HAKAINDE AND UPND OUT TO SELL THE HEART AND SOUL OF ZAMBIA

By Sunday Chilufya Chanda

The nature and tone of a recent justification of anti-Chinese sentiment by UPND  Deputy Secretary General Patrick Mucheleka is a mark of dangerous extremism.

His elaborate eulogy and extravagant lengthy  portrayal of his party president Mr Hakainde Hichilema as an infallible and omniscient demi-god with a monopoly of wisdom, speaks volumes of why his party is in the state it is in today. It explains why the only political distinction the UPND President has is  wining the wooden spoon five times in a row! 

Matters of statecraft need to be approached with sober minds and not with inflated egos and simplistic escapism.

Now that Mr Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND abhor the Chinese and its investment in Zambia, in the most unlikely event of them forming Government, would they cut relations with China? Without hiding in semantics, we ask the UPND to tell Zambians what would they change about Zambia China co-operation in the unlikely event that of them forming Government? What would UPND do to Chinese-funded infrastructure projects? Would they discontinue with PF's infrastructure development?

Mr Mucheleka’s fawning reverence of his life President is a disorder that has arrested the development of the collective faculties of a party that has become  a serfdom with Mr Hichilema installing and fortifying himself as a feared Feudal Lord with an exclusive patent to wisdom. 

Mr Hichilema is a man; a mere infallible mortal. Granted, as a leader, he should be respected within his party. However, he should not be viewed and adored as being omniscient. He is not God. (One only needs to look at his unflattering performance during his recent BBC interview where he was well and truly out of his depth and he could not give answers to straightforward questions). He only thrives in situations where he can bully the discussion.

So we ask: What solutions has Mr. Hichilema brought to the table apart from his hubris and his forever harbouring the ill repute of his role in the privatisation process that spread misery across Zambia?

What can stop the UPND from “privatising Zambia” and selling it just to accommodate the legalising of Homosexuality in Zambia?

Can the UPND and its leader categorically deny that they are part of Africa Liberal Network (ALN) funding to introduce the legislation of Homosexuality in Zambia? 

UPND will not only sell the country’s assets, but it will gladly trade its morals as well to the highest bidder in the name of “good business sense”.

Consequently,  in the unlikely event UPND formed government, it would clearly be a “cure” worse than any disease for the country. It would introduce a cure with an “s” cunningly  lodged between the last two letters.

UPND Tribalism and xenophobia are bad enough.

Ends…//…

The author is the PF Media Director

At the Patriotic Front Secretariat

In Lusaka