Nevers Mumba Nolle Prosequi, Libongani’s Embarrassment

By Nyalubinge Ngwende

Embarrassed:  Libongani

The nolle-prosequi entered into by the state in the case of disorderly misconduct against opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy leader Nevers Mumba is an embarrassing blow to the Inspector General of Zambia Police, Stella Libongani. It exposes her sophism about the laws of the land and the just way they should be applied as accepted by the Zambian people based on the political system they have embraced—democracy.

Libongani must have known when she advised her police officers to arrest Mumba that there is no any case of disorderly misconduct for a politician to hold a political party meeting and travel with his members to go and meet chief Nkana. Mumba was purely acting within his political rights as a leader of an opposition political party. His actions (assembly and movements for political activity) are not imagined principles, but the customs of democracy that Zambians organised and enshrined into the country’s constitution.

Opposition Must Change By-election Campaign Message

By Nyalubinge Ngwende

Sixteen months from September 2011 general elections, Zambia has held six by-elections induced by government, with the first vacancy coming barely days from the election after an opposition MMD MP resigned to get a job in the Foreign Service. Another shocking one was a case of an Independent MP from Msanzala constituency; the MP was already serving as deputy minister in the Patriotic Front government, but chose to resign his own parliamentary seat only to re-contest the by-election on the ruling party.

This is not good for the country, but with the results of the by-elections held so far going in favour of the PF, we are not seeing President Sata’s appetite to continue poaching opposition MPs to join PF being satiated. Two are already on cue following UPND expelling two of its MPs who accepted deputy ministerial positions in the PF against the wish of the opposition party.

The real problem is the huge cost at which the country is holding unnecessary polls at the expense of social services. This by-election run can only be stopped, as Laura Miti puts it: ‘when the voters say enough!’

Quite true, but another concern is how to make the discourse of campaigns in these by-elections make meaning for electorates to make informed choices and say enough!

Zambia’s Democratic Governance Deteriorating

Zambian President, Michael Sata

Sata has no numbers in parliament and his fear is that his unpopular choices that commit public spending to programmes that subtract value from the core goals of public policy may not get approval if set before parliament

By Nyalubinge Ngwende
The more things change, the more they remain the same, so goes the old adage. Unfortunately, when Zambia changed government in September, 2011 things did not just remain the same, they have deteriorated. We are at our worst at present because President Sata has refused to work with an opposition dominated parliament, choosing to marshal his major decisions without the recourse of the elected national assembly. Electorates have slid into amnesia, the constitution has loose ends and cannot restrain him and the opposition leaders lack clout to exert pressure since they are sidelined by mainstream media. 

 

This could be laughable, meaning easy policy victories for the ruling party, but it is scaring the consolidation of Zambia’s blossoming democracy. It has rendered our representative democracy useless and it is happening with an authoritarian depth and extent that has not been seen since the country returned to multiparty democracy 22 years ago. 

Plunder Under National Interest Guise

By Nyalubinge Ngwende

The Patriotic Front seems to read from a very queer book of organizing as a political party and, consequently, it is managing to use legitimate means to achieve wrong ends that strengthen its partisan interests.

The PF is using public finances for its party functions. But worse to this truth is that all this is happening under a guise that Zambians cannot unravel as political corruption masquerading as national interest.

This is because President Michael Sata and his friends crafted a PF manifesto over 10 years of being in opposition on wrong fundamentals of patriotism. The manifesto created wrong impressions that Zambia could only develop if it is run by the patriots of the PF. To this effect, it enshrined in its manifesto a clause that says that all positions of decision making in government—the civil service, commissions, authorities and commercial ventures—would be a preserve for party patriots.

It is difficult to tell whether Zambians who went to vote for the PF on September 20, 2011 elections fully understood the implications of provisions in the then opposition party’s manifesto. 

Political Corruption Stinks like Shit

When it comes to politics, the media are like bush pigs that will attack you when your pants are down as you shit (defecate) in the bush. As you pull your pants to run away, do not forget to also pick up the doves you just shot from your ass. If you do, the pigs will remain feasting on them

By Nyalubinge Ngwende 

You can take a secluded path and sit yourself among the shrubs and do the foul call of nature, or go to the ivory tower and relieve yourself, wipe out the backside using a newspaper that is politically on your side, but the fact is that shit still stinks and at one end it will foul the air and attract flies.

This is also true about how our politicians steal public funds. Their predecessor, the MMD government, may have taken a secluded path in the trail of committing corrupt acts while, the current Patriotic Front government, may choose to openly commit those acts and use government papers and elected representative to try and legitimise the wrongs, but the fact remains: theft is theft!

Theft means taking something that is not legally or legitimately yours, whether by writing it in the government books or not. There is no way an office that is not established by the constitution of the country can be appropriated public funds. There is also no way a government can allocate funds to build a retirement home of a President who is barely one year-old in office for a five-year term.

This is the position the Patriotic Front government in Zambia finds itself in. It has been trying to justify its actions that border on moral wrongs; using parliament to allocate K1.5 billion to the office of the First Lady Christine Kaseba and another K1.4 billion for the retirement home for President Sata.

God Save Us From The Hands Of Pharao

Let me say I am in high spirits of knowing that Zambia is yet to have the best of leadership than what The Post Newspaper and the charlatans out there are trying to make us believe at the moment.

I am sad with what is happening concerning the police pursuing opposition political leaders for taking a walk in the market. I join those crying foul and praying that Zambia must be liberated from the hands of Pharao.

I have hope about this because I believe The Voice of the PEOPLE, is the Voice of GOD! In our cry we regret having allowed, for the first time in our history, to bring out a President who does not respect the rights of others and feels overly important about himself in the presence of others. Is this not what psychology terms as narcissist behaviour?

I am crying with others over what has continued to happen in this country concerning the illegal ban of opposition political activities by the police, under the silent instructions of the PF leadership.

Stella Libongani, Save Us Your Sophism On Public Order Act

Her argument in supporting the manner in which the police have enforced the Public Order Act is a sophism laden with poor understanding of what politics in the realm of civilized democracy are supposed to be.

By Nyalubinge Ngwende

What again? Stella Libongani says that the police see nothing wrong with the Public Order Act.

Addressing a media briefing on December 28, 2012 at Southern Sun Hotel, Libongani said the Public Order Act allows the police to enforce the law properly.

She also believes that the law makes every Zambian to enjoy their rights and freedoms, and that political parties have other opportunities to communicate with the public other than public meetings.

She further feels that police has a preserve of judgment to determine the dangers of a public political meeting.

This statement exposes huge gaps (1) between the way Libongani misunderstands fundamental human rights and freedoms, and the way these entitlements function in a democracy, and (2) between her orientation of police duties and the prevention and protection—the two ends that any law is purposed to attain.