Levy Mwanawasa is arguably one of the best Presidents to have ever occupied Plot 1 Independence Avenue! Amongst many of his grandiose achievements, against all odds he managed to secure debt relief; stablised our economy to affordable levels; promoted constitutionalism and the rule of law, and indeed upheld our democracy to the later.
But lo and behold, instead of being appreciated or celebrated whilst he was still with us on earth, Mwanawasa was often the subject of contempt and ridicule, vilification and dreadful mockery. Socialist party owner, Fred M’membe during his peak as a notable industrialist, would use his defunct, influential The Post Newspaper tabloid to refer the poor man in such unpalatable terms as “Cabbage” often quoting his nemesis, Patriotic Front founding leader , Michael Sata popularly known as King Cobra!
Like our current President, Mwanawasa was a strict disciplinarian…..he didn’t have a social life at all – he was neither a lover of alcoholic beverages or given to smoking. He was a family man and faithful husband who never dispatched girl friends abroad as diplomats nor indeed sneaked in concubines from Swaziland into State lodges let alone inviting slay queens for binge drinking and orgies in the Presidential jet every so often! And most importantly, he never subscribed to abusing state resources to appease highly expectant party cadres by excitedly dishing out brown envelopes like Santa Claus handing out sweets.
Now, instead of giving him the necessary support for being a good steward of our national resources, Mwanawasa was crucified to his grave not because he failed to manage our affairs, but due to his tribe. In the eyes of some of our citizens, he belonged to one of the ‘small tribes’ that shouldn’t have come anywhere near State House. This was a familiar subject in their myopic conversations.
Unfortunately, President Hichilema finds himself in a similar conundrum. As he rightly put it the other day, cigarettes have never touched his lips before; neither has alcohol penetrated his body during his time on earth. Unlike some of our leaders in the recent past, he’s never been anywhere near a night club or casino to gamble up to wee hours of day. All he has known is work, work, work and more work, and afterwards go back home to be with his disciplined children and his one wife, of course.
During his 3 years at the helm, President Hichilema has scored a number of milestones – he has reintroduced free education; university students are now enjoying bursaries and meal allowances; a number of college students are being sponsored under CDF; caderism is now a thing of the past; he has created thousands of jobs in the civil service for our youth; investments in the mines continue pouring in while new ones are opening up; he’s mitigating poverty in the shanties and villages by disbursing cash for work and grants under CDF; infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and schools are being worked on everywhere!
But alas, take a ride on the minibuses, go to the markets or frequent the bars and pubs in the shanties……you get to hear the same sentiments from sponsored elements, “HH has failed; he must go in 2031!”
Why must some of our people easily jump to such conclusions given his many achievements? His tribe, of course! In the eyes naysayers and his detractors, he belongs to one of the small tribes that should have no business being anywhere near the corridors of power! And yet we want to pretend we are a Christian Nation who firmly believe we were all created in the image of God.
What hypocrisy! We are worse than Supremacists or ultra racists who revel in their warped thinking that the best place for a black man is in the jungle hewing wood and drawing water; just like that embicile of an author who has questioned BBC for awarding the prestigious international footballer of the year award in the women’s category to our very own Barbara Banda instead of one of her own.
Prince Bill M Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
Granted that HH has brought back free education, YUNZA bursaries and meal allowances, his performance on amalaiti and runaway cost of living has been abysmal at best. The crippling loadshedding has exposed his team’s serious lack of strategic planning. I hope this will never recur under his watch.
Kapinga is sooo shallow. “he managed to secure debt relief; stablised our economy to affordable levels; promoted constitutionalism and the rule of law, and indeed upheld our democracy to the later.”
How people love to praise the departed!
Debt relief was given to the poorest Third World countries-just check- HIPC. It was nt because of Mwanawasa
Hichlema unequivocally does not belong in Mwanawasa’s league. The rampant corruption displayed by UPND Ministers is deeply concerning and clearly suggests that this is occurring under direct orders to generate funding straight from Plot 1 itself. Furthermore, the disarray within the government is glaring—the ‘right hand’ does not know what the ‘left hand’ is doing, showcasing the poor management and leadership under President Hichilema.
The writer calls himself a social analyst. He should more exactly be called a tribal analyst. His dreamt up tribal conclusions are what will kill Africa. He tribalises sociopolitical issues like Spaka does.
Mwanawasa’s fall had nothing to do with his tribe. He did not rise or fall because of his tribe. He was hand-picked by a Luba-whom you will prefer to identify as Bemba. Lets just say someone not his tribe.
It was someone he fraternised with in untribalised Ndola and yes in court. The problem in Zambia is we are allowing villagers to come into town and influence us with their tribal opinions. Villagers like HH, Spaka, Syakalima, Kambwili, Pule, Sejane should be put in reformatory schools for six months or more to cleanse them of their village mentality.
@Spaka will be happy 2031 is mentioned
I thought the next election is in 2026
Oh, you mean Kaps! He is just as overzealous as the author of this article. Shallow.
Fo….fo…..infact Forwadee 2041
The cliques tribal supremacists wont last ……
They are being exposed everyday
We are here
You cannot compare Hakainde Hichilema to Levy Mwanawasa. There’s nothing in common between. Strict disciplinarian? Come on man HH feels unsafe and can’t allow the ACC to reveal names of ministers involved in graft. Look at the court fiasco where his press assistant reveals that his reporting of Fred Mmembe was emotional…. and indirectly implicates his boss of being behind the saga.
Please if you are looking for a job just apply.
Most of the DEBS are from HH’s tribe….. can’t people talk.
Patrick was a handpicked choice by FTJ and the elections that he perportedly won were arguably dribbled by the known political engineer. MMD was a dreaded party that most Zambians never wanted to see in power. Ethical Levy helped revamp dwindling MMD fortunes and this is his hallmark. People liked the New Deal but hated the MMD. Don’t bring tribe aspects here. If you are a tri.BOW.list, please go and practice this elsewhere.
You know your tribal supremacists selves…….
Forwardee 2031
“Patrick was a handpicked choice by FTJ” Repeat that: “Patrick was a handpicked choice by FTJ” Yet the author wants the audience to think he was a tribally supported riser to the Presidency. Who among the Lubas campaigned for him on tribal grounds? Some people are so infatuated with tribe they want to TRIBALISE everything
Most of the 2021 political appointees are nothing but rubber stamps, as a result one fees like there is literally nothing happing in terms of progress.
Yes , the man has scored in some areas but power(electricity) is and was the biggest let down
Late president Sata ridiculed late president Mwanawasa with arrogance of “Ise utambe”.
Such disgrace that he Sata initiated and flagged the woes and corruption Zambia has ever seen. The wanton of plunder throgh thuggery and arrogance continued with president EC Lungu and put Zambia on its knees and defaulted to repay massive borrowing that mainly ended up in people’s pockets now facing jail.
We people from the Bemba speaking people we don’t vote on tribe lines. We have voted out or disagreed with our own people. Yet someone calls us tribal. If all Bembas had voted for Lungu, he would still be president but people saw that he had no direction. Mwanawasa was getting better than Michael Sata in all elections until his unfortunate and untimely death did Sata manage to win.
Most of the things that the New Doom govt claim to have achieved were not their election promises. Did they promise CDF or debt restructuring? Or they promised a stronger Kwacha, cheaper fuel and ending of load shedding?
Logic clearly has no logic at all.If you get every new govt doing its own thing the Zed will be sh1thole failed state.Continuity,rule of law and respect for contracts is what builds countries to prosperity.
They are busy hunting easier prey to come and show dumb Zambians that even if this is not what we promised it is what you need.
Terribly looking for what they can sontapo in the wrong places! Kikikikikiki
The records show that when there is a Zambezian and someone else on the ballot, Zambezians will always vote for a Zambezian. Westerners rejected their own only once, and that was before independence. Esterners are the most eclectic voters. To put it in American terms, Eastern and Copperbelt Provinces and perhaps Lusaka to a point, are SWING provinces.
So Zambians are suffering because of Easterners , right”?
How was the situation when RB was facing Sata?
Easterners voted for Levy and RB narrowly won a sympathy vote. In fact, he may even have lost that but according to Sata, Danny Kalyalya rigged in Vubwi in favour of RB.
There are tribal supremacists galore in our politics , but…….
We must remember PF had a paid up army of street thugs , those we saw flashing money around and beating up the police………
Together with an army of unscrupulous businessman who were fronts for stealing taxpayers money……
Those are the ones making the most noise on the streets , in buses and in bars……..
Normal Zambians know where we are coming from, and where we are going………
Forwardee 2031
Yes “There are tribal supremacists galore in our politics” Including you bloody villager!! Leave us liberated Zambians alone!
Kulinonesha ta! As wifey robbed us blind!!! Even auctioned her matri-home never mind … scandle with an ‘advisor’…
Please do not compare Under Five to Cabbage (MHSRIP)
This article is a bit short sighted :what of failed Somalia which is a one-tribe nation? What of successful China with its 52 ethnic groups but a Han Chinese majority?
Is Zambia the only country on earth with 20 million tribes? Why should we always be subjected to tribal articles?
We have been inundated by Spakas. They can only identify you by your tribe. I ask my self the same question. I find it very hard to identify tribes because my parents are from two tribes and then I grew up in Mufulira where noone bothered what tribe you were as long as you delivered. First time I went to Lusaka and met a Spaka who asked me what tribe I was because he could see I could easily switch to four languages, I told him, I hadn’t asked his why should he ask mine. Pharmacy which we were studying didnt require tribes, I added.
time he knew you are not a supremacists, but a tribeless pharmacist from Mafukeni. but since he has a brain of the ostrich he can never learn.