By Wynter Kabimba
It is interesting to read about the emerging disillusionment of those who believed and invested their hopes so much in Hakainde Hichilema during the run-up to the 12 August 2021, elections and after. Their unwavering belief and confidence as mortals in the man are, however, understandable. To those who did not delve into his background and his past, HH presented himself as the only messiah given the political free fall of the ruling PF under the weak leadership of Edgar Lungu mistaken for the humility of the man’s character. The PF as the ruling party under ECL did not guarantee any future for the Zambian people. The intraparty violence and systemic indiscipline amongst the rank and file of its members coupled with inter-party violence perpetrated by its militia generated consternation and dismay within and beyond the country and hence cometh one HH.
In 2006, HH came like a whirlwind to win the leadership of the UPND in an election bedrocked by ethnicity following the death of its founder Anderson Mazoka. He came from the private sector where he was a partner in the audit firm Grant Thornton. As a strategy to attempt to oust MMD from power, HH forged an alliance with UNIP and FDD to form the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) on which ticket the three contested the 2006 presidential and general elections.
Despite having no political experience or service in government compared with Edith Nawakwi who had served as minister of energy and later minister of finance under Chiluba, HH demanded to lead the UDA as a presidential candidate. He could not bring himself to say “Sir’’ or “Madam’’ to Tilyenji Kaunda of UNIP or Edith Nawakwi. Although he did not congratulate Levy Mwanawasa on winning the 2006 elections, he later offered him the position of vice president which he declined to take.
In 2009, he lobbied Sata’s close friends for an electoral pact with PF. In one of the meetings I had with him at my office, I implored him to accept the position of vice president to Michael Sata. In his reaction to my proposal, HH urged me to request or persuade Sata to become his vice instead and not the other way round. It was this impasse that contributed to the collapse of the UPND/PF pact in 2011. Although PF won the election with a landslide, HH did not send a congratulatory message to Sata and refused to attend any PF state function.
When Edgar Lungu won the 2015 and 2016 elections, HH refused to accept the results alleging fraud and the loss of his presidential petition in 2016, which he attributed to a biased judgment by the Constitutional Court. For the seven years when Edgar Lungu was head of state, HH refused to acknowledge or recognize him as such and at no time did he refer to him by his official title. He only did so when he was declared winner of the August 2021 elections because he was now above Edgar Lungu as outgoing president.
Between 2019 and 2021, PF saw its unprecedented rapid decline in public support never seen in the history of the ruling party save for UNIP in 1990/91. It cultivated conditions similar to the political vacuum which obtained prior to the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany in 1933. HH filled this vacuum by projecting himself as the antithesis of everything that had gone wrong with Edgar Lungu and the PF.
He seized the opportunity using political rantings which were unrealistic in practice but resonated well with a gullible constituency of voters across the country. He condemned the arrests and detention of political figures and artists as acts of authoritarianism and dictatorship by Edgar Lungu and, therefore, an affront to democracy. HH promised the restoration and promotion of the rule of law, individual freedoms of expression and that of the media.
It was this political mantra which projected Edgar Lungu to the voters as the devil and monster reincarnate. In this vein, therefore, the 2.8 million votes do not represent the popularity of HH but reflect instead the number of angry voters against Edgar Lungu. We saw this parallel in the Joe Biden / Donald Trump election in November, 2020 in the US.
Against this background, it is now easy to see the real and actual HH outside the sheep’s skin in only 5 months of his reign as president. HH does not and has never believed in the respect for those in power and authority unless that power and authority are ultimately possessed by him. His deliberate architecture of the UPND Alliance where his alliance partners do not enjoy any security of tenure but are mere appointees testifies to the man who does not believe in any power sharing arrangement in a democratic fashion.
HH the president has refused to condemn political violence by his members. Instead, he always takes comfort in issuing lukewarm directives which leave law enforcement agencies confounded regarding his real initiation. In the view of HH democracy depends on who you are, what you are, and what you mean to him at a particular time.
It is also dependent on his audience and space of time. Whether his message is for the donor community or not shall determine his definition of the word. He has remained mute over the leaked audio in which he is implicated by his State House Special Assistant for Politics, an incident very similar to the Watergate scandal events which led to the impeachment and downfall of Richard Nixon in America.
Hichilema’s rhetoric and hypocrisy on democratic values vis-à-vis voter promises and expectations are now turning into public pain and awareness, one of the major themes in the Ghanian writer Ayi Kwei Armalis novel “The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born.
Wynter M Kabimba.
Give him time. Premature Wynter. Which is what my husband doesn’t do as sleep.
Let him be. I hold a PhD.
Thanks
BB2014,20216
His retirement won’t be restful. He’ll probably end up in prison
Deep down Kabimba knows that HH intends to succeed if given time. This is what worries him sick by writing such clearly false statements as “failing all round”. He won’t say one word on what the deliberate policy of spending K25m in each constituency is expected to do. Although boasts of government experience, his understanding of government operations,especially public finance is as close to zero as u can get. HH has just started implementing his own government’s budget and Kabimba wants that to show in one month and quarter.
Just clean ’em eyes Sir. The beautiful ones are already born. Maybe in your area they aint.
Can’t put it any better. BMW has basically dug his own grave with his lies.
He is just bitter. what did he achieve when he was in government himself? Utter nothing…
In my opinion, HH is doing well at the moment. He has the heart for the people especially, us the poor
Wait until after 5 years those advocating for “give him time” have no idea what we are in for. HH is compansating his failure to perform with autocratic tendencies. Behind the scenes the real Hakainde is not known even to his ardent worshipers.
Let’s recount h²’s sins 5months in Government thus far 1. bitting IMF conditions, 2.incessantly travelling president (vasco dagaming), 3. corruption in Government, 4. a biased fight again corruption, 5. hooliganism on the streets, 6.public threats from the upnd youths, 7. delayed employment of 30 thousand civil servants 8. cipante pante empty pronouncements and operation, 9.Ministers wifes in key public institutions, 10.flip flop fuel pricing, 11. abuse (misapplication and misappropriation) of public funds by a president going to launch a friend’s book. 12.Media threats and harassment of journalists. 12.Cadre policing. 13.Coercing judges. Talk about lies, lies and lies. These are brewing…
It is very clear that Wynter Kabimba is bitter that HH is a President. Obviously Wynter never imagined and dreamed in his wildest dreams that HH would ever become President of the Republic of Zambia. Wynter used to think that him(Wynter) would be President, at least before HH could be. Alas, nature has a way of rewarding and or punishing those who think are clever and clever than everyone else. Wynter supported ECL and said ECL is better than HH. To Wynter what HH has achieved so fa amounts to nothing – again in his own imagination, compared to want the PF achieved in 10 years of misrule, cadreism, reckelss borrowing, corruption, unemployment and nepotism(wako ni wako) and wibomba mwibala.Shame upon Wynter. WYNTER NA CHIKONKO.
Friendly advice Wynter, Go And Seek Prayers (GASP) ASAP your bitterness and envy is overwhelming you. Not even primary school kids can sink so lw. You had the best chance in PF to lead and unit this country, what did you do? The people of Zambia have choosen, who are you to question our intelligence? Watch this space Zambia is headed for big things.
@This Thorn in the Flesh change what you smoke.
This smacks of an act synonymous with premature ejaculation resultant from wonking (masterbating), an act one can squarely associate with Winter Kabimba. The way Lungu, Sata and Chikwanda ejected him from PF was worse than a man does a condom after a lousy act of copulation. If I were Kabimba, I will just shut the f##k up.
Kabimba bitterness will take you nowhere. HH is in the right tracks. Your political party is one man show no followers including your immediate family has rejected it.
@This Thorn in the Flesh can you add more please…………..
Its just the beginning, bwana! Mpaka nayo jealous ku Chingwele. HH is on the seat for a good ten years. Nishi tafakapo doti pali imwe.
HH wants to spend K25m in each constituency but the PF spent K65m on one presidential girlfriend. They’re so morally bankrupt that they won’t bury their heads in shame for that and still arrogantly want to be trusted. And don’t underestimate the stupidity of some citizens to still want to trust them.
Tu Yupiyenidi twena tepa kutendusha. No wonder GBM would say to them “muli twansala”.
Only old people like Winter Himself will understand. His analysis is excellent as he describes the situation.
Keep it up Winter.
At least we did not end up in mwamoneni with PF. It would be a train wreck by now.
Wynter and his PF adherents suffer from self-induced amnesia. When Wynter and PF were in power opposition party officials were tear-gassed like mosquitoes at any slightest meeting, markets got gutted by unexplained fires and public money from public places like Intercity bust terminus of Lusaka was looted and pocked by PF operatives and their followers. Nsama, Kaunda and Mapenzi got shot dead at close range and in those days, your name was a password to some appointment in GRZ. I would rather live under Hakainde’s Zambia than under Kabimba and his PF. A majority of those I know, agree with me. Those who are under the influecce of some mind-altering substances have every right to disagree under Hakainde’s Zambia and thank God.
The earlier Zambians realised that the man in state house is a counterfeit the better. He came on a platform of lies and will continue being a liar. Do not expect anything from liars. He is even failing to visit certain areas in the country because he lied a lot. He will go in the annals of Zambia’s History as the worst liar ever. He has no sense of shame.
What is the meaning of this article? Checks and balances, be serious sir. Real analysis touches the good and the bad that someone has done. Tell us about your rebranded party, are you still the minister without portfolio in your party? We want to know what you are now selling,,
HH has 5 years in which to be evaluated. As for Wynters party, atleast Sean Tembo ,Peter Chanda and Sinkamba are one man parties. As for Wynter, it’s not even a one man party, there is simply no party there
The hard reality of politics, the man has no party to return, just becoming an author now. I am sure it’s boredness, not even a single Councillor or section chairman. Zambia a strange country
Kabimba was fired fr PF for laziness & not knowing what he was doing. Simple sour grapes…HH achieved what Kabimba only dreamt of.
Feeling sorry for this man, fired by Sata, technically dumped out of PF, then misled himself thinking he has a following, formed a ‘party’, then nothing happening
Wynter has no party, he is just a political commentator trying to be relevant. Zambians are solidly behind HH, Love him or hate him
Lets be clear only the clique and PF haters are not happy, zambians have a peoples president finally.
Wynyer Nao, let him write about how ambitious je was during the time he acted as a president amd how he was fired snd what wrong with his cartel to take over the the PF leadership.
Yangu beginning of the end!
Watch “Leaked Audio PF Cadre Claims PF Former Minister are Buying their Freedom by Sponsoring UPND” on YouTube
MMen of principles will always remain principled. I am not sure whère Zambia would have been with Winter as the SG amd Justice Minister for another 6 years with the Post doing all the dirt work for him… . We are by far better off with Bally than any president ever yoday
Let’s all remember Wynter Kabimba was famously ejected by MCS for being too toxic and power hungry.The ugly one was born of fire and brimstone.