By Chimwemwe Mwanza

Bamushanina bwali (praise singers) tulefulilakofye which is why the pool of critical minds capable of providing decent checks and balances to the incumbent government is shrinking – at an alarming rate for that matter. Could this be the reason why amidst this paucity in political discourse, the gist of a critical electronic posting (was it on twitter or X) by a hip shooting academic almost got drowned in infantile noises.

‘Lungu might help HH to peacefully concede defeat,’ – is one of the recent postings by Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa that has caused some consternation across the political aisle. Justifying his argument in the write up, he chronicled roles played by former Heads of State, from KK to Rupiah Banda – in resolving electoral disputes. Delving deeper, the apt summation of this write up infers that Lungu is unlikely to stand in the next elections but could however play the role of an arbiter in the event that President Hakainde Hichilema (HH) loses but refuses to concede.

Ghastly as it seems for the UPND faithful to fathom such a reality, this tweet implicitly entertains the prospect of HH losing the next Polls. You see, politics is habitually allergic to crystal balls. In any case ours is a constitutional democracy, we shouldn’t stifle free thinking. Hence this question, would HH concede if he lost? Let’s ignore the answer for now, I’m already fashioning expletives raining down on me for having a brain, the size of a bean pole. Ni mbanje ya bwanji yamene abema uyu mufana, Hakainde ku luza sure – loosely translated as, what type of weed is this lad inhaling to contemplate such a possibility?

Pitfalls of overconfidence

Borrowing a famous idiomatic expression coined by former British Premier Harold Wilson, a week is indeed a long time in politics – besides the Polls are almost 2 and half years away. That said, it’s thus implausible to give an outright prediction of who will win the next elections. Need we remind those that have forgotten the disappointment that characterised the over-confident cheer leaders of this chant, ‘Alebwelelapo pamupando’. Sarcastic as it reads, the President has crafted a better response for nay sayers seeking to defy political gravity. Natwikalapo, alebwelelapo pamupando wisa?
Naivety is rife in our body politic which is why disbelief tears and loud wailing shrouded the aftermath of the August 2021 Polls. It took statesmen, Bai Koroma, Jakaya Kikwete and Rupiah Banda to convince a crestfallen Edgar Lungu to concede. This is the nature of a beast called politics. Further afield in the land of the free which also boasts one of the world’s oldest democracies, the mop haired one still refuses to concede to Joseph Biden who trumped him at the polls – three years after he grudgingly left the White House for the quieter confines of Mara Largo in Florida.
Aside from the view that the UPND is the front runner – at least granted the fragmented opposition, it is only rational for other people to hold a different opinion. Lest we meander off this discussion, the gist is not to ascertain the UPND’s electoral prospects but determine whether HH has the magnanimity or temperament to accept defeat in the event that Zambians reject him in 2026. Back to the question, would he concede and quietly vacate the Presidency?

Travesty of Justice

Let’s take a step back. It took him five failed attempts to wrest the Presidency eventually succeeding on his sixth shot, a rare mark of resilience – Albert Einstein certainly has living equals. On his 5th attempt in 2016, he lost by a whisker – prompting him to seek redress from courts for what he claimed were electoral malpractices by the former governing party.

Did the court find merit in his claim? The Constitutional Court regrettably dismissed his petition on a technicality – this without hearing his argument. This judgement was a travesty of Justice, a blatant disregard of the law. In her own words, quote verbatim, Justice Hilda Chibomba admitted as much. ‘It is a painful decision for the court to take to dismiss the case without hearing the evidence, but there is nothing the court could have done considering the time limit provided to conclude the petition,’ reads a part of her judgement.

It’s HH’s response though to this judgement that provides us a glimpse of his ability to stretch his fight for his rights. ‘I never thought one day we will have a situation where an election petition will be dismissed without hearing evidence from the parties. Our position is that we came to this court to seek justice, but it has been denied to us by this court. And as such, we have not conceded in the just-ended Presidential election where the Patriotic Front was declared winner,’ he remarked. This was vintage HH in opposition then, steadfast, principled but defiant to the bitter end.

Would he concede?

Could a successful conclusion of his petition have swayed his mind – assuming the Judgement went against his party? Only he knows the answer. However, few would disagree that he never recognised the Lungu Presidency. In his eyes, the PF were an illegitimate government that had robbed him the most prized possession in Zambian politics. While he has brought decorum to the Presidency the HH who is stubbornly ensconced at Community House – to the chagrin of many is a vastly transformed politician to the one that was criss-crossing the country begging for votes ahead of the 2021 Polls.

History has a way of repeating itself. How ironic that once in power, his party has been able to easily bend laws purely for self-serving interests. Case in point – the UPND twisted the interpretation of a ruling by the same Constitutional Court – which by the way in 2016, declined to hear their petition to steal the Kwacha and Kabushi Parliamentary seats from the opposition. Then out went the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Lillian Siyunyi. Never mind her transgressions, she too like the President has rights yet she was never accorded the opportunity to defend herself against a slew of charges laid before her – instead she was dealt a cold hand and left to hang in the court of public opinion.

HH has now tested power and he is using it to maximum effect. Is he using his position to entrench democratic tenets? You see, any politician that has scanty regard for the judiciary or rule of law is a danger to democracy. As the saying goes, a democracy where lies have replaced truth, where truth is illusive and where truth is secondary in the conduct of government business with no means of accessing or ability to question, dies in the end.
Would he concede?

About the Author: Mwanza enjoys reading Political History and Philosophy. Conversations with famous politicians takes you down memory lane, beautiful read for a translantic flight. * Amos – Nanga volume 2. For feedback, email [email protected]

Experienced diplomat and retired politician Vernon Johnson Mwaanga has lamented the recent coup in Niger which ousted President Mohamed Bazoum who was elected President of Niger in 2021.

Soldiers in Niger three days ago announced they had ousted the West African nation’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, in a national televised address.

Surrounded by uniformed soldiers, Niger’s Colonel-Major Abdramane — representing the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP) — declared the military has “put an end to the regime” of Bazoum. citing “the deteriorating security situation and bad governance.”

In his weekend article, Dr. Mwaanga branded the military coup in Niger which ousted the democratically elected President, as a major set-back for democracy on the continent of Africa.

He noted that the recent coups in Sudan, Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso and now in Niger are a major setback for Africa.

“The military coup in Niger which ousted the democratically elected President is a major set-back for democracy on the continent of Africa. President Mohamed Bazoum was elected President of Niger in 2021, in elections which international election observers described as “free and fair”. He was ousted by his own Presidential Guards and subsequently, the Army of Niger, announced its support for the coup. After going through a period of holding elections for political leaders at all levels. Recent developments in Sudan, Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso and now in Niger are a major setback for Africa. This is the 7th coup since 2020,” Dr. Mwaanga wrote.

“The African Union has officially taken a zero tolerance stance against the removal of democratically elected leaders by the military. There is an urgent need for punitive measures to be taken by the international community against countries which change power, using unconstitutional means, because they are an affront to emerging democracies. An interim leader General Tchiane has now been appointed,” he explained.

The former Zambian envoy to the United Nations (UN) said Africa must commit itself to upholding democratic values.

“Experience teaches us that democracy – whatever you perceive it to be – is a collective undertaking that involves duties and obligations, rights and responsibilities that bring together the leaders and the led, the elected and the electors, representatives of civil society and political institutions in a constant process of dialogue, consultation and consensus building. Africa has suffered a major setback, when you take into account the fact that there are still people out there who treat Africa as a country and not a huge continent of 55 countries.”

He continued:”There is still a frequent practice of ascribing to the whole of Africa, failings and misfortunes which occur in one country on the African continent. For example, the Eurocentric Press used to describe the Ugandan Military dictator Idi Amin and the then President and later Emperor of the Central African Republic, as “African dictators”, whereas Benito Mussolini of Italy, Adolf Hitler of Germany and Generalissimo Franco of Spain, were never described as “European fascists”. They were always debited to their individual countries.”

Dr. Mwaanga observed that political instability hinders sustainable development.

“We must all commit ourselves to upholding democratic values. We cannot expect to develop our countries without political stability. We cannot develop our countries without the rule of law. The role of the opposition is no less important, in entrenching democracy. The challenge for them is to show that opposition is in no way conterminous with disrespect and disloyalty to the state and its institutions: and far from being a force for dissension all the time, they are integral to true widening of the frontiers of freedom. We owe it to ourselves, to the present generation and to generations yet unborn, to make sure that we succeed. Failure is not an option,” he said.