As our nation continues grappling with AIDS………yes, you heard me right; Acquired Inadequate Development Syndrome (AIDS), we expected those that have had the privilege of perambulating through the gates of institutions of higher learning to memorise theories and walked away cum laude, to be busy prescribing smart solutions for our endemic malaise!

But what have we witnessed from these armchair critics, instead? Constant bickering and squabbling and spewing out cheap propaganda from desperate individuals eager to hoodwink the public……nay, access the honeycomb so that they can equally have their fair share of the spoils and thrills!

For instance, the Zambia Police under the New Dawn Administration just announced scrapping of all static security checkpoints and roadblocks on all our roads…. Just when we expected the likes of perennial critics such as self imposed leader of the Socialist Party, Fred M’membe to embrace and applaud such a revolutionary feat, he drops a bomb that has left many of us with jaws dropping!

“By removing static security checkpoint and roadblocks on these haulage routes what activities is Mr Hichilema and his government trying to ease? What really is going on here? Can they come clean and tell the nation the logic behind this highly suspicious decision?” wonders M’membe on his Facebook page.

Absolutely hogwash; mindless conspiracy theories!

On several occasions, I have endured the 1,398.2km stretch between Cape Town and Johannesburg by bus in crime prone South Africa; I’ve equally been chauffeur driven on the 147km highway from Friesland to Amsterdam in the Netherlands at the height of terrorist attacks, on both occasions I have never encountered any unnecessary road blocks or police check points. The only time I’ve witnessed road blocks is when there’s been a grisly road carnage or money heist and the terrorist threat has been upgraded to red alert in the two countries, respectively. What I’ve seen instead, are highway patrol vehicles strategically stationed on either side of the road eagerly waiting to give chase to suspicious looking vehicles!

Road blocks and check points have not only been a nuisance for most road users, but actually precious mines where corrupt cops turned up each day to mint gold! Challenge the Anti Corruption Commission to conduct investigations, you’ll be shocked to see assets some of these police officers have accumulated compared to their modest salaries.

If my civic education knowledge serves me right, road blocks and check points were introduced during the colonial era to monitor the movement of freedom fighters or indeed set traps for them! After the liberation struggle, the UNIP government equally adopted the same strategy mainly to detect clandestine activities of insurgents who were active at the time sniffing for opportunities to erase our strategic installations such as bridges, airports and communication facilities etc. to the ground as punishment for sheltering freedom fighters from Southern Africa.

Come on dude; we no longer live in the Dark Ages! There are always advanced techniques available to monitor the movement of our precious minerals or indeed intercept drunks and those those who may have committed heinous crimes in one place or another. What happened to the concept of smart cities anyway?

Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst

Dr Fred M’membe, leader of the Socialist Party, has shared some words of encouragement and kindness for recently incarcerated Chishimba Kambwili.

Taking to the Facebook page of his Socialist Party, he submitted, “Mwaice wandi Chishimba Kambwili wisakamana. Natwishiba ifilechitika napali ubwafya natupamona.” Loosely translated into English – do not worry my young brother. We know what is happening and we’ve seen where there’s a problem.

For obvious reasons, M’membe deliberately chooses to package his thoughts in Bemba. However, if you bother to comb through the said page, you’ll discover that the once Editor of an influential tabloid usually shares his thoughts in our official language – English. Why the sudden change in the choice of the language to interact with members of the public? What is the thrust of this article? Is he somehow giving tacit approval of Kambwili’s uncouth tribal ranting?

It’s absolutely immoral and unfair to try and apportion Kambwili’s latest predicament to UPND when they were not anywhere near the corridors of power when the case was initiated.

As revealed by Mulenga Thornicroft on her Facebook page, the case which has seen Kambwili jumping on a CDF Landcruiser to begin his long journey to prison was actually reported during the PF regime by three brave women – Laura Miti, Mutibo Harvey and Mulenga herself!

“Anybody who chooses to see this as a ploy by UPND to fix Kambwili is not thinking straight!” maintains Mulenga.

She further insists that Zambia is for all of us and will never allow a few individuals make any Tonga child feel like a second class citizen due to selfish political ambitions.

Considering the gravity of the offence, Kambwili is even lucky he walked away with a lesser sentence.

Anyway, we are not surprised that M’membe has come to the defence of one of his kind. As editor of The Post Newspapers, he used the publication not only to unleash scathing attacks on UPND, but equally mounted a vicious tribal campaign against the party.

In an attempt to hoodwink the right thinking members of the public that UPND did not enjoy the support of the people beyond Southern province, he constantly referred to it as a Bantustan; a deregatory reference to partially self-governing areas set aside during the period of apartheid for particular indigenous African folks.

We are not surprised that M’membe is quick to defend Kambwili and assure him of liberation in the not too distant future…..they are actually birds of the same feathers. They both share a history of stoking tribal sentiments!

By Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst

Much of last week, I remained holed up in what my Western colleagues would refer to as sticks adding meat to the skeleton of my next project – “One Zambia One Nation; How Hakainde Rejuvenated Our Motto.” When I finally got back to civilization, l found Social media trending with news of compensations by the state; particularly the one involving the Minister of Transport & Logistics Hon. Frank Tayali who has walked away with a whopping K450, 000 for the trauma he allegedly suffered when a gun was pointed at him by an overzealous cop as he escorted opposition party leader then, President Hichilema, to police headquarters for interrogations.

A number of bloggers and personalities of course weighed in and added their voices to the discourse. Of particular interest are the following views:

“I have just made an appointment to meet with my lawyers to sue the state for the 2017 unlawful detention for 7 days and 7 nights. How much should I claim? I would like to donate part of the claim to the youth,” stated UPP leader Saviour Chishimba.

Outspoken UPND Lusaka province party official, Likwanya Matomola, could not be left out at all. “I am sueing the state for torturing me and illegally detaining me 6 times when the police arrested me between 2015 & 2021. Next week on Monday I am taking legal action.”

United Kingdom based UPND member Barbra Chama who is notorious for calling a spade a spade equally shared her thoughts. I will also come and claim compensation for the trauma I suffered due to the insults I faced at the hands of Ichipani thugs…. I want 10 million!”

“Those who suffer harm must be handsomely compensated. And in return, officers who cause the State to compensate victims must be made to personally compensate the State for such conduct,” Green Party leader, Peter Sinkamba, observed.

Topson Kunda, a Central province based UPND official that suffered gushing gunshot wounds prior to the elections maintained that he won’t sue anyone but leave everything to God.

On the hand, others such as the Chilubi MP, Mulenga Fube and his Petauke Central counterpart Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda who escaped prison sentence for urinating in the mouth of a journalist and storming a police post to beat up police officers were sarcastic and less civil as expected; describing the move as nothing but looting the treasury!

I won’t waste time discussing the merits or demerits of what others have said, but would rather share my own opinion in truth and honesty.

The decision by Tayali to sue the state for compensation may be legally right, but of course morally wrong. What do we say so?

During different episodes of our liberation struggles……from British colonial rule, dark days of one party rule through to the days of MMD and the brutal PF regime, various individuals have suffered tremendous pain and anguish at the hands of the state. Have we seen any of them stepping forward to claim compensation? Is our economy solid enough to even sustain such unplanned expenses?

I’ll share a vivid personal experience. When I wrote an article, “Sata’s Family Forest Explained,” during the PF regime which detailed a clear pattern of tribalism and regionalism in the choice of those appointed to government positions, the authorities were livid! Former president Edgar Lungu was Home Affairs Minister at the time. I had never seen a person so annoyed before on national TV.

“This is treason!” He exclaimed as he banged his clenched fist on his mahogany office desk. “We know this is the work of UPND. I am now directing investigative wings of government to hunt down whoever is behind this article and bring them to book!”

During the wee hours of the following day, I tucked my passport in one of the inner pockets of my coat, secured my wallet and disappeared into the night. During the next couple of hours, I steered away from the main road as much as possible to avoid being detected. I somehow got a bit relieved when I finally got absorbed into the dense ZAFFICO plantation along the Ndol/Kitwe dual carriageway. During the next couple of days to come, I survived on wild fruits, drinking water from the puddles, dodging snakes and being feasted upon by the mosquitoes. One fateful late afternoon though, I came face to face with armed bandits who frisked me and took away my only earthly possessions – sleeping bag, phone and wallet.

After loitering about in the wilderness for the next 3 weeks, I finally found the Mokambo road where I encountered a charcoal burner. I borrowed his mobile phone and called my wife.

“No one has been here,” she assured me. “You can just come back home now.”

It has never crossed my mind that I can actually sue the state for compensation for the anguish and trauma I endured during those days and nights in the wilderness until this time. I am now contemplating finding a good lawyer to pursue this case. But are we doing the nation any good taking this route?

If my memory serves me right, Local Government Minister Hon. Gary Nkombo equally had a gun put to his head by a trigger happy cop at a fuel station in Chilanga in the presence of his dear lovely wife, Katendi. Have we seen him jumping on skates to demand compensation? Of course, not!

What about the Lamba bull, Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo, another poor victim of imprisonment on tramped up charges before the elections; have we seen him laughing all the way to the Bank?

No no no….. Hon. Minister…… surrender that money back to government or better still, donate it to charity otherwise you are setting a very bad precedence. Very soon you’ll see every everyone of us dashing to court for compensation.

Besides, the president has already rewarded you with a lofty position as Minister for your contributions to the struggle which is a lifetime achievement in itself. It may be understandable for someone not serving in government such as Obvious Mwaliteta to sue for compensation, but not a Minister for God’s sake!

by Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
…