Thursday, March 28, 2024

Animal Farm – Zambia Version

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By Andrew Kapya

When I saw pictures of Amos Chanda’s Matebeto last weekend, my mind went back in time and I remembered the cartoon that was made from George Orwell’s animal farm. For those that have not read the book or watched the cartoon, Animal farm is a satire that mocks the revolution in the USSR. The majority of people supported the revolution in hopes of a better life where everyone was equal but alas the ruling class had become exactly the same as the people they chased away.

In my humble opinion, we have had a revolution one too many. I will take you back to 1991 when the whole country rallied behind Chiluba and the MMD. I was a kid then but goodness me, it was exciting. There was so much hope you could touch it with your hands. Screams of “the hour has come” where everywhere. Finally we were going to have democracy and a fair country where we were all equal with equal opportunities for everyone.

Fast forward 4 years we started seeing the same traits we hated of the UNIP ruling class. The new ruling class was just as corrupt if not worse. In fact they were worse; I mean they were completely shameless. Who remembers Sata and Remmy Mushota trying to walk out of the Bank of Zambia with 2 billion kwacha in cash? Do you remember the Carrington Maize scandal of Nawakwi, Mezaf Flats? Privatization while necessary became an opportunity to loot. Overnight these guys become stinking rich.

It took us 20 years to decide enough is enough and Zambians were by then fed up and just wanted change. So we found a new motto “Pabwatooo” oh yes and “Donchi Kubeba”. Again exciting times. The Whole line of rail was green. Mr. Action man was coming to power. He was experienced, visionary and a no -nonsense man. “But this guy was corrupt” some shouted, “He is the guy of the 2 billion scandal and Mezaf flats”. And the majority screamed “ Just shut up iwe, we want change and he is Mr. Action”.
And so we voted Mr. Sata into power. Granted he remained Visionary, however we saw the most disorganized government during his presidency. And yes there was no surprise when the country became even more corrupt than during the MMD times. Road construction contracts were being handed out from statehouse to family; friends and cadres who knew nothing about construction of roads. Most departments heads chosen from one part of the country. Even the judiciary was given to a relative. All of a sudden, Cadres were the most feared / important people in this country. They literary got away with murder. Fast forward to today we have people we used to know that are now stinking rich because of political patronage. They own everything in town, they are big buyers, spend weekends in Cape Town and book all rooms at Hotels for their birthday party celebrations, hire huge coaches for matebeto . Wait, these guys are looking exactly the same as the MMD we chased out. No difference. In fact the only difference is these guys are worse. They have forgotten why people voted out MMD.

I will leave it here but with a caution. Any change henceforth must be scrutinized; we must not again change for the sake of it and because we will end with the likes of whom will even be worse than the current crop. Any politician whose has corrupt background, violence, tribalism, theft etc. must never be given a chance. For power will not make them reform; It can only make them worse

Footnote:
( I have nothing against Amos Chanda and I hope that he had a good time on his special day. I was just trying to point out that modesty in leaders is key. A person struggling to buy electricity will be envious and perhaps angry when they see they guys at the top living in what can be considered excesses. People who work close to the president should be modest at least for the duration they are working in statehouse)

God bless Zambia

62 COMMENTS

    • You mean Amos of State House, all along has been sleeping ulupundu ?? is it to challenge his ex-Government Spokeswoman Mulenga Kampamba?

    • I will reserve my comments because I am being misconstrued mostly and I do not want to seem to be apologising all the time. Apologising is a sign of strength and no weakness Nubia, Waunfawa? I will not be unleashing any diatribes no more. It’s just that PF sometimes, actually mostly does my head in!

    • There is only one ANIMO FARM, please detest from H-alarming us! The Farm is in NAMWALA and and the Paramount Chief there is worshiped by the clan.

    • @1.1 Nostrad..AMATEBETO is done for an already married man to appreciate him for the time he has stayed in marriage with a woman. It is done by the inlaws to the husband! What is NOW MISTAKENLY AND COMMONLY CALLED MATEBETO IS CHILANGA MULILO!!

    • This shiit Andrew Kapya aways writting crap with distorted information ” Who remembers Sata and Remmy Mushota trying to walk out of the Bank of Zambia with 2 billion kwacha in cash?” it was NOT Sata but Remmy Mushota and Golden Madandi please get you facts right.

    • It was actually late Remmy Mushota and still-alive Patrick Katyoka and not Sata who tried to get a suitcase of cash at the Bank of Zambia.

    • I tell you what… I like this author. He puts it up so well like he is writing a thesis. He puts it across so well without offending the original message!

      Well done our Zambian man, Son of the SOIL!!!

  1. Competition in PF, challenging Kampamba Mulenga.
    Amos Chanda getting married? I thought the idyott married way back before he became a foool.
    Ugly women have no options but take anything. And that unmarriageable must be an orphan. No sane man will allow a daugter to marry such a guy.
    “… she can marry whoever she loves, she got her RIGHTS”
    Rights mussatanyokko.

    • That is what I am saying. Amos’ matebeto becomes a national issue and the taxpayer foots the bill. I don’t just get it!

    • I apologise to Amos’ wife. Am sorry poor woman, you are innocent.
      I apologise.
      I am not like Tchikkala Amos who insult abakalamba besu Ba Kambwili.

  2. The best pf can do is recalling LUNGU.

    LUNGU-MUST-GO. Those who think hh can win are just day dreamers because the tribal tag is hard nut to crack.

    People fear a tribalist more than a thief

    • What evidence is there that hh is a tribalist?

      There is plenty of evidence that Sata was a tribalist. For Lungu its even on camera.

    • What is annoying about PF they just say HH cant win elections when they are clueless on running government.Tell us why we should vote for you.You have no answer to the many challenges we face and are totally unconcerned.Whilst you galivant Mr Chanda people are suffering.Surely if you had even a half brain you would not use this time to demonstrate your ill gotten wealth.Whilst your president is being questioned about buying missile jet you are throwing away money,our money doing useless things right in the public glare.When you are out of power will you complain about people demanding answers?You are digging your own grave with your own hands…

    • President Lungu has done a great job and he will WIN HAGAIN in 2026. What you should have said is “CHILDISH MUST GO!”

    • HH is a PRIVATISATION THIEF who took the PRIVATISATION loot to an offshore tax haven called PANAMA. We fear him because he is a THIEF, a TRIBALIST, an UNDER FIVE but also because he has THREE MANSIONS – one in Kabulonga, one in Namwala and one in Monze.

    • Michael Sata got the K2bn for the MMD Congress that extended Chiluba’s term as MMD President, but the Parliamentary MMD, Civil Society and the people hooting every Friday foiled his bid for the Third Term. And it is deJavu all over again. Another power hungry hyena mu Jambo Jambo. Africa twasebana.

    • They were the same team and I don’t ever recall SATA condemning them despite being at the top in the party as secretary General.

    • At 4.1 Google please: “Two politicians have asked the Zambian Chief Justice Matthew Ngulube to probe three ministers suspected of misappropriating 2 billion kwacha from the National Assembly.
      The money was allegedly used to finance the recent convention of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD). (K3,535 = 1 US dollar). In his petition filed in Lusaka Thursday, Bwalya Ng’andu of the ruling MMD alleged the three ministers “dishonestly and unlawfully” procured 2 billion kwacha without the knowledge of any of the controlling officers in their respective ministries.
      The ministers mentioned are Godden Mandandi of Works and Supply, Peter Machungwa of Home Affairs and Katele Kalumba of Finance. Ng’andu and Dean Mung’omba, chairman for finance in the opposition Zambian…

  3. Well written Andrew. Really, why would you close to the President, be so opulent. Especially in such scandalous times. Then you have a picture of Emmanuel Mwamba, Sunday Chanda, with Amos Chanda at the Matebeto. It shows how opulent these guys are. Its really a shame and I hope and pray that time catches up with these people, their families, and their President. Its a matter of time, please enjoy while you can because Karma is a B*&^%$!

  4. Ba Andrew, your thoughts are well laid out and I agree with what you write but I think that to use Amos Chanda’s example here is over the top. I could be wrong because I never attended the said matebeto nor did I see the pictures but from the picture above hiring a bus to ferry drum beating and traditional food carrying women to some function should not be misconstrued as excesses. Additionally unless if matebeto has a different meaning to different grouping of people in this country, it is organised by the wife’s family to thank the man for having kept their daughter well. Both Chilanga Mulilo and matebeto are organised as such and it would be highly unusual to fund one’s own matebeto.

    • Imwe naimwe,these people even fund their own adverts congratulating themselves for “passing”,what makes you think he cant fund his own matebeto?But dont worry we shall find out.These will be treated worse than Chiluba’s people,the combination of dullness and arrogance will take them to Chimbokaila

    • Pakudya you have spoken. It seems the writer did not know what he was writing about. So it is chanda who was taking matebeto to his wife’s relations. Yes things may be wrong here and there but put facts straight. So in this posting there is jealous and luck of facts. Ask the wife to chanda where she got the money to hire that bus. But that is also offer line. Rubbish article

  5. Then we remove Edgar and place another privatisation thief HH? No ways!
    We need someone else!
    Kalaba or KBF!
    Hope they are not tainted!

    • I am umu Bemba nkonko,but i dont want a Bemba or Easterner,let HH take it,rather a competent tribalist than an incompetent visionless leader,we are sufferring,just chew the crumbs from the great leader’s table…

    • @ Nigga

      KBF was also suspended by LAZ and ECL “help” him get his practicing certificate restored. You have already forgotten who “opened the doors of the High Court at 02.00” which led to Endemically Corrupt Leader of Panga Family becoming president of Chizambia?
      As to “Honourable” (LoL) Kalaba, we are still waiting for the results of allegedly taken “Court Action against NYPD” and spilling the truth about his Cabinet fellow corrupt plunderers.
      Regarding HH, all what you can say is just unsubstantiated CRAP. All this years of accusation and yet, no trace of evidence?

  6. Corruption scandals: Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans Corruption scandals: Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans

    All reading well until the “footnote”. The ‘footnote’ zeroes everything you have written above it. Why apologize to the selfish thieves. And yes there are probably better examples of their greedy and looting than ‘matebeto’. What is ‘mateveto’ again anyway? Is he getting married or he’s celebrating many years of marriage?

    Zambians like to show off, even if their material luxuries are proceeds of crime.

    By the way I would argue, nothing or no one could be any worse than these corrupt monkey thieves.

  7. this man sounds like he hated mr sata so much that he even brings the wrongs of some one else to be that of mr sata.

    • Suban
      I did not hate Sata i hated his demonstrated incompetence and for me my greatest regret is that he took the easy way out,how i wish i could ask him today..”..so who is the cabbage now…?”

  8. Andrew Kapya

    Please do not alarm the publc out of jealous. Amos is a public figure who has many well-wishers and being the president`s spokesperson, that alone gives him an opportunity to meet people who are even ready to fund his matebeto. Amos Chanda worked at the Zambian Embassy in London before taking up the post in Zambia. For sure he has travelled on several trips with the president and do you expect him to carry out his duties for free. My niece had a matebeto even much better than Amos Chanda`s matebeto so what is so special that it should become a national news. God forbid grow up Andrew Kapya.

    • Next you will be telling us that lungu has many well wishers that have given him the many 10s of millions of $ in his accounts ???

    • Khumalo
      Akulyeni fye this insensitivity to the cries of the citizens people like you will realise when it is too late that you should have listened,i hope when the day comes you will be escorting Amos to court,mwilalyafye,elo mwila supporter fye,you are killing your friend.Obviously i know am wasting my time PF cadres are just too dull to be advised…

  9. Bembas pray Sata like Tongas do this “disabled”, and yet it’s true that Sata was a thief, a tribalism & a serious dectator. The disabled is a thief from his back ground. Lungu is another criminal that slipped through. So were to Zambia? Kambwili is another greedy thief hoping for his day to harvest. People like fube, that former foreign affairs chap are unknowns who always end up surprising once they are in office such that only their tribesmen will back them.

  10. Jealous Dog….. Amos is not the only person in Zambia to host Matebeto you fool.
    Ask you wife’s family to do it for you and stop being jealous…

  11. The joke is upon the Zambians…
    The ball is in our court…
    This article is fairly balanced and well written…..

  12. All those *****s are cheats. Let us have HH though I am not in his party. He is a more reformed and civilised character. He is not a carder type. And he is not going to be looking for money so nobody will surround him to sway him into looting together.
    These burgars are looting with the Head who never tested good moneys in his life or never even imagined that could happen.

  13. What vision did sata have ? Borrowed Money in your pockets in 3 months ?
    That illiterate old man thought Zambia can borrow without any limits , he was so dum that he made a convicted fraudster , lungu , justice minister…..only in a country ruled by thugs can a fraud convict be made justice minister.

    Making lungu justice minister was like making general kanene team leader of the girl guides in Lusaka……

  14. Ama jealousy Ba mumbwe. this happens on a daily basis. We had a similar issue just last week and we hired a bus to take people to deliver food.

    • Albert
      I hope that you will tell that to the court when you are being prosecuted for corruption.Tell the court in your defence that the people are just jealous

    • everything ni corruptionyet you cannot point at anything or bring out tangible evidence. Start working had ba mambala on your own and don’t expect anyone to come and put food on your 3 legged table. how many presidents have ruled Zambia and how many brought you kalundwe to kokota?

  15. Hey guys you don’t expect everyone to be the same, do you believe that everyone is unique in this world? The have and the have not are always there in different camps. You think all the PF cohorts earnings combined could make a difference? Remember that they work and do business on the side just like you are doing. Talk about the have not; the world is really unfair, anyhow, let’s us work hard to sustain ourselves. The little that you can do makes a difference. Let’s not wait for opportunistic measures to take place for us to make a difference. We all round in the rural settings and the town suburbs and we see what people subsist on. However, it’s difficult but not impossible to help out. Anyhow, how many can one, two, three hands help out of poverty? Let’s use our innovations to…

  16. The problem we have is that we chose poor people,in the developed country any one who is contesting elections as a president needs to have money already as required by the constitution, reason for this is that if u do have money already there is no need for u to steal govt funds to fund ur personal life style, the problem in Africa is that we put on poor people in the presidency,take SA, they put on Zuma the man had debts up to the neck next thing we know there is state Capture so that he amasses wealth for him and his family,this alone set the country back ten years due to corruption, any I personally think that if u can make ur own money and succeed before u join politics u will be a successful politician

    • Advice to ECL is simple fire those corrupt elements around you like Kampyongo, Kaizer, Amos, Chitotela, the same way SATA fired Wynter Kabimba and HH won’t stand a chance (the same way SATA fired Wynter, it was celebrated countrywide).
      If you compare ECL and HH, you will find that if you ignore what ECL has done people generally like ECL more because he is likeable and sort of a man of the people. These corrupt men are obviously his friends but what he can do is to send them into diplomatic service or something.

  17. Let’s give HH a shot st the presidency , he might be the chosen one to lift us out of this hole. I am Namwanga , all I want is a better Zambia

  18. I have to agree with the foot note. While these guys close to the presdo are earn good salaries and have good allowances, they should be modest because people are watching them

  19. LET US CALL A SPADE SPADE SATA WAS MORE THAN CORRUPT AND SO CROOKED. PERIOD.REMEMBER,THE MERZAF FLATS?THOSE HOUSES WERE NOT FINISHED.BENE SHARON U RE BUSY POINTING AT HH TO HAVE STOLEN SATA WAS BEING PROTECTED BY CHILUBA. SATA WAS A BAD MAN.WITH ALOT OF WOMEN.MHRIP. BUT HE DID MORE HARM & CADRELISM WAS BROUGHT BY HIM.NAWALA.IF U OPPOSED CHILUBAS THIRD TERM SATA WOULD FIGHT U.NEWSTEAD ZIMBAS TAKE AWAY WHICH WAS AT UTH WAS ROOTED BY CADRES FELLIED BY KING COBRA!THIS MAN WAS SOMETHING ELSE.

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