The effects of the bad precedent set by our ruling political parties when in power
We have had four political parties and seven Presidents in power since we attained political independence. Each time we have changed leadership for reasons other than death, it is payback time: it becomes a period of retribution and revenge. Each new party learns from the bad example set by its predecessor and, in fact, finds new and extreme ways of conducting itself.
The effect is what we are seeing now: a downward spiral into a failed state.
State machinery is weaponised, individuals in state institutions are heavily compromised, and there is division along party and tribal lines. The elite, who are few in number, are the ones who benefit from deals on the national cake at the expense of citizens. The ruling party bends the rules and laws, especially in the lead-up to and during elections, to perpetuate its stay in power.
At the end of the day, it is the citizens and the country that suffer. This leads to high levels of poverty and dependence among the citizenry. Poverty becomes deeply ingrained, which in turn leads to poverty mindsets among us Zambians.
The effect of this poverty mindset is a continuous focus on scarcity and survival. This focus on immediate survival and instant gratification limits long-term planning and growth. Having the majority of Zambians in this state is very dangerous and stunts national development.
Decisions made from this poverty mindset tend to be retrogressive and self-harming. At election time, examples of this behaviour abound. People sell their vote to whoever will pay, even when they know that person will not improve their lot, rather than voting for someone who is able to improve their livelihoods.
Unfortunately, even a number of our leaders have this poverty mindset and tend to make decisions that lead to instant gratification. When someone with a poverty mindset suddenly comes into wealth, the mindset and the behaviours remain. They try to amass great wealth for themselves, even by corrupt means, for fear of sliding back into poverty, and all of this comes at the expense of the greater good.
How long shall we continue on this trajectory? When will we break this cycle of bad behaviour by parties in power in our country? Unfortunately, this starts with leadership.
The current leadership of the UPND, sadly, missed a golden opportunity to be the leadership that Zambia so desperately needs. They are incapable of doing what the country needs, because they have demonstrably failed to resist temptation and have fallen to the allure of absolute power, vengeance and sectarianism along tribal and party lines. Worse, they have failed to resist the temptation of perpetuating their stay in office.
Agreeing to extend UPND President Hakainde Hichilema‘s tenure is like seeing a lion approaching and continuing to walk towards it, thinking it will not devour you.
What Zambia needs is a President who will truly put Zambians above self-interest, including business interests. A President who will make it his or her life’s mission to ensure that Zambians share in their God-given wealth, and who protects that wealth for every Zambian and their posterity.
They have done this by changing laws to ones that speak to their agenda and by putting their lackeys in charge of state institutions. These institutions are compromised and have suffered wanton structural damage. In some cases they have already reversed, and in others they are in the process of reversing, the gains this country has made since independence.
This is why it would be extreme folly to give the UPND and its president another term in office. The structural damage to our state institutions, the increased use of the military, the arbitrary abductions and arrests, the detention of people without due process of the law and the selective justice being applied are all a clear indication of the shape of things to come.
Zambia is in great need of a reset. Continuing along our current trajectory will keep yielding the results we have been seeing: high levels of poverty, a divided nation and an angry people.
