A LOST CAUSE: DR MUSOKOTWANE’S ATTEMPTS TO WHIP UP SOME DAMAGE CONTROL OVER HIS SINOPHOBIC CHIEF’S LOVE LETTER TO THE CHINESE

By Sunday Chilufya Chanda

"It is pointless and futile for him to attempt to close the barn door after the horse has bolted".

Two days ago, UPND Chairman for Finance and Economics Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane dismissed reports that UPND president Hakainde Hichilema wrote a letter the Chinese government to stop funding various government projects because Zambia was facing serious debt crisis.

However Dr Musokotwane who is also Liuwa Member of Parliament maintained that Mr Hichilema in his letter addressed to the Chinese Ambassador "only asked the Chinese government to tone down on its funding to the Zambian government because the country was in a serious debt crisis."

Firstly, we congratulate current Liuwa Member of Parliament and Former Minister of Finance in the MMD Government, Honourable Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane on his recent appointment as opposition  United Party for National Development (UPND) Chief-Whip. 

Although his tenure as Finance Minister had some foul-ups, bloopers and blunders, such as over –expenditure and resultant supplementary budget that was almost 10% of the National Budget, one would consider him a well-versed man and citizen.

However, his valiant attempt to put a spin to his boss’s now infamous secret Love Letter to the Chinese, is an unreasonable excursion into the realm of futility. 

His is truly an unenviable predicament and we commiserate with him. 

The low flash-point, arrogance and know-it-all attitude of  the Fuhrer - his boss, would stretch  even the fortitude of people of Dr Musokotwane’s calibre and  blemish their credibility. 

While he feels a sense of duty to do some damage control in the aftermath of the blatant and impetuous indiscretions of his Sinophobe boss; it is a lost cause.

The UPND leader cannot cry over milk he spilled in a Sinophobic tantrum. Not even Dr Musokotwane can pick it for him. It's  gone, the Truth is out and he cannot change it. But the Truth can change HIM if he faces it and accepts it.

Truth cannot be twisted like the tenure of a UPND President nor can it be hidden and stashed away somewhere in a mattress, in the manner some people  have stashed away millions of US Dollars abroad just to avoid paying tax in their own country. 

The fact remains that the vicious anti-China talk which Dr Musokotwane’s boss has been rubble-rousing and inciting anti-China sentiment with, contradicts the lovey-dovey tone of the clandestine sweet-talk letter he wrote to the Chinese Ambassador that said he “valued China’s support”.

It is very irresponsible for the two-timing phony Dr Musokotwane is trying to shield  to begin his letter with flattery and empty platitudes and then conclude it with a selfish request for a stop to Chinese infrastructure development. 

We pity Hon Musokotwane's attempt to sell a plastic counterfeit as a genuine leader who “values” the Chinese and Sino-Zam relations, when his clamour for an anti-China uprising is extremely visible and well documented.

Everyone has heard it from the horse's foaming mouth- the vehement wide-eyed Sinophobic neighing, braying and all! 

It is therefore pointless for Dr Musokotwane to attempt to close the door after the horse has bolted. 

The horse is a rogue pony gone wild. It is a rather sulky Sinophobe breed at that;
and it therefore needs to be gently broken and groomed in the finer things of humility, peaceful co-existence and "Ubuntu". 

As the new Chief Whip and a senior and experienced person in charge of his party’s Finance portfolio, Dr Musokotwane would do well to begin with some housekeeping before turning to focus outward. 

His party and his leader have some reality checks that need to be addressed and egos that need systematic deflating.He  should not be coy in facilitating  some refresher workshops on a number of subjects including Sino-Africa relations, Self Respect  and Etiquette, among others.

The UPND Chief Whip could kickstart his in-house refresher lectures with a slide bearing a quote from an interview he gave to QFM not so long ago when he was Finance Minister : 

“Dr Musokotwane urged politicians to avoid politicizing Chinese investment because it is helping the country in bringing in more investment into the country.

Dr Musokotwane said in an interview that Zambians should concentrate more on the benefits that come with Chinese investment other than the negatives.

He said China has continued to be the major financial lender to bigger economies adding that Zambia should be grateful for being part of the development.

The minister said Chinese investment has contributed to the growth of the Zambian economy which is highly commendable.

"Dr Musokotwane added that what is even better is that China has shown interest in investing in many sectors of the Zambian economy."

A final word to Dr Musokotwane:  It would be beneficial to your (mis) leader and your party leadership if you repeated and explained your gems of wisdom as above.

However, kindly note that there is an ever increasing “fiscal deficit of Truth” at the helm of your party which is the result of an over-run of false hood, fake news, arrogance and other kinds of dirt. 

The net result is  a 'DIRT CRISIS' in the UPND!

Take Heart Dr Musokotwane, you have your work cut out for you!


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