Continuity... What continuity??

I read a letter to the editor by C. Banda (Rupiah's Holiday), The Post dated: 26 th December 2008 with interest. He's one of the few who voted for Rupiah Banda for the sake of “continuity”. Much as I agree with him on a lot of points, I have my reaction to the issue.

We have to be careful as a country not to be fooled by politicians all the time. It is common sense that politicians will use anything they see as a weakness to get your interest in a person. RB cannot have a continuity of any one in mind both living or dead. Hes an individual on his own. It should be spelled out clearly that even one's twin will never replace the other as they exist on their own. So when the issue of continuity came up, I laughed as people took it, one can continue what the other did. Unless one used to the other's thinking, that is, the other person's brain, it is impossible. So on a physical level, I'm very sorry, that cannot happen.

Mwanawasa was in his own right, a person wit his own values, beliefs, approach and responsibility that no one dead or alive can take over from him. They can either build or destroy or take a whole new path far from his. It is human nature. I feel his pain to realize what some of us were saying as being true of what RB will do, and he didn't believe, only to be hit by reality after voting for him. The mere idea of voting for him on the issue of continuity has put a lot of us in misery and the country has been sent decades into primitivity. Who on this planet can believe a sensible person will side and be promoted by the likes of Mulongoti, VJ and Teta? These are the worst things to happen to Zambia at this time. I'm ashamed to be from the same country as the three. Now imagine what a person will do if hes backed by the three. Simple logic told us that RB was not a choice at any time. He neither has the qualities that we require nor the logic of what needs to be done.


So “your” continuity only looked at one thing, continuity in poverty (were more than 70% of the people live in abject poverty), continuity in delays in bringing plunderers to justice, continuity in leaders enriching themselves, and nothing to do with this country's development or positive progress. We were given a chance by God to change the course of this country by looking and valuing the developmental aspects and put leaders who will work on issues that will benefit the ordinary citizens and we failed. We failed the country, the people of Zambia and most importantly, we failed our children, grand children and great grand children. Continuity is meaningless if it means heading in the wrong direction. And thats where we are heading. His inauguration speech had all that people expected. He had nothing to offer during campaigns. I knew that and saw it, but thought everyone one else saw it. I was shocked to talk to some people some of whom are my dear friends on the issue and they told me they were behind RB. I laugh at them now looking at what continuity they thought they were getting. The joke is not on them only, its on me, my children, my family, my neighbours and the whole country. We have made this country be the worst place on earth to live in by wrong choices. We have totally messed everything up.


Positive outcomes come from someone with positive things wherever he works, lives or found. No other way. What did RB do? Who was he found with? Has he ever contributed to positivity of the country? I doubt if there is a yes to any of that. No wonder I have no hope for this country with just the mere fact that he is leading it. It is such things that make other countries better. Our security wings (intelligence) should make it a point to bring out all the issues that a person like him have. They should not be a tool for a leader but a tool for the country. Obama was being protected when he was still a mere democrat candidate long before he won the nomination. Here, it serves the president and not the f**king country. What the hell are you trying to do. It is the country that you should work on. Chiluba was using the intelligence to steal the country's monies. Maybe I have a different meaning for intelligence but I expect the intelligence to even expose a head of state when he is doing wrong. But here it seems the intelligence is used actually to do wrong. Thats why all those who work for the intelligence hide the issue. It is because we know anything with “shu-shu-shu” is bad ending no matter how straight one is. Maybe we should even called it lack-of-intelligence and not intelligence.


The Post spent a lot of time bringing out these issues and I'm sure the intelligence was at them trying to find ways they can close it down. Close down the truth??? Only in Zambia!


Now we have people going on holidays claiming they have done a lot and need to rest. They carry everything maybe just leave chickens in the yard for the holiday on tax-payers' money. What work have they done? Reduce fuel pump price – which are expected because it is a global issue. And anyway, we are still the most expensive in the region! So what has been done there? Did he go to drill more oil so the pump price can reduce globally? Look at our roads – it is a disaster! I will be taking pictures for people to see what a country has become. I would never rest or even sleep if I was ruling a country in such a state. Kaunda should be ashamed to even greet his hand after what the country he left has become today.


I have seen him do three (3) things since he became president and none of which I can boast about it I was him.
1. Salary increment
2. Reduction of Visa fees
3. Holiday for his clan
is that worth celebrating over? We are a primitive country which have little or no values to look at that as development.

We have to put a lot of things to put in order to have any chance of making this country better than what it is today. It should never take a useless holiday to bring us to senses. We are not in any way going to progress with such leadership. Our priorities as a country are misplaced and totally messed up. Even our institutions don't know what they should do in making this country a better place to live in. we have lost a lot of ground with MMD in power than countries that were at war like Angola and Mozambique. They even have better structures than we dream about. You wonder what we were doing while they were fighting! They not only caught up with us, but they have even pasted us in development. Should Zambia be a mediocre country all my life? There has to be a better way to live than this surely.