Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The Zambian Opposition has degenerated into a congregation of armchair critics-Davies Mwila

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Patriotic Front Secretary General Mr. Davies Mwila
Patriotic Front Secretary General Mr. Davies Mwila

Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Davies Mwila has challenged opposition political parties in Zambia to debate PF when it comes to policy.

In a statement made available to the media yesterday, Mr Mwila said that it was not not good for any democracy when the Opposition, as a collective, degenerate into ‘an armchair critics congregation’.

Mr Mwila wondered if the Zambian opposition parties can go beyond mere opposition to include offering viable alternatives and options.

Mr Mwila said that the mega projects such as the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage way, New Copperbelt International Airport and many others were causing sleepless nights for an opposition not given to issue-based politics.

“We challenge our competitor to take us on when it comes to policy, which they are not doing. It’s not good for any democracy when the Opposition as a collective degenerate into ‘an armchair critics congregation’. Can the Opposition go beyond mere opposition to include offering viable alternatives and options? Sadly, the current opposition is not convincing,” said Mr Mwila.

“We are on firm ground to assert that PF’s alternative is not yet born. Zambians can continue to have confidence in the PF and President Lungu,” said the PF Secretary General

Mr Mwila said that the PF manifesto 2016-2021 is premised on the understanding that Zambia is a land with promise, purpose and destiny.

“We are on firm ground to assert that PF’s alternative is not yet born. Zambians can continue to have confidence in the PF and President Lungu,” said the PF Secretary General

“In line with this realization, PF under the leadership of His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu launched the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) for the period 2017 to 2021 aimed at accelerating development efforts towards Vision 2030 without leaving any Zambian behind – PF remains committed to creating a better life for all Zambians without exception!” he has said.

“PF is committed to ensuring that its vision for economic diversification is attained through value addition and industrialization anchored on agriculture, mining and tourism. PF believes these sectors have high growth potential, comparative and competitive advantages as well as potential for poverty reduction among our people,” observed Hon Mwila.

“We can state with certainty that PF knows where Zambia is coming from, where it is and where it must be. Our focus over the next four years is to work hard while critics do what they know best. PF has “Sadly, the current opposition is not convincing. We are on firm ground to assert that PF’s alternative is not yet born. Zambians can continue to have confidence in the PF and President Lungu,” said the PF Secretary General.

PF promised to listen to criticism especially when it comes with alternatives. What PF does not have luxury for however, is the unproductive politicking aimed at suffocating the much-desired development for our people. We are committed now as always that at the end of this term of office, we shall present to the Zambian people the results of our hardwork as promised in our election manifesto 2016-2021,” he noted.

Mr Mwila has since called on all those who might have left the PF and thinking of re-joining the Party to consider doing so as it had remained Zambia’s number one (1) Party of choice. He has said that President Lungu and the Party at large have their arms open ready to welcome anyone who means well for the Party.

“PF is the boat, the open church where majority of Zambians belong. To those who left, there is still room in the Boat for all. Its only traitors who have no room in PF’s grand vision to create a better Zambia and better lives for all”, he said.

45 COMMENTS

  1. Mwila, lungu has brutalized all opposition and destroyed all institutions of good governance in Zambia.

    PF ministers and other officials are getting rich overnight on the backs of heavily taxed Zambians.

    We now will be petitioning Zambians cooperating partners who help plug gaps in the budget. We will site the fire truck corruption scandal and insist their aid is being stolen…..

    • Opposition, on any day, in any country, is Opposition. It is the reason they care called “Opposition.” They are meant to oppose. That’s how democracy works. That’s how it was designed to work. It is the way it works.

    • Does this Mwila not understand that it is Lungu and his PF that are running the Government?

      Does he think the opposition should be doing should be doing the jobs his PF cadres are being paid to do by the Zambian Taxpayers?

      What he is REALLY SAYING is that PF have FAILED! What else can you expect when the head is a visionless thief?

    • Mwila is sick. Is he not aware that his boss imposed a 90 days semi-state of emergency? How can opposition be free to debate issues affecting our country when PF is busy intimidating people who should be offering checks and balances? Every citizen in the country has felt intimidated by Lungu’s undemocratic government.

  2. This arrogance is dangerous. Why don’t you just get on with your job than craving for clapping hands from the opposition. Seriously, do you want to turn the opposition into a congregation of cheer leaders?

    This is real beef with PF, seven years on, they still behave like an opposition party obsessed with wining elections. Come on or rather CA MANI, get on with the job. Why are you this obsession with the opposition. You have a mandate and please you better deliver.

    • Mwila is pf ceo and all he speaks is for the benefit of the party. If you want to here about national development pay attention to finance and planning ministries. SG for party talks about politics

    • Reading culture. Download the 7th national plan and read it if you want to understand about ecl policies. These are issues Mwila is talking about. Counter them on policy matters not mere arm critics. Fire trucks were purchased in 2015 and partly delivered in 2017 and critics failed to argue when the debate was fresh in 2015 and you want to sound like you know something when the process is all completed. What type of tards are you.

    • Where are you going to get money for that…really laughable…you have increased civil servants salaries yet you can not balance the budget as it is.
      Wake up from your folly!!

    • @Jay: Where does all the money come from??? Civil servants salaries were increased within what the budget can provide, that is why there is an outcry from the same opposition because it was only 7%-9%: which justifies what Davis Mwila is talking about: YOU SIMPLY HAVE RUN OUT OF IDEAS AND ALTERNATIVES TO OFFER ZAMBIANS EXCEPT VILE LANGUAGE AND CRITICISING FROM AFAR (ARMCHAIR CRITICS!!!!!)

    • This JayJay is like a 16 year old, talks the same and makes unworthy comments time and time. Learn from people that articulate points and dont even add lazy blah blah, you are childish and annoying

  3. This is very true Hon.Davis Mwila.our opposition parties are empty tins and a great danger for development.they are full of jealous.so the best thing you can do as PF is to ignore them completely and just focus on developing mother Zambia because only us voters shall judge PF in 2021.
    The opposition parties irritate us a lot.they oppose everything done by Govnt,nomatter how good a project may be.surely is that being normal?Big no!!
    SO PLEASE HON.MWILA ADVISE THE PRESIDENT TO CONTINUE IGNORING THE EMPTY TINS IN OPPOSITION!!!BELIEVE YOU ME,THEY LOOK F0OLISH IN OUR EYES BECAUSE NO NORMAL PERSON CAN OPPOSE A CONTRUCTION OF A DUAL CARRIAGEWAY FROM LSK TO NDOLA WHERE THOUSANDS OF ZAMBIANS HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES AND MORE ARE STILL DYING!!!HH knows that if PF does this big project,then in 2021…

    • No one opposes the construction, but we oppose stealing with impunity, just like we oppose spending 42 million on fire trucks that actually costs less than 20 million.

      That is tax payers money. People can not afford school fees or 3 meals a day.
      Some schools have no toilets while civil servants get their salaries late…

  4. Njimbu,,,, how have all these projects been funded, when do the loans mature and how are rhey going to be paid for and by whom…our grandchildren. Projects for the sake of projects is not what government should be about, financial accountability and transparency is what is need in zambia
    Roads dont kill pipo bad driving does. What education programs are in place to sensitise and educate our current and future drivers

    • Masalamuso

      That is too du.ll a kaponya to understand…what matters is how rich ministers are getting and the cloths they wear…..

  5. Mr. Mwila, those frequent travels by ECL are costing Zambia a lot compared to the gained benefit.

    This is what the opposition is telling you, so do you need to be told an alternative solution how this can be solved?

  6. The pf SG stated that HE wanted Zambia to have economic diversification thru value addition and industrialization anchored on agriculture mining and tourism
    Um ….can you please tell me how tourism will be an anchor for industrialization
    Does anybody in government really understand what is required to become industrialized,
    Has anybody in government identified a specific venture or venture that will promote industrialization
    Do we want to build cars, farm machinery, textile clothing and footwear industries.
    They cznt even reopen mulungushi textile mill. Do want industrialization to be undertaken by foreign funding or investors who take profits out of zambia with impunity . Wake up we will lose zambia

  7. 100% right, SG!! It is becoming boring and tedious because the opposition and their supporters repeat the same thing over and over and over and over to no end. They have run out of ideas. Petition failed, dictatorship failed and now they want to lump a tag of corruption on the govt. the way Mwanawasa did to Chiluba???

    “We challenge our competitor to take us on when it comes to policy, which they are not doing. It’s not good for any democracy when the Opposition as a collective degenerate into ‘an armchair critics congregation’. Can the Opposition go beyond mere opposition to include offering viable alternatives and options? Sadly, the current opposition is not convincing,” WHAT A BUNCH OF BITTER LOSERS!!!!! LEMONS FROM DUNDUMWEZI!!!!

  8. Nayo nayo HE ECL ku mangalande uko kwa Ngola. You are the best president and leader this country has had. The most learned, humble, hardworking and God fearing. May you prosper in all your pursuits, purposes and plans. Muka wele bwino a presidenti olemekezeka niponso a ulemu! Saza mulowani a UPNDonkeys, Takana

  9. Spaka…. how can a big buy like the fire engines work out exactly $1 million a piece. You have all the compnents then seafreight, local transport n fuel and it is an exact amount. Its not possible. Look at the other tender figures shown on line they all had some dollars and some even had cents in the tender… this is just a figure “plucked”out of the air.
    Am sure Njimbu will be able to explain how “we” arrived at the figure as he includes himself as one of the inner sanctum

  10. “traitors” is a word used by illegitimate governments, a sad thing to see coming from PF that once had direction and has now degenerated into a congregation of petty opportunists

  11. Now that the of has run out of ideas they are asking the opposition to give viable alternatives. The givernment has dug its way ito this debt ridden economy and niw wanrs opposition parties to help with solutions,
    What has happened to tbe Lusaka Lip , Madam mumbi, she is quiet these days. We need one of her loquacious outbursts . Think she will need a dictionary

  12. Masalamuso, Bushe nindalama za anyokoo? What is 42,000 USD compared to the National Budget? Alya kake aliye mulandu. Etola mukola mwake.

    • …and don’t froget Kumawa, those fire trucks will be spread in all districts to help protect and save people’s lives and properties. They will be in service for the next 15 years plus, why the fuss????

  13. 1.1 Mushiba,
    No he is not abhorred because he is Bemba! Besides, he is Luunda not Bemba, these are the fishing tribes of Kasai-Luapula Kapwepwe right called ba Tubulu abanyina mumenshi! I suppose you’re one of them! Further, he is also way too ugly that bastato, he just lends too much credence to the belief that man is descended from apes! It’s the monkeys they eat, that ape is still evolving towards homosapien and you eat it you surely will regress in evolution, look at Nkandu Luo and Chiluba!

  14. SG may have a point.

    in the case of the FIRE Tender, the Act needs to be amended. Can you-imagine that some bidders were rejected for Post Quaflification reasons. If a bidder does not submit a litigation status, that firm cannot change the substance of its bid, hence international practice calls for such a bidder to be requested to submit the litigation status to enable the evaluation committee to consider all such bids. This was not the cases in this tender. Low priced Bidders were eliminated on flimsy grounds.

    To make it worse the Statutory Instrument supports the fact that bidders can be eliminated from the race on post qualification matters. This is the cardinal point of contention. The Zambian Government has lost and will continue to lose huge sums of money as demonstrated…

  15. Mushota went to see a Nkandu Luo to seek advice about her permanent erection, & quote: “This is tough for me to discuss, but I have a permanent erection. It causes me a lot of problems & severe embarrassment on Lusaka Times. So I was wondering what you could give me for it?” The pharmacist said, “Just a minute, I’ll go talk to my colleague Dora’s. “When she returned, she said, “We discussed it at length & the absolute best we can do is, 46 fire engines to quench it, if it fails, you have US$46 million compensation and a villa to share with us in Nyoman Yanga forever plus K30,000 a month living expenses:

  16. Zambians have to rank among the most gullible earthlings, this $46 million is nothing compared to Kaunda’s diesel from grass or the Maharishi wizardry!

  17. It’s ok, soon we wiol have a great leader. I was looking at my internet and went to the zccmminerangrykasolo blogsite and listened to mr. kasolo saying “I’m standing against Lungu. I can get 80-90 percent of the vote”! so excited!!!!

  18. So Heinous Hyena Oval Head if a theft took place in 2015 we should fold our arms and forget? You also read the statute of limitation on grand theft. Just shut up you thieves!

  19. Mwila is not very sharp but this time he is right in the wrong way. Wrong in the sense that he needs to expect criticism – we are a multiparty democracy on paper at least. Right in the sense that the opposition is fragmented and full of wamuyayas! Opposition parties should choose new leaders if they want their fortunes to improve. The current leaders have lost tone. We cannot afford to have a disjointed opposition where the likes of the Tayalis continue to behave like referees between the major opposition and the ruling illegals. On the other end, we have the elitist politicians who think only themselves can solve Zambia’s problems. Go for conventions, then you will see more clearly to offer credible checks and balances!

  20. How quickly we forget how democracy came to be! It was born out of a realization that power corrupts, and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. In a democracy, the opposition is there to provide the necessary checks and balances. It makes no difference who is ruling, there must always be an opposition. The opposition party in Botswana has never ascended to the reigns of power. It has, nonetheless, functioned effectively as the opposition, by providing the checks and balances, and by demanding for transparency. It is for that reason that, today, Botswana is one of the few countries in Africa with a transparent and virtually corrupt free government.

  21. Kumawa where domu get $42000 from my myopic friend it is $42MILLION
    Zambian citizen .they could br spread all over zambia tha is not the point. The point js the cost of $42MILLION and the process. Now GRANDVIEW is distributing fertilizer under govt tender and calls itself a FERTILIZER COMPANY?
    Tell me how does a government give a fertilizer companyba contract to buy fire engines. Now we can see why figures are dodgy,,,they have no experience in fire tenders, because rhebdescribe themselves as a fertilizer company.
    Let the investigations begin

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