drivers but only irate and frustrated passengers….the passengers brought the democracy we are now enjoying…or are we..??
Well done, Lengwe. Nicely articulated, with links to boot. My only concern is that as much as people have mobile telephony in their hands, Zambia (and your party, when you were in power) did not do enough to make the Internet widely accessible. Perhaps this is the angle that Nkonde might be implicitly attacking. You are doing great but visibility, especially via the majority of online media you have cited, is not as widespread is we would like to see. Anyone in touch with Zuckerberg and his free Internet drones by any chance??
It is not about which opposition party is popular or not. It is about the expectation and the confidence that the Zambian people have in the opposition. Instead of each opposition party to defend itself, they must keep quite and reflect. We have expectation which the opposition has failed meet.The article is meant to bring the opposition together early before they split the votes again and continue our misery of being ruled by accident.
Speak for MMD which is s disgrace. All MMD have shifted to PF where the power is. No principles no morals. Leave General Miyanda alone he is just doing what he always does; hibernating to resurface when the election comes yto come and contribute to the ECZ coffers his nomination fees of 10 millions or so. He is a real citizen with Zambia at heart. In any case Zambia is a failed state, who cares?
And please leave the UPND out. Kalima is not a UPND spokesperson last time I checked, so what he said is his opinion as he reads of the political spectrum. Defend your position and outline what you are doing about the current state of affairs as you have attempted by giving the websites where people can check and see. I will certainly do and make my own conclusion. As of now, the UPND and FDD and to some extent NAREP and Fourth Revolution are more visible, more focused and consistent with their views on what requires to be done to stem the suffering of the people, improve governance etc than the MMD. So the MMD should crawl back to their cave, you are partly to blame for the mess we are in. SELENI KO nabambi babombe- New people, new ideas!!
The truth is PF has made sure opposition find it very difficult to operate, They use the police, threaten radio stations and every thing in between.
Sata had liberty to use radio station to propel his massage but now kambwili will close them
MMD Analyst, Well articulated. You now seem to be wiser than you were 15-10 years ago when you were in power. I wish Zambians were foolish enough to allow you another short term to experiment your new wisdom. But they are clever enough now not to give you a second chance. You did not share this wisdom with those who have joined PF from your ranks who might utilize it, and you may never have another opportunity to implement your good policies as New MMD. May I counsel you to get your wise ideas and join one of the limping but promising opposition parties; UPND, FDD, the spectrum (RAINBOW) or other of your choice. If you check the trend, Zambians are not dogs to go back to eat their vomit even if you added spices to it. UNIP and now MMD have been pushed out of our stomach and it is…
ON THIS TOPIC I SIDE WITH THE OPPOSITION BECAUSE THEY ARE CLAMPED LEFT RIGHT AND CENTRE. LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE POST FOR SPEAKING UP. FDD PRESIDENT WAS SHE NOT PICKED FOR FOR CAMPAIGNING ON THE COPPERBELT? IF THERE IS ANYONE TO LEARN ABOUT DEMOCRACY IT IS THE PF BECAUSE THEY THREATEN AND BULLY THE OPPOSITION. WATCH ZNBC, DO YOU SEE ANYTHING APART FROM THE PF AND THEIR MINISTERS AND DC OR PS CHECKING THE ROADS?
MMD you are useless like a used toilet paper or if I may say it politely shinda paper.Your time to rule Zambia is gone .You were given a chance but you elected corrupt RB who has now literally sold your party to pf.
JUST SHUT UP!SELL OUTS!
“you have committed to outsourcing border processing”… ? That’s it, you are truly a lunatic party. You, whatever you are called are just after auctioning this country to the highest bidder. What is wrong with Zambian politicians kanse?