Thursday, March 28, 2024

Thoughts from a youth leader: Stop diverting people’s attention from real issues

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Prince Ndoyi
Prince Ndoyi

By PRINCE J. NDOYI

As youths in the country we want to make comment on the news making rounds in the media as regards PF President Edgar Lungu’s eligibility for 2021. Given that we are just from a general election, we see this as retrogressive and misplaced. We observe that the PF being the party in power is exhibiting a lack of focus and is consuming and draining the public’s energies away from discussing serious issues.

We posit that the PF is making a mistake and will soon regret when people demand answers. What has PF done in the last six years to warrant the debate on the presidency barely two months after the general elections.

The Zambians are suffering instead of debating whether President Edgar Lungu is eligible to stand in 2021, what the PF should be doing especially the youths in the party is to understand when the campaign promises made by the party will be actualized. They must ask themselves if they have delivered on their promises ; they promised cheap food, jobs for the youths, we have a power deficit which they did not find.

In this time of economic crisis Zambians need and deserve leadership that thinks first and foremost about the people and not themselves and how long they will stay in power.

Instead of commenting on 2021, there are a lot of issues Zambians want the President to comment on, take for instance there are allegations by Saviour Chishimba of our President’s involvement in the maize scam with Malawi and corruption at FRA or the illegal stay of cabinet ministers and it’s legal ramifications because the courts have ruled and the Zambian people need to know how they will recover those monies paid out to cabinet and deputy ministers, but he has gotten in on this unproductive, retrogressive and repugnant debate.

Now as a people we must not be focusing on new promises and whether the President should stand, we must be discussing results. This is a clear case of misplaced priorities and must not be condoned by any well thinking Zambia.

Advice to the PF is that they must concentrate on working other than dragging the public into their intra party power struggle at the expense of working to deliver on their campaign promises. All of us must work and focus towards helping President Lungu whom we just elected to deliver.

We urge the media to focus on the Zambian People, not Politicians, we must all choose to make a conscious choice to talk about the issues that affect the people, rather than to waste time commenting on other politicians, their personal opinions on the constitution, to us seems somewhat misplaced. The media must not descend to low levels in diverting the attention of the people from real issues to trivialities like this one.

Regardless of how close or far we are to an election we do not think it is prudent for us to engage in unproductive debates, while matters of national importance are neglected. The focus must continue to be on the PF Government’s track record and the alternatives and channeling our energies into discussions that advance the agenda and platforms to alleviate poverty and reduce hunger for our people.

We shall not divert attention away from the real issues at play there are medicine shortages in our hospitals, clinics are suffering from critical power shortages and citizens are going hungry due to the increased price of essential goods and services.

Corruption, act of personal aggrandizement,ethnic chauvinism and unnecessary fratricidal struggle created by renegade politicians to divert the attention of the people from meaningful programmes to unmeaning programmes have been the major reasons for the fall of far too many good leaders.

A close look at the last five years requires far much more, but politicians in the PF are carefully strategically hiding the past and somehow diverting our attention away from results and onto new promises.

We warn these politicians that have continued to falsely claim progress while diverting attention away from institutionalized corruption and structural poverty. Actually, this does nothing to increase access to vital resources or address the pandemic of foreigners benefiting more from our wealth as a nation. How do we explain today’s situation where only less than 20percent of our wealth belongs to Zambians while the rest is in foreign hands especially the Chinese? How do you explain CHINESE SECURITY GUARDS SURELY, Chinese national owning shops in our council markets? Chinese nationals are winning all contracts and we need to hear the voice of the leaders in the PF strong on these issues other than the future of one individual.

They are hoodwinking the public with propaganda to create a divide in the society so that peoples’ attention could be easily diverted from real issues like unprecedented price-rise, unemployment and poverty, thousands are still without a decent shelter after 5 years.

No wonder social media is getting to be the real source of real news than reading biased newspapers who have lost their freedom because they sold it to the highest bidder and feeding people trivial news. Some media outlets have been turned into mere paid puppets and mouthpieces of politicians who are on the wrong side of the law.

In conclusion, we want to encourage the Zambians the time will come when we have to fight if we must get what we need, the fight must be smart, strategy is key. The first step is how do we get the majority in one accord, to see the bigger picture? Colleagues in the urban and rural alike because there is a Zambia bigger beyond 2021.

GOD BLESS OUR GREAT NATION ZAMBIA!

The Author is the Governance and Political Advisor at Zambia Volunteers Network.

26 COMMENTS

  1. Could one be forgiven, if they take it that the campaign period towards 2021 is on and all can now find ways of expressing themselves the merits or demerits as to whom can stand where , for what position and why! If you can sustain the long race, go for it, the environment is conducive.

    • That’s why I’m now thinking Dundumwezi voters might be wiser than the rest of Zambian voters. You voted wrongly out there.

    • Prince J Ndoyi, this is a superb article & has realistically hammered on the nails head.
      PF bandits want to divert attention to their own squabbles instead of focusing on real issues raised.
      Lusaka Times wake up early from being used as a door mat by incompetence PF bandits of visionless Lungu. Ndoyi is right, its media outlets like LT which is pathologically biased towards PF bandits & their pathetic failures.
      Lets talk about the crippled economy, army worms, corruption & lawlessness under PF bandits! Visionless Lungu knows that his 3rd term bid is nonsensical~non starter. ACC must unfold their twisted tails & arrest inept bandits of Kambwili, corrupt elements in the Malavi maize scandal without fear of visionless Dagama. The courts should also let the presidential petition to be…

    • …heard without PF bandits of visionless interrupting the constitution & rule of law. This undemocratic animosity of PF’s dictatorship needs to come to an end so that sanity can prevail over this mediocrity.
      LT should also announce that NEZ is truly the Best Blogger 2016 & no rigging. Seems PF’s buffoonery is contagious & LT is now affected. Stop being biased LT, simple as PF bandits are embarrassing the country internationally.
      All well meaning Zambians MUST say NO to blind Edgar’s 3rd term bid before this dictatorship goes out of bed.
      Great write up Ndoyi, otherwise visionless Dagama’s 3rd term bid is a non starter.
      The Skeleton Key
      ~206~

  2. Good observations – and as he says at the end, how do we get the majority in one accord, to see the bigger picture?

    • Prince – I wished you had mentioned that President Lungu needed to clear the air over this issue because there are vested interests within PF (the ruling party) that have already started campaigning for Party nomination for the 2021 election. The President needed to put this issue to rest so that the Party can move together as a cohesive entity. The people who will be debating are you outsiders and not the PF. So, you are free to expend your energies on this issue or on issues important to national development, if this one is not one of them.

  3. That’s why I’m now thinking Dundumwezi voters might be wiser than the rest of Zambian voters. You voted wrongly out there.

  4. Excellent article Mr Ndoyi. How I wish a lot more Zambian minds were open and willing to listen to reason. But, am afraid, most of the youth are happy to be used, get paid K100 and then continue suffering afterwards. Its a big task you propose Mr Ndoyi but we do indeed need to start somewhere.

  5. …. thousands are still without shelter after 5 years….. What does this statement mean? Else the article is fair and politicians must take keen interest as it reflects some reality.

  6. Excellent thought. Why should people get worried about the intention of just one man out of 13 million Zambians? Even if the constitution allows him to stand in 2021, it can be a chance for us all to deny him a vote. It can be a chance to other political parties to take over. We haven’t even assessed his performance yet in order for us to be convinced. This is really nothing to focus our attention on. The constitution can allow him but voters have the final say.

  7. ….its as if I’m reading POST editorial comment…this must be Fred Membe’s article but asked Prince to append his signature on it….serious issues brought afore here…there are a mountain of other important issues ECL is expected to comment on..infact its high time he gave us a press conference and answer few questions from the scribers…

  8. LUSAKA TIMES WHY HAVE YOU FAILED TO ANNOUNCE THE BEST BLOGGER. WHAT ARE YOU SCARED OF. WE DEMAND YOU RELEASE THE RESULTS. WHY DID YOU WASTE PEOPLE TIME VOTING IF YOU WANTED A PARTICULAR PERSON TO WIN. LET ME WARN YOU THAT THE LONGER YOU TAKE TO ANNOUNCE THE MORE CURSES YOU ARE BRINGING ON YOUR FAMILIES AND SHORTENING THEIR LIVES. DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU. U cows

  9. Time for debating national issues is not conduisive in Zambia as of today. An inconclusive election is still lingering in Zambians minds. What was expected was for president Lungu to demonstrate leadership, provide solution to the suffering Zambians are going through, sort out load shedding, youths unemployment, pay civil servants on 30th of the month, fight corruption with a political will and feel for Zambia as a leader.
    Instead, you have began to address the nation about your third bid term. Zambians are not ready to debate that now except to begin to be pro- action and remove Lungu as a president. President Lungu has failed to provide national leadership and needs to be removed by ALL means in the constitution to save our country.

    Reply

  10. Oh yeah indeed! Whats the update on the extended illegal stay of ministers who the court ordered to reimburse payments they received? Journalists must help the silent majority by speaking out for them and seeing to it that issues raised are concluded than jumping on to new ones! Too much attention diversion leading to issues getting buried at the expense of Zambians!

  11. We got Bozo for a President and clowns under his administration. Yet we expect miracles to happen. Arrest Bozo (Lungu) get our country back. Right now it’s nothing but shambles. Who ever thought Lungu had something to offer as President should be euthanised!

  12. This debate is misplaced and it confirms that our leaders are only focused on power and personal wealth. Instead of talking about developmental issues such as how to make internet accessible and affordable to all Zambians; they are busy campaigning for 2021. There is something wrong with our politics. People should be discussing and implementing strategies of how to reduce the cost of living for Zambians.

    There is no democracy in all Zambian political parties. They all want to ascend to power for personal gain and not to serve the ordinary Zambians.

  13. Well written Prince. We need more youths like you with open minds. I am very disappointed that the President even made this claim. Does he walk around with a blindfold? Does he see how the country has deteriorated and continues to disintegrate under his directionless leadership? People are dying of hunger, youths have no jobs, illegal squatter townships are the order of the day, people have no money to get medical care nor indeed bury the ones dying from preventable illnesses and diseases. This is a lesson for the Zambians who voted for an ’empty tin.’ Zambians, you got the president that you deserve!
    I am not even an HH supporter but I support progress.

  14. Yes dundumwazi vote wise now let just wait 2021 u see people are mature in politics they can charge what is good or bad

  15. If only more of us can stop and think and reason we would get this country on the right path to prosperity. But even the educated are in the forefront to defend what is wrong,that has no reasonable defence. Hero worshipping perpetrators of wrong and evil schemes against our country.Its not because I belong to the party so I must stop reasoning and support what is wrong.You must fight from within your party to make Zambia a better country. Our judiciary is rotten it needs to be cleaned out. Our chief justice and the judges have no shame when they deliver judgements that defy reason.Our country is a laughing stock.Mr. Ndoyi the future of Zambia is bleak and especially you the youths will find that you will be slaves to foreigners in your own country.

  16. Problem with some “clever” writers, they think that they have the writer to say “we Zambians”, who is ” we” when that is his personal opinion! And which intelligent leaders? Hope Prince is not thinking of Hichilema and GBM, because those two very crooked business men? Public office has always failed business men! Wait and see for yourself example, Donald Trump!

  17. Well spoken Prince Ndoyi! One other issue is our “invisible”Minister of Agriculture, the not so Honorable Dora Siliya, at a time when farmer’s inputs have been severely delayed, and our fields are under attack from army worms she has decided to absent herself, what kind of madness is this?
    The deafening silence from ECL & Co add more fuel to our lack of faith in the PF’s ability to turn our nation’s fortune around, the next 5 years till 2021 will be very long indeed, more like an eon…

  18. i have insisted pf has no plan for this country , it confirms that they are not ligitimate winners of the last general elections . besides you can tell how dis organised they are when it comes to matters affecting the country. in western and southern provinces there no enough chemicals to fight army worms and stock borrers even when they knew the exsistance of these insects. to them staying in power is more important, shame on you.

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