By Kapya Kaoma
The HH administration’s authorization of mining in the pristine Lower Zambezi National Park despite the President’s 2014 pledge to stop it once in office only confirms one thing–the man lacks a sense of human decency, integrity and ubuntu. Whatever commitment HH made while in opposition evaporated the day he won the election. Among his worshipers, questioning his genuineness or sincerity is considered as foolishness. In the Ballyuniverse, a god can lie a billion times, and worshipers will respond, “Bally will fix it!” In the real world, however, such political noirs have real national consequences. Copper mining will not only pollute the Lower Zambezi, and displace the poor people, but it will also transform the entire landscape of the area with overwhelming consequences for both humanity and nonhumans alike.
The President’s indecency and lies are putting his allies in moral conundrum. Just as civil society leaders are starting to speak out, the approval of this project puts Tonga Chiefs in a big moral dilemma. Will they speak out for the people and the natural world or join Bally worshipers in shouting “Bally will fix it,” as if history exists not? In February 2014, Tonga Chiefs followed HH’s opposition and strongly condemned the PF government’s attempts to legalize mining in the area which they characterized as ; “the pride [of] the people of Southern Province… This is another fallen (sic) project by the PF; we shall not support it as it will destroy our tradition. That national park has a true meaning for the people of Southern Province and Western Zambia. We cannot compromise with our tradition.”? Now that the UPND government has given a go ahead, will the same traditional authorities oppose it? I don’t think so.
The dilemma of Tonga Chiefs is due to President Hichilema’s chameleon politics. As an Environmentalist, I foolishly thought HH meant his words when on January 26, 2014, he pledged to halt the project once in power. As soon as he put on those white gloves, and walked into Plot 1, I realized that HH has not an iota of integrity–chameleon politics is what defines him. Trust him at your own foolishness; call him a conman, he will walk with his tail high. Call him a god of lies, he won’t put his tail between his legs. Call him a liar in Chief, he will smile as if you just called him Jesus, the Son of God. Integrity, decency, truth and shame, this man possesses not. He self-crushed US Vice President Kamara Harris’s office, but claimed Biden invited him. He flew into South Africa for his book tour (only that poor Zambians paid for it), but lied that he was on a two day working visit with the South African government until the host nation exposed his lies. You may add lies about the DRC, Malawi, Glasgow and Dubai trips. Who doesn’t know that exploiting the office of the Presidency for personal gain is corruption, but Bally worshipers? And HH knows their intellectual capabilities are too complex to decipher truth from lies–so no matter how much he lies and will lie, like zombies, they are programmed to bellow, “Bally Will Fix It;” even if it means the destruction of the pristine Lower Zambezi. For when it comes to goats (dollars), the Chimbwi has no shame, integrity, ubuntu or decency.
I did my doctoral field research in that region. I fell in love with the area and I strongly believe the people of Lower Zambezi deserve compensation for the damages and socio-political and anthropological insults endured during and after the construction of the Kariba Dam. The mining of Uranium and now Copper (both hard minerals) would worsen anthropological insults and humiliation on humans, and increase habitat disintegration. Thus Green Economy and Environment Minister, Collins Nzovu’s ignorant claim that “strict” mining measures will be employed in the mining process ignores the fact that human displacements and habitat disintegration occur the moment the area is open to mining. Moreover, mining and National Parks are not bedfellows. Mining activities and pollution will poison the area and cause ecological devastating problems to both local people and nonhumans alike.
Unfortunately, it is “the way it is,” to use Lucky Dube’s song. How many Gwembe Tongas raised their voices for HH? Now that he got what he wanted, he has rewarded them with the same curse that their ancestors suffered from colonialists in the 1950s during the construction of the Kariba Dam. For their ancestral plight, Hakainde and UPND politicians pretend not to know. For what are the memories of shame and disparagement to those whose mansions in Lusaka speak of modernity more than the ancestral Tonga graves on which those mining companies will trump daily to the joy of President HH and his cronies? Maybe it is time dwellers of Lower Zambezi realized that not every Tonga is their brother, and not every non-Tonga is their enemy–again to paraphrase Dube’s Song, “My brother, My Enemy.” And with the Tonga Chiefs among Bally worshipers, it is the way it is.
I can only pray that this time around, people will be given enough time to relocate. As for animals, we don’t need “operation Noah” this time around. The government and the mining company must come up with a transparent plan of relocating animals from the area to avoid the chaos that ensued when the dam was closed. Animals must be protected just as the poor people.
It is Ballycountry–our votes have consequences!
You cannot make mining safe for nature… you do it in an area far from places like game reserves. Mining is complicated. You need a place to pump your waste and slimes. You do these everyday which means the waste dumps and slimes dams will keep on growing eating massive square kilometers of forests. All the bad weather we are experiencing are a result of disturbing the environment. Stop this.
Kaoma this article falls on a deaf ear. We are still counting the 2.8million lies. Hope you’re capable of writing up 2.8 million articles too.
Until then lets witness another history in the making.
This tribalist keeps on writing no sense. Time will tell.
What have we done to deserve this? HH has reneged on taking decisive action on the environmentally catastrophic Forest 27 project, contrary to his pre-election campaign promises. Now he has somersaulted on his opposition to mining in Lower Zambezi! Cry my beloved country!
There is decency in writing too…! I can read the hate in here….
No they will oppose him but they oppose your grandmother fro
What foreign country she came from. You son of a……..where do Tongas come in on this matter, you tribalist *****, and I can definitely say you must be Bemba, other provinces won’t headline a stupid story as this. Bemba are the most tribal foreign tribe in Zambia. Other foreign Tribes do behave we have Ngoni’s from Malawi they are cool but Bemba from Chiluba in Congo DRC misbehave way too much – behave little kids – we allowed u to settle here- peacefully.
We need to get rid of this lying government and demagogue President HH asap…this makaka is a big let down and now all Zambians can see that they voted for PF reloaded….nothing new just that UPND is acting worse than PF
HH is a demagogue and he must be kicked out of office NOW
It’s time we voted for an independent president, these established parties are all corrupt.
This guy is truly evil, what is he intending to do with mother Zambia.
Everything now is upside down, this is a confused character , CK warned you but you went a head to do wrong to vote for a liar, now you can see what was hidden behind his evil mind.
Just accept to develop certain areas. This issue of we are keeping it for the next generation is sometimes sickening. If our forefathers kept saying the same thing, who then is this next generation if not us to utilize it? Lets strategically develop some and keep some. For once let us trust our environmental experts for our benefit. If they say it is ok then so be it.
#6Timbwi Dr Kaunda kept areas like Lumwana on hold, otherwise those areas would have been exhausted by now. Besides let’s explore other areas of development. USA has got most of these minerals but why don’t they mine them but opt to come and mine them in Zambia? They prefer to import oil instead of extracting it within their country. Why?
Kapya… do you always have to be vile for your to put your point forward? You must be civil in your discourse and stop using inciting language. It makes you appear shallow and petty.
Comdrade Mmembe for HE…he will perform better than this cowhead
This is more tribal hate than concern for environment.
I am not convinced the Author is a an Environmentalist as he purports. He sounds more of a bitter Politician and to some extent a tribalist.
Kaoma – your tribal talk spoils a probably well intended target. You cant win souls by being violent. Try to be civil Bashi Mwana..!
He is a businessman. $ comes first.
OOh, I get it now that there was no wild life on the Copperbelt when Kaunda invaded our land and set up ZCCM.
Kapya, be careful with the BMW praise singers, they will come for your throat. But you have hit the nail right on its head.
Unbelievable double standards! If, this government is going down the same route as PF, what was the point of electing them???
#Stop the spread of concrete; plant a tree please.
The Australians will understand if you cancel this project. Remember what they did to Djokovic. They know it is normal. For the good of the natural habitat and the creatures nearby do the right thing. Please.
This is what happens when you vote based on tribe. You voted a liar in all in the name of mwana wesu syndrome
@Zennia
We need to organize a massive protest country wide in Zambia till he steps down…he’s destroying our beautiful country with his business deals….HH is a demagogue and worse than Lungu…imagine all this is happening in less than 5 months in office
The earlier people realised that they voted a counterfeit the better. He will go in the history of Zambia as the worst liar to have ascended on presidential podium. Every time he opens his mouth, am scared that he will produce another lie. We should not expect anything from liars.
UNIP was voted out of power because of dictatorship leadership and poor economic reforms that they had put in place; MMD was voted out of power because corruptions and PF was voted out because corruption but UPND will be voted out because of corruption and tribalism. It is the only party that will go in history as PARTY OF CORRUPTION , NEPONISIM , & TRIBILISM at its worst . Unless we change appointing our close relatives. and our bedmates respectively.
#6
you seem to have a big problem thats why you just insulting.
THERE ARE TWO THINGS HERE WHICH ARE 1,HH PROMISED TO HALT THIS PROJECT AS IT WAS POSING ENVIROMENTAL DANGER BUT HE IS GOING AHEAD WITH IT BECAUSE OF HIS BUSINESS INTEREST. 2,THOSE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTED HH OPPOSITION TO THIS PROJECT ARE NOT TALKING WHY? SO TONGA THIS,TONGA THAT BLA,BLA BEMBA WILL NOT WIN YOU ANYTHING.
@3Step-Aside, I can see your grand ignorance!! You still think Zambia belongs to a certain ethnic group? May be that is the mistaken reason some of you think your region and ethnic group deserves better than other Zambians! There was no Zambia before its colonial creation but there were various kingdoms and chiefdoms that were almagamated to serve Western interests. WHERE IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY DID HEAR YOUR TONGA CHIEFS WELCOMING ANYBODY AND FROM WHERE?? The original inhabitants of much of what we now call Zambia were Bushmen .Even Tongas just migrated into Zambia albeit a bit earlier BUT they were NOT the custodians of the whole area we call Zambia. Then you ascribe Bembas to DRC, be reminded that many ethnic groups inhabiting more than half of this country trace their roots…
When something goes like this “As an Environmentalist, I foolishly thought HH meant his words when on January 26, 2014, he pledged…” (mark my words; mark ’em well, it wasn’t only that date he told lies), it rings in your heads that most among the 2.8M are as dumb as Kapya. He did not show any trait of pretence and h² is just h², a pathological liar we took note of all them during his failed attempts to plot1. The 2.8M who included you gave him the mandate. Let him even open a mine at Vic falls. Me I don’t care. Oh yes your votes have consequences. By the way, you forgot “Reap What Sow” from Dube.
This is the problem with PF tribalists. They cant see anything in a subject except tribe. What are you made of ?
Another master-piece from Kapya Kaoma. Don’t pay attention to ba BPS who are busy calling you”tribalist” just know you are scratching where it is itching most. How many promises has BMW repudiated after forming govt? They are countless!!! and ba BPS can’t see anything wrong in their demi god.
@20 Kennedy Gondwe
i agree with you….Tonga this Bemba that…..nonsense…this is about Zambia NO MIINIG IN THE LOWER ZAMBEZI
We can offer checks and balances with civility I mean – without being tribal or insulting. This is what makes some of us dislike PF.
Where did kapya kaoma talk about bembas. He challenges the Tonga chiefs to stand by their first stance. He argues that they supported hh but they should not be blinded by love for hh rather look at the project in question. The author has a point, the problem is that he is a bit sarcastic or failed to chose words in a sober way. But to bring the bembas Tonga issue is utter foolishness. The project is in Zambia and we will suffer as zambians.
You can criticise without referring to a tribe.
Great Piece Ba Reverend KK. Never mind the Bally worshippers and UPND praise-singers. Let them say what they want. We know they are not the most civil. One Larry Mweetwa was just telling us in his face-book posting that Northwestern Zambians will rule up until 2099 and we Northeastern Zambians should brace ourselves for that. I have not seen anything in this article that can be compared to what Larry Mweetwa wrote.
Don’t disturb the elephants please there will be total war with the human race……leave the animals alone to enjoy their peace.
Timbwi without a plan. Zambia hasn’t seen a thing yet with this HH. If we wait for him to finish his term…there will be nothing left in Zambia. He is looking out for himself and himself alone. After all, he is a business man.
Nice shot of the bull elephants…
Credit to the one who shot that,,, not @Lt you just downloaded it..
Step Aside and Saulosi should be banned from LT. The two must fall
Tonga..Tonga…Tonga… Tonga.. Kapya – your bitterness has nothing to do with Wild life and environment- but clearly driven by tribal hatred.
The lying cancer will eat up this President until when he is finally pushed away from state house , people must know that any one who follows the prince of the air has pledged something to do for his master, it could be true also that this President must has on oath to lie in what so ever he does in his life .
No one can change him he is a pathological liar who will never stop lying, lying is his language he will keep on lying all his life to please his master .
Unfortunately people will take it no more hence they will hate him in the five years he will come out as the most hated president it is himself who is creating a hated monster in the nation.
The fruits of lying will grow too great to ignore