UPND has just concluded its successful convention which unfortunately saw some casualties and indeed witnessed the arrival of new entrants into the ‘politburo’ of the ruling party. The likes of Gary Nkombo, Frank Tayali and Rodney Sikumba could not make the cut while the rising stars such as Ignitious Mark Simuwe and Elvis Nkandu have finally washed their hands and can now enjoy seats at the high-table and rub shoulders with the top brass in the party.
One of the attributes the Almighty God has gifted us with is the ability to easily read and interpret the political mood, accordingly. A few years of the UPND in power, many of us were frustrated by the apparent dearth of effective communication in the New Dawn Administration. This view was equally shared by notable political and social commenters such as Laura Miti who’ve the guts to call a spade a spade, and not otherwise!
This obviously prompted us to write an article – UPND government not communicating effectively! It featured prominently on several social media platforms and actually attracted a screaming headline in The Mast newspaper. In the same offering, we cited examples of the energy the likes of Sunday Chanda, as PF media director, had brought to his office or indeed the way Information Minister, Mulenga Kampamba would jump to the defense of the PF administration in real time!
We didn’t waste time appealing to the President to consider stripping Chushi Kasanda and Kennedy Kalunga of their positions as Information Minister and Permanent Secretary respectively, and replace them with Cornelius Mweetwa and Thabo Kawana, accordingly. We further suggested that Mark Simuwe was the best man for the job as UPND media director. As a listening leader, the President of course effected the necessary changes. There’s no doubt about it….the trio haven’t been a let down. They’ve demonstrated to us how it is supposed to be done in their execution of duties.
Although we’ve no doubt in our minds UPND is poised to reclaim electoral victory decively, an overhaul at the National Security is long overdue! This is an election year….. we’ve no doubt the opposition, particularly the PF or Tonse which is desperate to wrestle back power will go in overdrive casting aspersions or spreading innuendos about the ruling party. They’ll aim to achieve this by exhausting every artillery in their arsenal to throw punches or attempt to puncture holes in the achievements of UPND. They’ll even go to the extent of challenging the President or his Secretary General for live debates on radio or TV station.
In a political battle such as this one, you can not always allow the President to come under the crossfire, hence the need for a strong buffer zone.
Without seeming to undermine or demean anyone, UPND media director, Mark Simuwe is a perfect candidate for the crucial role as the party’s Secretary General! The gentleman definitely loves the microphone ; he’s not media shy! He has what it takes to defend the President from incessant attacks with his life or effectively explain the achievements of UPND since assuming power. Mark is not only eloquent, he is bold, daring and of course knowledgeable. Unlike others, he can never chicken out of any live debate be it with abena Emmanuel Mwamba, Sean Tembo, Makebi Zulu, Brian Mundubile or even Given Lubinda on the opposite side of the aile…..he can take them on head on! And when it comes to putting his neck on the chopping board to be subjected to scrutiny or interrogations on phone in programmes, he’s always proven himself beyond doubt in his current role as media director.
As for Gilbert Liswaniso, he has performed beyond expectations. He has not only managed to ‘reconnect’ the party to the youth by effortlessly using their lingua franca, but adopting their dress code as well. The party is better off not taking chances but maintaining him as ‘commander’ of the youth at this crucial hour.
We rest our case for now…..
Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
National Coordinator
HH Mpaka 2O31 People’s Alliance
Comical ” No doubt the upnd will reclaim victory ”
I’m not so sure unless a challenger is forth coming
But Mark has failed as media director. Even his bosses complained that the media team was moribund, so how on earth can he be SG?
sad the former director of elections tumbled
Like a tyrant, this writer has a tendency to universalise all his locally derived beliefs:
“One of the attributes the Almighty God has gifted us with is the ability to easily read and interpret the political mood, accordingly”
Really?
What a falseity!