Understanding the PF-UPND violence accusations and counter-accusations
Accusations and counter-accusations of violence between PF and UPND is a source of worry.
President Edgar Lungu says both PF and UPND are violent and that violence must come to end. To the contrary, UPND leadership says it is PF which is violent. Meanwhile, the UPND leadership has since called its rank and file to arms in self-defence in a tactic styled as “panga for panga”. The UPND leadership says time for its members to continue being on the receiving end and remain cry-babies, is over.
There is no doubt that PF and UPND members are bitter rivals. From the archives, it will be shown that the genesis of the rivalry is the breakup of their election pact seven years ago in February, 2011. It will further be noted that their rivalry has become a habit that can go from mere rhetoric to physical violence, to the extent killing rivals using all sorts of offensive weapons, including guns and pangas.
It started when the late President Michael Sata was at the helm of the PF. It continued when former Vice President Guy Scott was at helm of PF on ad hoc basis. It continued when President Edgar Lungu took over PF.
Even when GBM, Guy Scott, Miles Sampa, Mulenga Sata, and others crossed over to UPND, that did not make a difference. Come election time, it has been violence and more violence. So, one may argue with a high degree of certainty that the violence has little to do with President Lungu.
Other schools of thought argue HH is a problem. I personally do not think so. It has nothing to do with President HH. It is about PF, UPND and elections. Hence, the rivalry goes to extremes during the election seasons: general elections and bye-elections alike.
The rivalry is actually pathological and psychological. It is deeply ingrained in the conscience of respective members of UPND and PF emanating from the crumbled electoral pact of 2011. Ending it will require a strategic therapy like that given to a pathological liar.
To understand the sort of rivalry one needs to know what a pathological liar is. This is someone who compulsively tells lies or fabricates information out of habit. Such people tell lies without effort. It is people for whom telling a lie comes more naturally than telling the truth. They are able to look at you directly in the eyes and lie to you, mostly even without realizing it.
All pathological liars have a purpose, i.e., to decorate their own person. Usually, an ego motive is present. The main motivating reason for this habit is fear. For example, to avoid getting punished, a person starts lying, and when they see that by doing they are saved from punishment, they continue to do it, so much so that it becomes a habit deeply ingrained in their conscience.
Low self-esteem is also one of the reasons that lead to a person becoming a compulsive liar. Such people make up stories about themselves to look good in front of others; to gain pseudo-confidence in themselves; and or at least to appear confident to those around them. These lies can have a wide range of severity. Some of them are little insignificant lies, while a few others can be outrageous.
The first and most important part of the remedy is that the individual afflicted with such a problem should understand and accept this fact. As pathological habit becomes a part of them, accepting remedy also becomes actually very difficult. However, there are people who come forward themselves by accepting the fact that they have a problem which needs to be remedied. This is crucial for any treatment to be effective.
Perhaps, it will be worth drawing lessons from the late President Nelson Mandela. He appointed his bitter rival, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, as Home Affairs Minister in 1995. Not only that but he went further to appoint his arch rival as acting president during his absence from South Africa in 1997. You may recall that about 15,000 people were killed in the feuding between Mandela and Buthelezi’s supporters between 1994 and 1997.
In what political analysts said was a conciliatory gesture towards the leader of the Zulu based Inkatha Freedom Party, Mr Mandela said in a speech to Parliament: “I have decided to appoint the Minister of Home Affairs, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, as acting president of the country.”
The announcement provoked uncertain laughter in Parliament, as if members were not sure, whether Mr. Mandela, then 78, was joking.
Mr. Mandela said he was appointing Chief Buthelezi on merit. ,”He is an able and experienced leader of our country. That was the consideration . . . If it will promote reconciliation we will all be happy. But the reason is that he is a highly competent and experienced leader.”
The legislators were at first not sure whether Mr. Mandela was joking in handing his longtime rival full presidential powers. But the President said he had chosen Mr. Buthelezi because he was a ”highly competent and experienced leader.”
For his part Chief Buthelezi, the fiery leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, said he was filled with awe by the President’s gesture and hoped nothing would happen to show that he ”did not deserve such trust.” But no one seemed too concerned that he would take undue advantage of his expanded authority.
The move — an artful gesture of political reconciliation — came at a time when Chief Buthelezi seemed to have dug in his heels in peace talks to end years of bloody conflict between Mr. Mandela’s African National Congress and Inkatha, the country’s second-largest black party. The talks never yielded any tangible results.
Political analysts believe this gesture from Mandela to his arch rival is a strategy that kept Buthelezi in his coalition government of National Unity with the ruling African National Congress.
I do not believe that talks in Zambia will yield any meaningful reconciliation between UPND and PF over elections. From experience, not even church-driven talks have yielded any tangible results.
To test my thesis, what probably would work is to draw from the Mandela strategy whereby HH is nominated as MP, and subsequently appointed as Home Affairs and given unwavering power to clamp down on violence; and time and time again appointed to serve as acting President during the absence of President Lungu. But like I have stated above, pathological rivals have a purpose, i.e., to decorate their own person. Usually, an ego motive is present. The main motivating reason for this is fear. If both conquer fear, as did Mandela, this thesis can work in Zambia.
Peter Sinkamba
President
Green Party
2 July, 2018
Sinkamba is a waste of space
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Sinkamba on this one you’re wrong…you don’t just what copy what others do…you’re now getting carried away by little praise you’ve been getting for the past few weeks.So stop your nonsense day dreaming and get back to reality. Its obvious that you’re looking for employment in Lungu’s Govt but its about time you became serious
Mushota is a waste of space and ‘a wet space’.
One party system? It seems people have already forgotten the brutal regime of Mr. Kaunda.
No!!! The fundamentals for the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise are different and this would not work.
Let HH win his own presidency not one accorded him as Acting President … that would just create more problems.
Given Lubinda, Mulenga Sata, Felix Mutati, Margaret Mwanakatwe, Vincent Mwale and Bo Inonge are worthy members of the Zambian Enterprise who from time to time should be appointed as Acting President.
Let’s roll …
IT’S THE BALLOT MR. SINKABA SIR. WE HAVEN’T GOT TIME TO APPEASE A FAILURE IN THE FACE OF NUMEROUS OPPONENTS. YOUR CALL IS BAD PRECEDENCE.
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You definitely can’t compare one of Africa’s greatest leaders Madiba and his sense of reasoning to modern day leaders that includes you. Even you yourself are surprised at your call. Winner takes over. Double h’s time shouldn’t be running over. To win an election in Zambia, you have to win the hearts of the Zambians in all the corners of the 10 provinces. You have to have charisma and your message should sink ranks and files of the noble people of Zambia. No shot cuts but smart and logic.
Surprising call, a shear emphatic and energetic attempt to promote laziness. When a company’s product ages, or is fast approaching a decline stage, strategic level management start thinking or rethinking measures to revive it’s survival. When a firm’s name is dragged into the mud, they strategize; they rebrand. Even an aging corporate process calls for a BPR. Indeed when a player in a team is underperforming, a substitute is availed. Ain’t ’bout fits but policies.
I do not think Peter Sinkamba even has people to bounce off ideas before he broadcasts them to the world. He is a political party leader who is expected to have a team of people but it seems he has none. I now understand why he met Maggie Mwanakatwe alone. Not even someone to take notes during the meeting. Even Marine le Pen in France who heads a extremist party has a team.
Don’t fully agree but he has a great point. I think smoking weed can have positive effects. Well done
Using Mandela’s strategy : HH should be appointed MP,Home Affairs minister and Acting President”.How about appointing you (Sinkamba) as Home Affairs minister to end the violence?
Sinkamba seems not to know that HH does not recognize ECL as President. That was not the case with Buthelezi.
Mr SP hh wants to be president nothing else but he has no strategy. The late Levy called him and asked him to be Veep he responded that he was a business man and not interested in politics. Again when Sata invited him during the short term alliance it broke up because hh wanted sata to step aside in his own words because MCS was ‘old’. So do you now think he would accept such positions with his ‘all or nothing’ approach to life? Even his staunch inner circle are wondering what he is on about. All the people he has embraced the last being Charmine who is now with the opposition barely a month when he was campaigning for her…he is on record saying MP positions don’t matter only the number 1 seat….so its a tall order
Whatever it is you’re smoking must be very good… I need some.
On a serious note, how can HH be appointed and accept the position when he won’t let his own MPs accept any ministerial positions. That would be hypocritical of HH if he accepted any PF appointment.
Furthermore, the law is clear on who the vice president / acting president should be. That’s called a running mate. Anthing to the contrary would be unconstitutional. Therefore, HH should just wait for his time in UPND or join the winning team to have a short at what you’re suggesting.
I am laughing like those parliamentarians did in SA, entrusting HH with acting presidential position? next it will be Pachifentelo ck being violent, he should be the acting VP when mama inonge wina is out of country? the author of this article has truly studied how to be a pathological liar, knowing very well HH can never win, we should now hand him instruments of power whenever our president is out of the country? HH should get back to farming… im breaker and I approve this message
This is offal! We don’t need this failure and violent propagating chronic loser anywhere near PF or government. It is like bringing a desperate man who wants your wife to live with you! He will get your wife when you are away! HH does not need anything and do not promote him or help him into power! He needs the presidency nothing else! Sadly, he will NEVER have it! He has no strategy to get it! He is a leader of tribal grouping and has brought evil to a nation than we ever knew violence.
Peter Sinkamba, evil smoking’ slightly normal yesterday but weed today yainduka Hagain! Hopeless so-called Presidents of opposition parties in Zambia, Childish! All of ’em!
Mandela was simply a tool as a President…its no surprise RSA is in this mess of land reforms and its black people are still not yet awaken.
The same messy country your messy thief wants to topple Zambia’s legitimate government?
A chronic loser being helped to gain entry through the back door! He must have dropped some brown envelopes to the hungry weed eater! Stolen money which now is in Panama.
The same messy country your messy thief wants to topple Zambia’s legitimate government?
Peter Sinkamba, I didn’t know that you had a humorous side to you, the piece on h.h was really hilarious!!!!
I can see that even the usually stone faced jj is laughing where he is!! Uziba chabe ma disciples ya ba h.h!
You don’t know who Hichilema is, he can’t serve below anybody. The Pact you’ve referred to failed because Hichilema refused to recognize Sata as the senior partner. PF had 48 MPs against UPND’s 26. Ask your sister Nawakwi why the UDF failed
This cannot work here as there are different ideologies at play. Look at what happened in the coalition government in Zimbabwe whereby Morgan Tsvangirai was always undermined by Mugabe and never given the freedom to operate independently .
Your hh is not a competent & capable leader. Yes, the only comparison between buthlezi & your hh is that they both thrive on tribal support.
Peter Sinkamba wants to appear intelligent yet he is a waste of space. How do you run a political party without representation even at ward level?? Social media politicians, ba koswe bo panda muchila, Sinkamba should stop smoking a spliff!!!
Savior Chishimba wants to get the mayoral job through the ballot. Feeling the people’s choice heat. Let your hh also try lower rank positions like MP. He is an MP level material not presidetial I guess analogous to Lionel Messi in soccer. Messi is not a world cup winner but a club hero material. You can’t honestly make your mouth, no matter how careful, trade with beef bones at the expense of milk when you are a political baby. My honest opinions is that hh should try councillorship in Namwala.
WARNING though.
He must be watched against cutting huge chunks of customary land for himself as a councillor. That behavior is not councillor material either. Leaving us concluding that hh is definitely not a politician but businessman.
Make HH Minister of Agriculture
Zambian political party leaders, instead of campaigning for themselves, you see them make HH popular…kkkk You all are looking for big jobs. sell yourselves. Even those I thought to be principled, tgey have even started going for Mayorship, I do not know whether its to test dribbling skills of the Z people…kkkk. People can not risk to fight so hard to lead others. They have seen more than can see the electorates..kkk
infact, we will thwart every move made by opposers with our new look ZNS recruits fromEastern and Luapula. Then if w through you in cells this time around, we will deal with you with our newly recruited Warders of the same family like ZNS. Intending to add to the list of securing the country by recruiting more in the police service. Violene….violence….. Be gentle or else! You will use the ladies .. .!
HH home affairs minister!!! You want Tongas and Lozis to flood police service again? Sinkamba….hiiiii…
If only people could for once seriously analyse the 2016 elections, they would realize that the current government cannot prove that they authentically won. This is the route cause of the ongoing disagreements between PF and UPND. Those supporting the PF want to believe that elections were genuinely won even in the face of all the evidence that showed questionable activities from their party. UPND on the other hand believe they won. If only courts of law could be trusted to provide the much needed direction at this moment without hiding behind ‘technicalities’…
Sinkamba just blow away. Pleasing a bitter political leader is not part of our Constitution. HH should just come to terms with reality that he’s not the only opposition leader in Zambia or is more special than others. Just disappear.
Sinkamba is light years ahead most of us. He appears to have a sixth or seventh sense or something like that. He reads the game way ahead most of us. Hence, it takes years. But he is always proven right in the long run. I just like his clarity of thought. He speaks without fear or favour.
I totally agree with him on this one. The main problem is the electoral pact between the two and their power-sharing agreement which both refused to publicly disclose. Unless, and until the power-sharing agreement is publicly disclosed by either of the two parties, and unless and until it is implemented or repudiated by both, a solution will not be found. The fighting will continue. It is a cause and effect phenomenon. You cant resolve issues by healing the effect and leave the cause unattended…
25 hectares of land for sale in chisamba district 80km away from Lusaka in chipembi area, contact 0979440154, WhatsApp 0963088322, email [email protected]
Lets not be myopic on this one. We have all seen violence within PF: Lungu versus Sampa. I have not heard of any violence within UPND period.
UPND founder president Mazoka is believed to have been poisoned by fellow UPND members, not PF members. Sejani told the nation that only a Tonga will preside over UPND. Mapatizya formular is a UPND violence strategy….so what do you talking about?
This weed smoker didn’t even know what Mandela did!
@Ha Chimutengo, you Ha right! Sorry, Ha Left!
UPND founder president Mazoka is believed to have been poisoned by fellow UPND members, not PF members. Sejani told the nation that only a Tonga will preside over UPND. Mapatizya formular is a UPND violence strategy….so what do you talking about?
I. Thought one should have mentioned the petition and the right to be heard to find out if UPND had won the elections. I am against of giving HH a position
Too much ibange in his guts, this Sinkamba.
I do agree with Peter Sinkamba in some way. HH should have been given a position. Of course not in Sinkamba’s way. My thinking is that there is need to recognise someone who comes second in presidential election. He or she has to be the leader of the opposition in parliament,.If refuses or is retiring from politics his or her running mate can take up the position. If also turns down position it can be passed on to the third position person.