By Kapya Kaoma
If you’re a student of Zambia, this week, you would’ve been confused by two different scenarios. The first, of His Excellency, President Hichilema proudly seated in his Hotel in South Africa, taking pictures and smiling. Like his disgraced model, Donald Trump, you could have seen his tweet that he was looking forward to meeting embattled South African president Ramaphosa. Then a scene of untold desperation. Helpless Zambians on rooftops, fleeing their flooded homes, and wondering if this is their life end. Animals being swept away by fierce waters, a young boy holding tight to iron sheets; and women making calls to their relatives to alert them of their deadly situation. These were the victims of tropical storm Ana which hit Zambia. The heartless President cared not. His tour of Dubai was not good enough to pamper his child-like ego, so he left just hours before the storm for South Africa to launch his book as the nation awaited the worst of the deadly storm!
It is shameful and inhumane for President Hichilema to behave in a manner that robbed him of his humanity. How on Earth would a person do such a thing? Is it not embarrassing to watch his fellow citizens cringing to mother life on rooftops, while he is sleeping in South African Hotels? What did it say about him to the very people he met in South Africa? A heartless monster? Is it not painful enough to see animals being carried by the waters? So did he ask himself what happened to those who couldn’t climb the roofs?
I have pondered on these questions. I have thought about the elderly, children, the handicapped, and the property those families lost. Unlike in the West where people insure property, in Zambia, it is what it is–things are gone for good. But my worries were not theirs. Theirs were for how long they will be safe on those roofs as the waters continued to rise. I don’t know what happened to them; I can only pray those buildings withstood the fierce waters that ravaged their once spaces of refuge. But it shouldn’t be. It is heartless to put a book tour above the lives of citizens.
Just knowing the President is around provides psychological support to the victims. His absence only proved what he values most, his EGO and making money. As I have repeatedly noted, President HH’s narcissistic and egomaniac inferiority complex is behind his impaired moral judgment–like Donald Trump, he loves to see himself as the center of attention. His tweets are all about him and him alone. Until he is made aware of the fact that Zambia is bigger than HH, he will continue to put Zambian lives at risk while he sleeps in hotels at our costs.
Assuming it is Lungu who left Southern Province in floods to meet with Ramaposa–many UPND cadres would be singing tribalist lyrics. But what this disaster reveals is one truth–the lack of respect for human life by the HH regime. UPND cadres must stand up to HH and let him know that this immoral attitude costs human lives. Behind this immoral incompetence, however, is the President’s lack of on the ground knowledge. New Presidents rarely take foreign trips for a reason–they have to be trained in national governance. In fact, it is foreign Presidents who usually visit them. Unfortunately, in his wisdom, HH believes being President means flying from country to country. Governance has many aspects and President HH needs to understand that social elements are just as critical as economic ones. Our President is like a man who thinks the only thing a person needs to run a family is money. Great. Go ahead and make money–even millions. But you may end up without a family. This is exactly what HH is doing–his thinking is driven by money as opposed to ubuntu. How on Earth would a President come back from Dubai after a long absence and then leave for South Africa when the country is expecting a major storm? Only narcissistic pride is the answer! And who dies? The very people who shouted, “Bally will fix it,” the loudest!
Will President HH blame Lungu for throwing the people of Southern Province in the eye of Ana? Kaya!
There you have it, it can’t be said any better. In SA, the Conman refused to speak to the media and the reason is simple, they would have asked him questions including why he left his country that was gripped with fear of a tropical storm. Book launch it was and Vasco in his usual lies said it was to accelerate Zambia’s development. Those lies explain exactly who this chaps thinks Zambians are.
Boza. UPND is on course
The Zambian people elevated HH to the level he was not at. History will tell whether this is true or not, but the indication this far appear to support this hypothesis. Hod help us, HH sit down and reflect on the promises you made to your employers. Lies have short legs and eventually embarrass the liar.
Number 1. I have noticed that people love the sound of the name Lungu. Hardly does an article passes without the mention of the galant man in ECL.
Don’t argue, this is my observation.
Number 2. Serving two masters. Isn’t it obvious that h² didn’t want to become president for the people or for Zambia – to serve them? In his mind when he won, he wanted to celebrate with the WEST and with ALN and with the SA friends. h² is a selfish individual.
Number 3. Job on training. You compare him with Donald, you saw it in Donald but still you embraced him. My humble request is that in as much as I nod your point, you endorsed h². With his flaws, he still is our heartless traveling president. As he learns his mistakes support his nonsense.
It is going to be a long 4 years before he learns to act presidential. At the moment, he is still training. The choice people made with their hearts, who thinks with the heart? Anyways condolences to the people of Southern Province in the line of ANA. The suffering is real. One would have loved h² to visit that region to offer emotional support. But our president, their president likes to dine with the business people as he kisses a whiteman’s ***.
What a piece of drivel this writer has produced, hes actually blaming HH for the bad weather now. Pathetic !
Ba Kapya
I’m so surprised that you did not have this level of personalised invective against ECL. He who remained silent when scores of Zambians lost their lives through gassing; He who stood watch as the treasury was being looted by all and sundry and not excluding himself. He whose ineptitude and lack of leadership (mis)led Zambia through its Darkest period. I really dont get this personalised umbrage against HH; He’s only 6months on the job for chrisake
ECL said he had no vision yet thousands believed him because in someway he managed to convince them that he looks like SATA.
This guy we have today has cheated Zambia since 1991 and just last year he managed to tell everyone of the 2.8 million Zambians a good lie and like always they believed too.
Its a believers nation!
@Thorn in the something. Gallant Lungu who slept through the gassing and murder that followed??
We saw ZNBC pictures of President ECL on ZAF chopper having an appreciation of the scale of devastation when Lunga in Luapula Province was flooded sometime back. We did not want to remind Bally Worshippers and UNDP praise-singers about this knowing too well how angry they get at the mere mention of ECL. We told them about how President Joe Biden makes time to visit victims of storms in the US to assure them they are not alone during their times of misery but government is with them to help them rebuild their lives. But even when we told them about what old Joe does, Bally worshippers snarled back angrily by telling us we should not compare what happens in Western countries with what happens in Zambia as if to confirm to us how heartless their man is and how they do not expect much from…
In the helicopters inspecting, meanwhile on the other side busy plundering
… him in terms of offering emotional support to victims of calamity. At least, the write-up by Kapya Kaoma helps put in perspective what we think about President Bally as a human being,
You had time to vote for him, he has no time for you.
Look at Thorn in the A$$ saying that Lazy Lungu was a gallant man…really laughable indeed.
Please stop misleading people, HH did not come to South Africa to launch his book. Secondly HH did meet Ramaphosa and on the sidelines He was a guest of honour at the book launch. finally HH came to RSA way before the storm. When the storm hit Zambia, HH was in ZAMBIA
kkkkkk here we are dollar at k18 nipanotuli yaba kkkkkkkk
Oh the blank author again, HH should stay in state house waiting for Ana? How. And what difference was it going to make whether he was here or away since he has already put up structures to attend to such, since you can write, though badly, it means you can also read, read leadership and management books, and you will learn that leaders work through others, maybe your arrogance of freely exposing your ignorance may diminish a bit
PF is buried and forgotten, the author may be reminded, and he needs to go to college, his writing is not good
Very refreshing to know that Zambia now has a President who has the capacity, competency, intellect and the will to change our economic fortunes, Zambians spent ten years in the wilderness with the rejected PF
So President HH was going to hold the water not to come with force, but some thinking mwandi, unbelievable. All the structures that needed to respond the tropical storm were activated and put in place, this is a very organized government, so why would somebody in his right frame want HH to be in state house in Zambia because of a storm
Author is a time waster, and the most serious time waster in this part of the world. Somebody to give him a ka plot to grow tomatoes, it could diffuse the August 12 bitterness
HH, if you have things to do abroad, don’t hesitate to go, even next week please go. No one will dictate to you when to travel and when not to. We elected you and nobody should set an agenda for you and even insinuate that because you were not here water from tropical storm carried people away, unfortunately water carried people because of the geographical location where there were and not because HH was in South Africa. Such lies need to be challenged swiftly
This author is idle and an outright liar.
Author is not only a liar, but a joker of immense proportions. If elections were held again today, us Zambians will still vote for UPND enmasse. PF cheated us for ten years, the other political parties are one man briefcase parties. All of them not even a single councilor attained in the past elections but very good at talking
Iwe ka fake Tonga, Choolwe HaBwalya: No.1: Don’t lie, HH did take interviews – back and forth. Secondly, HH does not report to you or any PF cadre. And he ll travel as he pleases. And his travels or agenda is not meant for you cadres here on Lusaka. It’s for himself and his people. So mind your business pls. Cos you are y part and parcel of the people HH wants to be president for-let alone if u were truly Zambian. That’s includes your Lungu and Joe Malanji, Harry Kalaba is definetely a Congolese Kasai- hear how he speaks. No single Zambian speaks like that.
People will write all sorts of hatred words here. I understand, all sources of corruption and lop holes of making quick money have been closed. I don’t expect anyone to be happy. This is a place where people are Expressing their frustration. Very understandable!!
@12 My nigga, negro Tarino orange ECL gives you chills even in his retirement. He is your reference. See how beaten cold you are at the mention of his name. Your god really wants to beat his record. Ain’t ECL your trendsetter? He got you Kapya, Sangwa, Sishuwa and your very god wired and twisted.
Now you holla at his name like c.razy niggaz gone haywire. Said what? Yes you are emotionally or mentally out of control at the sound of the gallant man’s name!
A load of rubbish !!
What province is above average rainfall ??
dont class people building in river beds and wetlands as victims
And dont call townships and shanties as floode areas when there is no drainage
The August defeat was really painful for the PF rank and file. Though I didn’t expect them to like HH , their level of hatred is freightening. They are haters and masters at it. With time their hatred will suffocate , will choke them. By 2026 they will have faded.
Kaoma a man who assured Chipokolo on muvitv that PF is winning 2021 general election, unfortunately his wish went upside down. At school we learnt what we can control and what we can not control I’m sure weather is among those things which we can not control. Kaoma pure PF cadre is in pain please forgive him. Tropical storm ana can only be stopped by God not our fellow human being who eat nshima no. Power countries has let it go now what about poor Zambia which was destroyed by PF criminals? Keep quiet if you have got nothing to utter. Only a foolish person can support this useless article.
You can choke on your bitterness all you like Kapya whatever you call yourself. HH is now in charge and is here for at least 10 years.