Why is Hichilema panicking over suggestions on the Barotseland problem?

We have noted the panic and desperation from Mr Hakainde Hichilema, who has issued an uphauling and unhinged reaction to our submission on the Barotseland Agreement through the State House Communication Specialist Clayson Hamasaka.
Clearly, they are having sleepless nights on this issue and they have gone flat out to lie and distort our message using Mr Hichilema’s traditional online guerilla media channels like Koswe and the Zambian Watchdog that are run by the State House media team. They have no sensible argument to present hence the panic and desperation!

It is no longer a secret that Mr Hichilema and his corrupt tribal puppet regime are unable to engage in ideas that will progress the country. Typical of them, even the rebuttal from Mr Hichilema through Hamasaka where he is trying to engage in personalized attacks on me exposes their incapacity to handle delicate national affairs with maturity and sobriety.
In fact, this statement is an admission that the ideas we are advancing in our effort to provide checks and balances seem to be beyond their comprehension. But the surprise is that what we are suggesting is not even complex but given their hollow and ignorant response, you can easily see that they are unable to understand even simple and straightforward ideas in plain language.

What will be unconstitutional about proposing changes in the law to accommodate policies and ideas that benefit and largely empower our people through their traditional and religious leaders? What is unconstitutional about people deciding together, building together to transform their communities, districts, regions, and eventually transform themselves? What is unconstitutional about guaranteeing growth in fraternal love – unity in diversity?

But again, in an unlikely event that probably Mr Hichilema and his league have understood what we are proposing then their response speaks of fear that power will go to the people because they would rather confine our traditional leaders to ceremonial status, which we are heavily objecting to.

The Litunga, the Chitimukulu, the Gawa, Mpezeni, Mwata Kazembe, Ndungu, Ishindi, Kapijimpanga, Malembeka, Serenje and many other respected traditional leaders of this country should not be reduced and confined to a ceremonial status when they have the wisdom, capacity as well as concern for the people, which places them in a better place than a distant central government to run the affairs of the people and drive development.

For almost 60 years, we have pretended that only the people in Lusaka headed by the occupant of State House know better the needs of the people, which is a lie. We have abandoned the heritage of our country, which is essentially based on traditional leadership. These traditional leaders understand not just the local economics but also the social, cultural and political fabric of their communities and regions and we are convinced this gives them the best foot forward to effectively achieve two important things; drive and enhance local development as well as guide the central government on many issues i.e. the country’s development path, national unity and co- existence, and so on and so forth.

We know that the revolutionary democracy we are proposing has unsettled them because they have already shown their insatiable appetite for power and control. Actually, the excitement Mr Hichilema is displaying for power, control and wealth speaks of his inability to govern this country equitably.

Like we have said before, our desire is not to monopolize power and wealth like Mr Hichilema is doing. We want to build and transform the country together as one people. And if devolving power to the communities, districts and provinces is what will bring development then why not devolve?

For us, we are not interested in power to enrich ourselves but to change the livelihoods of our people for the better.

Fred M’membe
President of Socialist Party