Lusaka Lawyer Kelvin Fube Bwalya has appealed to President Edgar Lungu, as Commander in Chief to halt the planned investigations against UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema in the interest of the nation.
In his write up about the happenings surrounding the alleged sale of the Zambia Forestry And Forest Industries Corporation Limited, Mr. Fube noted if Zambians destroy each other and destroy the country, it will be that much harder to recover as a nation.
He said the recent ZAFFICO riots are just a tip of the iceberg of the many bottled-up frustrations simmering in a growing majority of Zambians.
Here is the full statement
FROM THE DESK OF:
Kelvin Fube Bwalya – KBF,
30 Bwinjimfumu Road, Rhodes Park, Lusaka, Zambia.
Sunday 11/11/18
ZAMBIA IS BIGGER THAN INDIVIDUALS..
ZAFFICO is just a trigger being exploited!
Dear countrymen and women, I greet you all.
It is my sincere hope that government is aware that the recent ZAFFICO riots are just a tip of the iceberg of the many bottled-up frustrations simmering in a growing majority of Zambians. Having observed an escalation in tensions building towards Wednesday 14 th November 2018, I am persuaded to appeal to each one of us to introspect.
It will be folly for us as a people to ignore the current social and economic distress sweeping across the nation. We must realize that what affects one of us affects all of us without choosing one’s tribe, gender, vocation or political affiliation.
There is no act more senseless than when brothers and sisters allow differences in opinion to divide them to the extent of willfully seeking to bring harm to one another. We must take a deliberate decision to liberate ourselves from all the prejudicial classifications of tribe, political party, social standing and gender to find our common thread of belonging to this one country to which we share and hold a common responsibility to foster peace, love and prosperity.
We must realize that we fight only because we have been fooled into believing that we cannot co-exist. We must remember that there is no special shop, no special market, no special hospital for PF cadres. Nor is there a special shop, special market or special hospital for UPND cadres.
There is no special place where the soldiers or the police or the nurses or the teachers or any other set of people will go to make their lives any different from the lives of all other people. This is because what affects any one of us affects every one of us.
Whether you are a marketeer, bus driver, taxi driver, commuter, working professional, student or ordinary unclassified Zambian, the price of what you need in life will not be different from what any other fellow Zambian will pay.
We have let our poverty control us and blind us to the fact that if we stop fighting each other and unite to fight this scourge by embracing one another and leveraging that which is good and strong about each other, we will free ourselves from its shackles.
We are so willing to fight each other only because as a people we are suffering, struggling and currently see no hope. We have for over fifty years failed to realize our potential as a country and in hard time cycles such as these our frustrations grow and our tolerance levels reduce.
We must however, remember that we are one people and the nation of Zambia cannot be Zambia without all of us. Or country needs us as much as we need it and we must therefore choose to do that which is right by Zambia. We cannot choose to destroy each other and by extension destroy our beautiful nation.
Zambians must never prepare to do battle against other Zambians.
Unless some of our politicians have become so detached from reality and from the people of Zambia, any Zambian politician worth his salt is aware that there is growing disgruntlement and disappointment among Zambians over the state of affairs of our nation.
The hard truth is that our citizens in general are unhappy and frustrated about the management and direction of the country. Some people might hope that this is unique to urban areas only. Unfortunately, our people in rural areas are equally expressing the same sentiments of frustration and disappointment. What is worth noting is the fact that this is a national issue and my appeal is that we put cheap politics aside and treat it as such.
In circumstances such as our nation finds itself in, the natural inclination for politicians is to draw bold lines along adversarial party affiliations. One party will tend to take on the defensive and arrogant posture whilst the group on the other side of the divide takes on the posture of blaming and exaggerating the failures of the other side without offering any clear solutions to the challenges. With this approach, it is very easy to miss the main issue and get caught up in political trivialities and semantics whether intentionally or unintentionally.
We end up taking our eyes off the ball and instead of dealing with issues that are pertinent to our people; we get caught up in political smoke screens. For instance; all of a sudden, who incited the riots blindfolds us and takes precedence over why our people rioted in the first place. For the sake of our nation, I submit that we soberly reflect on the state of our nation with genuine intention to redirect our country. From the broad spectrum of Zambians that I have had a chance to interact with, the following issues form the core of what is afflicting and agitating the Zambian people in general:
- 1. Unemployment is too high and is the major reason for the high poverty levels being experienced in the country.
- Our economy has too many burdensome policies for the citizens.
- There is a general feeling that government is contracting huge debt for non-priority construction projects at seriously inflated prices and passing the burden to citizens.
- When government is calling for belt tightening amongst the citizens and civil servants, there is absolutely no evidence that senior government officials holding political offices are tightening their belts.
- Citizens are bottling up frustrations as they are being denied their critical rights of assembly and freedom of expression.
- Good governance and rule of law in the country is deteriorating.
- Agricultural performance has been dangerously poor and consistently negatively affected citizens in the rural areas.
- There is a consistent and constant failure by government to communicate national issues effectively to avoid unnecessary suspicions.
- There is a strong perception that our President has been held hostage by a small group of self-serving individuals.
- Citizens believe the President is not fully aware of the true state of the nation.
If as the ruling party, we don’t sober up and get to the bottom of these and many other issues of concern, shifting the blame will not make the situation any better. We can harass or arrest all those with opposing views, but without addressing the real issues, we will only succeed at mobilizing the Zambian people against President Lungu and the PF Party as a whole.
I hereby call on the PF Party and government to make a clear distinction between politics of intimidation and good governance. We, as PF are the ruling party and are entirely responsible for the state and direction of this nation. All other politicians, disgruntled elements and opposition political parties can be excused for their rumbling and political gymnastics. For us on the other hand, our actions and decisions affect every citizen regardless of their political affiliations. When the economy is not doing well, it is our responsibility to rectify the situation.
When the rule of law breaks down in the nation, it is not the fault of criminals or the opposition. The onus is squarely on us to bring back law and order. There is no excuse and there is no blaming any other party or personality. We are responsible and we better shape up and marshal the political will and unity of purpose to bring this nation back on track.
It is a known fact that the current opposition has failed to demonstrate to Zambians that they have better programs for this country. The people of Zambia are therefore still looking to the party that promised lower taxes and more money in their pockets. It is not too late to steer the boat towards the shores of prosperity.
We must also accept that though the buck stops with the President, running a country is not a one man show and the need for the President to be surrounded by an able team of noble, selfless and patriotic men and women cannot be overemphasized.
Going by the state of our nation today, it is my humble submission, on behalf of many Zambians and PF members, that perhaps it is time to have a sober look at what kind of policies we are pursuing and who is responsible for implementing them.
We only have one Zambia and if we do not guard against her destruction the country we know and the great future it holds will cease to be. Whatever our challenges and frustrations, I ask all the people of Zambia to believe me when I say the solutions to our problems lie within us. The solutions are there. To this end, I humbly appeal to my President His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, as commander in chief, to in the interest of the nation, halt the planned investigations against the UPND President.
I believe that if we destroy each other and destroy the country, it will be that much harder to recover as a nation. Let us immediately begin to make all things about Zambia and not about the political parties to which we belong. Let us move away from blaming each other and move towards consulting and correcting each other.
Without a noble and honorable unity of purpose, it shall be very difficult to get to the Promised Land. We may see it, but never reach it. Each and every person willing to willfully cause violence and chaos knows the difference between right and wrong and any Zambian who plans violence on another Zambian knows that it is wrong and unpatriotic and that Zambian has the power to do what is right and patriotic.
It is up to us to choose what kind of future we want for our children. Let us make the deliberate decision to stop fighting each other and begin to fight the poverty that surrounds us. Let us fight towards having enough for each one of us and enough left over to sell beyond our borders.
I urge all of us to choose Peace, Love and Unity.
May God bless us all and may God bless our beloved nation Zambia.
I Remain KBF.
It’s not President Lungu who summoned him.
Useless KBF
It’s not President Lungu who told Hachi Hakala to incite the masses to riot.
Let Kainde dance to his own tune he’s a rebel.
SURELY NOT UNTIL PEOPLE BREAK EACH OTHER’S NECKS THATS WHEN WE REALISE HOW BAD THIS CAN LEAD TO.
No one in Zambia gets arrested without consent of Lungu.
Do you know how much these investigations into HH will cost?
There will be meeting after meeting, and a lot of sitting allowances.
HH will be jailed for a while, and charges will get dropped (because Lungu is a humble man blah blah blah).
Meanwhile, the damage this will cause Zambia will be immeasurable.
I don’t like KBF in person, but I like his thinking and writing.
But since Ba Edgar has such a thick heart all these guys are adding more and more hatred towards HH.
1 month after National day of Prayers. For nothing.
So not all PF members are PF00Ls??
I’m shocked to find a PF member who isn’t a brainwashed/zombie who worships their small god Lungu.
It’s not fair to bring Lungu into this. HH with his loose month has caused this on himself again. He’s not special let him answer the questions. There’s nothing political here if he’s guilty he’s guilty Kwasila. Lungu did not put words in hhs mouth. What you say can cause fire or bring peace unfortunate for hh he always want war in the country he wish to rule.
Right on … I have said once and I will say it a million times. Sometimes the best tools against our adversaries are nothing but silence.
Just ignore them and you declare them irrelevant. ECL was very good at this at the beginning but somehow somewhere something happened and he started using words like “the foolish one”.
He (ECL) started losing me when he started losing his cool. We all HH is nothing but a dignified clown; why bother with him? I want my Edgar back!!! Great penmanship KBF!!! Spot on … let’s roll!!!
Zambia Is Greater Than Any Single One Of Us ~ B R Mumba, Sr.
Who exhumed this copse?
KBF tell him is he has eyes let him see,He should not blame us when he is in salt.He will have no place to run to.
Animo FArm never stops to amaze me. MENTAL is not above the law. He need to go to a MENTAL INSTITUTION somewhere near MUKOBEKO.
Mr Fube as a lawyer you know what an investigation means. It can clear the suspects name or convict him /her. If it is not done people may continue believing that HH actually instigated the riots. Let’s not play politics.
@Ndanje, iwe naiwe how can HH incite people on copperbelt?? Riots were on copperbelt not Lusaka, not Southern province. When did people in Kalulushi turn to UPND?
whoever announced that ZAFFICO will be privatized should be is one to be investigated.
Nostradamus. ..don’t play ignorance. Simple example is if a house is burgled the first suspect is the occupant but how can someone break into his own? But that’s how the police work. As for your man being in Lusaka. ..example Mr Justin Chimba was Zambia’so High Commissioner to Kenya but was able to organize UPP from there and the OP had to travel to Nairobi to arrest him. Some of these things are not difficult to understand but your mind is set to criticize government even when they have done good. Let the police prove that your man was behind the riots or let your man prove his innocence.
@Ndanje, but are the people of the Copperbelt so dull to be incited by HH? Why are PF now insulting the “clever” people of CB?
It’s naive to presume that the CB people are dull hence their being easily incited. Not that this the case but HH has got enough supporters on the CB to carry out his “instructions “. It’s not up to me to convince you but you have to accept that the truth can only be established after an investigation.
Shikulu amuti shani???
Taleni bapeniko inkomaki ya menshi limbi bala sosako ifikwete ubupilibulo busuma not what he is saying.
PF has abandoned campaigns in Roan Consitituency. By-elections on copperbelt kaili, PF will get 2%.
KBF for presido!!!! He makes sense!!
You never learn…have you seen the sports cap KBF wears “Money Team” and you want him to President like that lazy thing in State House.
KBF for president??? Ask LAZ how many times this crook has been debarred for stealing his clients’ money. They have lost count
They all seem very humble to start with.
Look at the humble one, as a good example.
Who would have thought he would be interested in getting rich quickly? We all thought this scruffy looking man might be best placed to succeed King Cobra.
Look now the problems he has put us in.
He went from scruffy man drinking in Shebeens, to a VVVVVIP that is now the richest man in the land.
Fube Fube
KBF L!tole. He looks like Sata’s son with no brains. Every crime or suspected crime must be investigated regardless who the suspects are. Does it mean if HH murders someone tomorrow the Police should wait for the commander in chief to instruct them what to do in the interest of the nation? What about all the voiceless people that are rotting in Zambian prisons? What should the commanders in-chief do about them iwe ch!kala KBF?
With you there my brother …. I’m so wondering how that a seasoned lawyer can say that!
And Vespers why is the police quiet?
It’s common knowledge that PF cadres hardly ever manage to distinguish sense from nonsense. How on earth can you dispute this great piece of literature? KBF you couldn’t have put it any better, anyway!
Sense
Fube, Fube. Which majority of Zambians are you talking about. Yes things may not be as great but let’s not exaggerate.
Who Brought war is Zambia?I don’t Teacher.Have ever heard a Gun shot.Mu Zambia ubupuba bwa chilamo.Leave HH alone wina Azania oil.
KBF you are very intelligent and wise. I like the love you have for this country. I like your genuine view of the current status of governance in our country. You are such a rare citizen who is so honest about the political atmosphere in the country despite being a member of PF.
KBF will be kicked out of the party as 2021 approaches by MCC and SG Mwila watch this space!!
KBF, the country needs to know the truth. Let HH tell Zambians how Zaffico has been sold. HH shud give Zambians evidence.
I salute you KBF. Uli mwaume. You speak up unlike other men in Zed. We have a nation full of impotent cowards.
Kelvin, this is not the right time to score political mileage. You seem to be engulfed in the need for your own ambitions. Ambitions are good for as long as they do not compromise national security & integrity. Kelvin you have thrown around a lot of statements, but your own words have confused you and the main reason is that you have a hidden agenda. What you have written is not what you mean. As a lawyer one expects that you will respect the rule of law and also allow the other wing of Govt to do its work. If your ambition is that of a president of our great nation, you must start by acknowledging the separation of powers. And that is what we have always yearned for. If as lawyer, you are in the fore front sending mixed messages then we do not know what your leadership qualities are. We…
If as lawyer, you are in the fore front sending mixed messages then we do not know what your leadership qualities are. We acknowledge that a leader will emerge from within among us but let us be truthful and insightful and not inciteful.
This sounds like Emmanuel Mwamba!
I said this and will say again, any opposition leader or aspiring leader with any brains will crucify PF on the 40 % unemployed for which they can not answer.
That is the Achilles heel of PF and and lungu, the mother if all their problems and the pink elephant in the room…..
All this debt , corruption talk , PF can ignore, but 40 % unemployment ?? No way. The people’s lives are directly affected.
Game on.
Spaka.
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HH and MMD cause the unemployment not PF
Is it HH and MMD that has spent $17 billion in infrastructure instead of manufacturing ???
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The impending arrest is political hence it should be halted, simple!
A very well written appeal sir to the head of state. Looking at some of the blogger s comments I ask myself if these people are thinking of the peace in our country or the trouble that can escalate from this. I salute you KBF.
What is there to investigate? HH said it on radio on the Copperbelt that ZAFFICO has been sold to the Chinese and this incited some Kitwe residents to take to the streets to riot. But anyway no one would be surprised if ZAFFICO was sold off. What about the Mines? Are we the ones managing them? Both the Mines and ZAFFICO deal with our natural resources
We all know the culprit behind the mines, the one and only HH that sold our mines for undervalue pricing.
And whose decision was it to sell the Mines? HH? We all know the final authority on everything in this country is the President
Let the police do there job without politics .No one should be above the law and don’t use politics to bring unlawness .
Another bitter saul…..kkkkk
KBF, talk Akainde out of bitterness and lies. They say prevention is better than cure so says the Namwangas. Achizima.
A real man will staye his position clearly not hinding in setiments.
Bitter saul, let the police do their job.
Maybe HH has facts that can serve Zambia on this issue, let the be applied accordingly.
KBF please just prepare to answer charges from PF central committee, let HH handle his issues.
He might as well cancel all cases against many poor Zambians languishing in jail.
KBF is addressing his own frustrations. For your information KBF, the government has laws and any human being breaking the law need to face the law period. What wrong with lawyers. You only do and judge as it suites you? Noooooo! You are wrong. I have one question for you KBF. How are you going to address HH who has chosen to heighten his provocation? HOW. You chaps have this foreigner into another monster and you want us to remain quite while he pees all over us? Sometime a nation has to face realities if it means ukuiponona, so be it. We cannot continue like this anymore.
KBF counsel is ok but I find it bias in the way it is structured. Next time when you want to advise, please address also the opposition leaders to be factual in a way they are criticizing government.
Opposition leaders must demonstrate maximum caution and be there to promote fairness and the rule of law by engaging in issue based politics. They must also start telling us there plans.
1. We want to hear how the opposition leaders are going deal with China if they formed government.
2. We want to hear how they fight corruption.
3. How they are going to create employment for Zambians with technological advancements.
4. How agriculture is going to be different to the current situation.
5. We want to hear how free education will implemented.
The current politics are just…
But KBF has said opposition is not giving tangible alternatives and is just exaggerating issues, so how can you say KBF be balanced. If you know how to write I suppose you know how to read. Just go through again
In case you are not aware this man has a call-out from PF central committe, hence this baised write-up.
I believe number 9 and 10 could be true….
Point 3 and 4 also true……
Yaba , thanks KBF. You can laugh and drop dead in this country, how surely can HH influence those chaps in Kamitondo, Buchi, Chimwemwe, racecourse and the rest to rise. Though I am not UPND, it is actually sad to see paid PF comments posted to get past the hunger. One will be embarrassed during cross examination in court, mark my words! Thanks KBF, vey sober and balanced thinking
Okay, in all this, lets not loose site that we have a shelter on the dual carriage way worth, 4.3 million dollars, 43 million kwacha rebased and 43 billion kwacha non rebased. The shelter has been named a toll plaza. Can you remember
Just talk about unemployment, lungu and the PF have no answers ….the depts they have racked up are impressive and scare every one away…
They were hoping for foringners to provide employment for zambians this is not forth comming , so they tax the over taxed, there is very little money to spend by citizens but investores look at disposable incomes of the people which as of now is squeezed ……..
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Another fake want to be Chiluba is KBF. AT least Chiluba had the presence. HH like all other Zambians is not above the law.
Iwe ka KBF, according to trib.al Hacks you are just a bemba monkey making political campaigns.
Shut up!! Ukupunama swi.ne!!
Tell lungu opening a toll gate is not the same as opening a factory or manufacturing plant, he thinks they are the same….
Provide jobs badala…..
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Professionalism in the conduct of investigations must be upheld, regardless of individual or entity involved. If it is a poor man involved in stealing, then there is need to respect professional ethics. If it is rich man involved, then there is need to respect professional ethics. If it is opposition involved, the again there is need to apply professional ethics. No stones will be left upturned in order to get to the bottom of the matter , i.e., to establish the truth. The call to exempt opposition leaders from due process of the law is strange, coming from lawyers. Fore warned, is fore armed. Opposition leaders will not hide behind the finger because the Opposition does not have monopoly over morality.
Good point ba KBF. But it takes two tangle. In whose interest when HH incites people rise against each other. Lungu allowed for discontinuation of treason case, they found weakness in that that they had no case. Namwala issue is the same. This one again. In whose interest is HH inciting the people? Indeed, people know what is going on there is no need to pour petrol on it otherwise its fire 4 fire. There is need to put a stop. Let not HH taken advantage of the soft stop in govt and abuse it. It’s not fair. For this one let him answer after all madam Scotland will come and speak for him.
H H knows better how people benefit if they sale the company he has experience when they sold mines
HH has been summoned by police to produce evidence that Zaffico has been sold whose statement was recorded not that he incited riots and the police are just doing there job to accord the opportunity to clear himself,so why drag the president Lungu into this ba KBF .HH is just an ordinary citizen who is answerable to the law
Zambia is a Land Governed by Law, The President can’t intervene in the normal course of the Law enforcement action. That would be known as obstruction of justice. Also no one is above the Law, where impropriety has been committed the Law must take its natural course. This thing of peddling lies for political gain has to stop. Because sooner or later it will lead to loss of life. Life is too precious to be sacrificed for politics.
So it’s ok for the republican president to INTERFER with police work in this case? When will it be not OK please njebeniko?
I fight for a politician, i end up DEAD or in UTH icu with no oxygen. Meanwhile the politician am fighting for is flow to SA or India. Atase …i love my life.
KBF You have spoken a lot of sense this time a round. For me this is why I sadly miss Levy [MHSRIP] . levy changed the Zambian economy because he was paying too much on criticism and he could work on the things he was being criticised for at the end of the day he became a darling to everyone. I do remember correctly but I stand to be corrected if I miss some digits. At the time the late President passed on, the dollar rate was at K295. Some were there. So people let us sober up as a nation. Fighting will not take us any where. One point you must remember is that HH is not alone he has sympathisers of which not one can determine how they can react. Remember the votes put together against the the sitting President are more than the sitting president’s votes. Thus , I beg the powers that be…
…don’t forget to mention that Levy presided over the highest copper rates this country ever experienced. He inherited a $4bn economy that suddenly had unbudgeted for income due to record copper prices. With all the investment in our mines, our gdp grew exponentially. But what industry did Levy set up to that would exist after his death??
Your HH my dear Tongas did not decide to sell the mines, but was in the privatization committee that over saw the privatization process! And all those in the committee used the Bemba proverb “Ubomba mwibala adya mwibala!” But the problem was they over did it by saying eating even the seed capital! Leaving Zambia and 99 percent Zambians bare, poor! The problem is with Tongas , to them because HH is Tonga, he didn’t steal, but Valentine Chitalu , who was privatization committee chairman, and in the eyes of Tongas , stole! Because he’s not Tonga! This is why Tongas will never be popuplar in this country because they protect each other on the basis of being Tonga! A Bemba will never support a fellow Bemba on basis of tribal even if he’s a thief! Food for thought for Tongas!
Please advise this moron with 0IQ properly coz looks like he has !diots for advisors coupled with his alcohol damaged little brain maybe if someone sober spoke to him it might get through that thickness via the large fcuken gap on the teeth that he has
Zaffico reminds of the fire tender.
Don’t say or comment
Our constitution enables us human rights and freedom of expression, but the same constitution enables us to be accountable and be held accountable for our own actions. Therefore Freedom is not absolute
Let me tell you this and listen clearly. The police have the right to arrest and charge anyone they think has committed an offence.
The biggest problem is that they usually act without properly researching or gathering proper facts and this leads them to losing most cases.
I will be very suprised if they win this case if it goes to the high court.