BY CHIBASHE MWANTUSHA
The “expulsion” of former Defence Minister and Kasama Central Member of Parliament Hon. Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) from the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) by a “provincial” executive team does not surprise many though it increases their disappointment in the PF government.
GBM should not contest his expulsion from within the PF party since it will amount to nothing, but should instead file an injunction to stop the expulsion in the Courts of Law for various reasons:
PF’s Incessant Appetite for Power – By Any Means Necessary!
Going by the history of the PF and its violent militias, any bye election in Kasama Central now is bound to be bloody with possible loss of life since, like in Livingstone, PF would want to grab the coveted Kasama Central seat by any means necessary, even if it means importing violent machete wielding militias from Lusaka to cause mayhem. The court injunction should serve to prevent this carnage.
Needless and Costly bye Election
A court injunction will save this poor country from yet another needless and costly bye election caused by the PF’s incessant appetite to grab total power by any means necessary.
The PF government has demonstrated carelessness in its spending of the country’s meagre resources at a time when over 70% of the population live below the poverty line, youth unemployment is at record levels, and the cost of living is unbearable for majority of Zambians with essential commodities such as mealie meal being unaffordable.
In addition the PF government has increased public (domestic and external) to US$3.13 billion as at end of September 2013, which is 37.1% of GDP (2013 est.). In 2013 alone Zambia borrowed over 1.5 billion Kwacha. In the midst of such a dire socioeconomic situation, the PF government has wasted K 44 billion on unnecessary bye elections against a budgeted amount of K4 billion approved in 2013 parliament, and over K115 billion on the ‘botched’ new constitution.
The recent IMF Article 4 report suggests that Zambia will again exceed its fiscal deficit set out in the Budget 2014 because the proposed 2014 budget does not take sufficient steps to start addressing the large fiscal deficit which now stands at K11 trillion. This is worrisome because of the impact of the huge deficit financing that represents 24.6% of the budget and 7.2% of GDP on the economy of Zambia.
Worse still Zambia’s credit rating has also been downgraded by the various rating agencies, which means borrowing money at higher interest rates. This may signal a return to unsustainable borrowings where the country joined the HIPC group of counties.
Principled Decision to Resign from Cabinet, Not from PF
Resigning does not mean disloyalty but principle. GBM is a true patriot, a son of the soil who resigned from a ruling party MMD for similar principled family reasons to join the then opposition PF which he has supported whole heartedly and sacrificially. Uushitasha mwana wa ndoshi (He who is ungrateful is a son of a witch).
In Luke 17: 14 – 19 Jesus healed 10 lepers but only one returned to say thank you! GBM saved Sata and wife from possible conviction by the Drug Enforcement Commission of the $ 100,000, and supported the party in indescribable ways, including spending his own K2.6 billion to secure a building to house the PF Secretariat on Luanshya road, Lusaka
GBM made a principled decision to resign from Cabinet (not PF) since he couldn’t agree with the President’s and Cabinet’s decision not to recognize the decision of the Bemba Traditional Council, Ba ShiLubemba, to choose degazetted former Chief Mwamba Henry Kanyanta Sosala as the next paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people.
However, people with a warped mentality of the “Party and its Government” like Vice President Guy Scott and his group maliciously jumped to conclusions that GBM had insulted the President Sata and PF and should therefore resign from the party. GBM made it very clear when announcing his resignation from Cabinet in Kasama in December 2013 that he would remain PF MP for Kasama Central and a loyal member of the PF.
However, the circus started almost immediately following GBM’s resignation – the transfer of Northern province minister Obbias Chisala who was replaced by a newly self-made GBM critic Freedom Sikazwe, and the dispatch of Cabinet Ministers and senior PF officials from Lusaka (Miles Sampa, Jean Kapata, and Willie Nsanda) by the highest powers in PF and government to insult, denounce and decampaign GBM and solicit for his suspension and expulsion from the party from the PF provincial executive.
Even disgruntled and unprincipled charlatans like father Luonde could not miss out on the “free silver coins” as they joined in the circus. Stage managed demonstrations were held in Kasama led by Freedom Sikazwe calling for GBM’s expulsion from the party. Guy Scott and Fred M’membe’s Post Newspaper were hired to assault GBM’s character and demand his resignation or expulsion from the party, with Scott apparently annoyed by GBM’s “Facebook” postings, while Fred overreached by claiming GBM was denouncing PF on the Copperbelt and then apologizing later – this matter is now in the courts of law.
In fact the decision by GBM to sue Fred M’membe and the Post Newspaper is what led to the expedited “expulsion” of GBM from the PF.
President Sata’s Role
One doesn’t need to be a genius to know that all these directives are coming from the ‘highest’ authority in PF and government, President Sata himself. GBM’s predetermined and pre-meditated expulsion is remote-controlled from Lusaka but implemented in Kasama. The Northern Province PF leadership only been used like a “Muppet show” to carry out the dirty work while senior PF officials are pulling the strings from Lusaka, thus portraying GBM’s expulsion as coming from Northern province, the grassroots, when in fact it’s emanating from the tree top.
The “Kangaroo court” which sat this past weekend to “discipline” GBM in Kasama was all directed by senior PF authorities, the so-called A-Team, even though GBM has never received any letters charging or suspending him, and has never been heard. President Sata has treated the cases of Given Lubinda, Wynter Kabimba and GBM glaringly different for reasons only known to him. –
It’s astounding at what supersonic speed the PF and its Government have moved to suspend and expel GBM from the party he labored and sacrificed for so much by resigning the then ruling MMD led by Levy Mwanawasa.
At least even Hon. Given Lubinda’s premeditated “expulsion” from PF led by Wynter Kabimba at least passed through the PF Central and Disciplinary Committees where he finally received a ‘hearing’ and was suspended rather than expelled as Wynter and Company had wanted.
Hypocritically, President Sata has been very unwilling to even table Wynter Kabimba’s petitions before the Central Committee and Disciplinary Committee as demanded by all 10 PF provincial executives and some central committee members like Jean Kapata.
Wynter has committed known grievous crimes against President Sata and PF by creating parallel structures for his so-called Fourth Republic, thus annoying many PF members who have since totally rejected him, the cartel that’s propping him up to succeed President Sata, and all his supporters as seen by their continued loss of party elections in Lusaka, Mufulira and Masaiti districts and Copperbelt province.
To the contrary, no one has petitioned for GBM’s suspension or expulsion from the party, and his only crime is a principled resignation. GBM is not a traitor to PF like Wynter Kabimba and his supporters who are facing various Tribunals to investigate their abuse of power without even having the shame to resign or at least the President firing them.
Conclusion
GBM’s principled decision to resign as Defence minister is at par in Zambia’s political history with those of our late great leaders, the two former Vice Presidents Simon Kapwepwe and Levy Mwanawasa who resigned on principle when they could not agree with their Presidents, Kenneth Kaunda and Fredrick Chiluba respectively.
Those expelling GBM today are directly insulting the Chitimukulu, baShilubemba and all Bemba speaking people of Zambia, including other patriotic citizens. They should remember that beyond Sata and the PF, Zambia will continue – if they were wise they would be more forward looking. History will vindicate GBM as having been right to resign from the PF Cabinet over the Chitimukulu succession debate!
You are wrong and GBM is right! Courts usually throw out cases as being brought before them prematurely as all subordinate channels had not been exhausted. In GBM’s case it’s appeal within PF first!
Please, stop masturbat1ng while attempting to expose your mental retardation
Unless Sata will personally finance this bye Election, it’s utterly not necessary.
Sata – People need cheaper Mealie Meal, costing less than K35/- because you in your campaigns said this was very high a Price. People need fuel less than K7.50 as was during Rupiah’s time.
Listen – Stop politiking and start working. We do not need any bye Elections, get this into your thick head.
WELL RESEARCHED PhD PAPER ON OUR COURT INJUNCTIONS….
That is the limit of what your brain can understand?
Let him prove his popularity. GBM thinks he can beat H.E. MCS where MMD under RB and UPND have all failed
CHIBASHE MWANTUSHA SAYS,
“Those expelling GBM today are directly insulting the Chitimukulu, baShilubemba and all Bemba speaking people of Zambia, including other patriotic citizens…..
COMPARED TO THOSE WHO TELL TRIBES THAT
“If we give power to these Bembas, we’ll never get it back?”
S.T.U.P.I.D.
Amano boss, te Data iyo.
@OldRugsOUT
PLEASE TRAVEL TO UPDATE YOURSELF, MAY BE YOU WILL START TELLING PEOPLE THE TRUTH, THE REAL TRUTH..THERE IS NOWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE PRICE OF STAPLE FOOD IS CHEAPER.
SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA FOR EXAMPLE WITH RELATIVELY GOOD AND SOUND ECONOMIES, WITH SEA PORTS, FUEL WELLS..THE PRICE OF FUEL AND MELLIE MEAL GO UP ALMOST DAILY.
You seem to have Perenial Dementia similar to Chumbu’s. To me a very OLD MAN as Sata is should be a source of Wisdom not LIES.
Am reminding Chumbu that he told me on a lot of platforms how people could not afford to buy Mealie Meal for K35/-, and that he was gong to reduce it I expect it below K35/-, maybe K10 or K15.
Fuel at K7.50 a liter at that time was very expensive, and that peope cannot afford. I want to see it cheaper.
Just holding Chumbu to hi word, do not expect a VERY OLD MAN like him to lie to me.
You are citing AFRICAN countries with USELESS models! Nigeria is using refineries in GHANA for their fuel – why should it be cheaper??? Saudi Arabia REFINES ITS OWN FUEL; petroleum products there are cheaper than water!!!!!! Don’t speak simplistically. If you have a staple – YOU MUST OWN THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION PROCESS. Is that so hard to understand???
When GBM was appointed minister in the Sata govt I realized he was going to be president of Zambia one day. He is the only alternative to Sata. People listen to me. He is brave. Nothing to do with how much money he has
Iwe mwachusa iwe . . .please learn to keep quiet sometimes. How can a country progress with chaps thinking like you. stupid bemba idioot
@butondo with the country’s budget over spend?no meds in hospitals,high cost of living,high cost of fuel in the whole southern africa,do we as a country still need another by election sure?we have had more by election under PF then anyother government,why not just call a general election then in that case?.
let him face the thugs in the by-elections..
Wait for 2016 you will choose wisely again.The boat is still waiting.
Zambia is a democratic capitalist country and it is not justifiable that we should keep the price of mealie-meal at 10 dollars since the time of UNIP and Kaunda. It is a socialist mentality where you over milk the few to feed the lot.
We should value work as it was a responsibility that was given to man by GOD. How we work determines what we eat and the level of life we will enjoy in this life. There is no substitute for work, it is the price of success. You cannot expect to succeed at anything in life without working hard for it.
One of the biggest problems in Zambia is laziness, until we learn to work hard we continue to be poor as a nation.
People shouldnt be quick to act! GBM is teaching most of these politicians that it’s not about revenge but doing the right thing in order to avoid a land slide, now I know why he has succeeded in business without a phd. Learn from him if you can, there’s is more to him than meets the eye!
CINDY YOU ARE RIGHT. THAT IS WHY THE MAN HAS PROGRESSED IN HIS BUSINESS BECAUSE OF HIS PRINCIPLES.IT IS ONLY A PRINCIPLED PERSON LIKE THE GREAT GBM,GEORGE MPOMBO AND DAVIES MWILA WHO CAN RESIGN THERE POSITION WHEN THE SEE THAT THINGS ARE NOT MOVING WELL. OTHER SMALL BOYS LIKE MIKE MULONGOTI WILL WAIT AN-TILL THEY ARE FIRED THAT IS WHEN THEY WILL START TALKING.GBM MY ADVISE IS THAT PLEASE DO NOT JOIN ANY OF THIS MUSHROOMING OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTIES THEY ARE JUST THE SAME AS PF. IF THERE WILL A BYE ELECTION IN KASAMA CENTRAL JUST STAND AS INDEPENDENT AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT HERE IN KASAMA EVEN IF YOU STAND WITH MR SATA ON PF YOU WILL WIN. WE ARE ALL BEHIND YOU GBM.VIVA GBM. VIVA GBM. ….VIVA HH2031 VIVA HH2031.
Popularity in Africa comes with disappointments first. As for GBM you have good initials that will make you even more popular than MCS or RB. Since 1964 PF has been the weakest party in government which a person with well forecast mind know that it will not live longer.
GBM has realised that the only party with a bright future is PF. UPND is nothing but jokers who over rates themselves and yet people do not like them. we are better off under PF than a tribal president.
GBM will remain in PF or all people are give up more bye elections. Watch out PF advise the president well or else 5 years or 10 years will be enough. so that we prevent unneccesary bye elections
PF WILL BE A ONE TERM GOVERNMENT.COME 2016 PF WILL BE OUT OF POWER. UPND WILL FORM GOVERNMENT ONE DAY IF THEY CONTINUE CAMPAIGNING VERY HARD.IT WILL BE VERY VERY DIFFICULT FOR HH TO WIN GENERAL ELECTIONS IN 2016. PLEASE PLEASE LET THEM SELL THE PARTY TO NORTHERN, LUAPULA, MUCHINGA AND COPPER-BELT PROVINCES.AS AT NOW HERE IN NORTHERN PROVINCE WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THE NAME ATI HAKAINDE HICHILEMA THEY THINK THAT HE IS A LAME PERSON BECAUSE THEY DONT KNOW HIM. HH PLEASE PLEASE DONT CONCENTRATE IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE, THAT IS YOUR HEADQUARTERS.IF YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT YOU AND YOUR PARTY SHOULD AT-LEAST WIN IN 7 OUT OF 10 PROVINCES CHAPWA AND IF YOU DONT DO THAT THEN IT WILL BE HH 2031 HH 2031. FOR YOU NEVERS YOUR TIME HAS PASSED KALE YOU ARE JUST MAKING NOISE NO ONE IS GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU.
UPND Expelled Monde , Simunene and others, these guys are surviving via court injunctions which are dig darling in courts because of alleged interference. So GBM’s injunction if expedited will prove whether this is the case, he knows that he will stand a better chance if a lot of by elections are held at once hence holding onto the boat is a smart idea for now
sata is very unprofessional and has ethics.. I voted for him to bring change, now he has turned into a dictator.
When water is boiling in a electric kettle do you put your fingers in it?The river bank only busts once.Let the tide of any wave die down then the river will be crossed.More over you will even see much better.
My fellow Zambians if you really believe in TIME and Bible then the time is coming.When you are in a war Zone the bullet will never choose.It will catch you as a human being,tribal element and as an individual.
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