VIVA LA POST
It is complete madness that politicians, especially in the opposition would be busy calling for the muzzling of The Post (though they generalize it as the media).
It's shocking and disgusting that they have chosen to live political lives determined and driven by sheer opportunism. How come they have easily forgoten what state media has behaved all along. How come they have easily ignored the fact that state media has been there solely for the ruling party; the party and its government (PIG as it were). This state medid usually, and mainly covers the opposition when they denounce other opposition leaders.
Let all those well meaning politicians accept simple logic that they may tomorrow be on the other side of the fence. I mean, those that are in government today will be in opposition tomorrow and vice versa. Can Sakwiba tell the nation how much coverage he received from the public media before his campaign antics with Rupiah?
Let the politicians not under estimate our reasoning and intelligence as Zambians. Do they mean we can not choose between right and wrong? The Times of Zambia, The Daily Mail and ZNBC have faced difficulties in winning public confidence because of their lack of drive to be true mediums of the people. Where it not for the government grants they receive, they would not have come this far as they would have been declared not to be financially viable.
Sorting out The Post! Well, the right people to do this are not the politicians. The Zambian public will on their own sort out The Post. How? By simply stopping to buy copies when its reporting is considered insulting, injurous and irrelevant to our nation. Zambians will rise to the ocassion and do what is right, at the right time. At an opportune time. In the same way Zambians rejected UNIP in 1991, the third time in 2001 and the same way the Copperbelt and Lusaka provinces have clearly rejected the MMD in the 2006 and 2008 elections.
Zambians are smart enough to steer their own media direction. And that is why WE have stuck with The Post, because we know it is a people's paper.
Viva La Post!
Percy Mwale,
Kitwe.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Our Zambia, Our Posterity
In all fairness, people that desire to lead others, to direct the affairs of the nation, must be of a higher standing. Beyond reproach.
A lot of pressing issues were raised concerning the conduct of a number of politicians especially those in goverment and their wings. Cases in point include the Police IG, Army Commander, Elections Director, Cabinet Ministers abusing public facilities to the benefit of political parties, etc.
Jane Adams once said, 'The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life'. Another wise man Clarence Darrow also said that 'You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedom. You can only be free if I am free'. What this literary means is that those of us in authority must never look into their interests alone, but also consider the interests of even least man in the furtherst corners of our land. A note to our leaders is that whatever actions they take today will have a bearing on every Zambian tomorrow, young or old including their spouses and children. They need to ask, 'Will my actions today promote and advance a better Zambia?'
It is an open secret though with an exception of very few individuals, that the majority of the people in authority have showed us that their number 1 motivation in all they do is their pocket, their family, their job, their interest. While this may be disputed, my question is why then have our leaders ignored other stakeholders and pretended all is well. Do we want us to believe a ruling party can be removed due to their selfish ambitions of only wanting power and nothing else?
I seek answers to these questions:
1. Why did the ECZ stay mute in the reported rampant and open abuse of public resources?
2. Why was the ECZ so defensive, emotional and uptight whenever the public raised alarm on dishonesty over the handling of ballots?
3. Why was the ECZ so incosistent in releasing the results citing distance as the main factor?
4. Why did the ECZ allow voting to take place in some areas a day or two after election day?
5. Why has the ECZ and the Police been so quick to hide and protect individuals found wanting like in the case of the Presiding Officer in Munali?
6. How come the Anti Corruption and Police kept quiet when Mulongoti admitted to the 'donating' of money to another political party during election campaigns?
7. Why did Ephraim Mateyo and Isaac Chisuzi see it fit and justifiable to instil fear and intimidate Zambians prior to elections?
8. How come Mbita Chitala & Co. had the audacity to even suggest the margin by which they would win?
9. How come we had names missing from the electoral registers when we didn't have any voter registrations? This reeks of register doctoring.
Logically, the explanations being given in most of cases fall short of reason. Zambia will never boast of a genuine election again until respect for other players and stakeholders is upheld.
Let the powers that be work effectively to ensure transparency in our electoral system. Like the ECZ's motto which says, 'Endorsing Your Choice', let the voice of the masses speak as in 1991, without a trace of doubt.
Percy Mwale,
Kitwe.
A lot of pressing issues were raised concerning the conduct of a number of politicians especially those in goverment and their wings. Cases in point include the Police IG, Army Commander, Elections Director, Cabinet Ministers abusing public facilities to the benefit of political parties, etc.
Jane Adams once said, 'The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life'. Another wise man Clarence Darrow also said that 'You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedom. You can only be free if I am free'. What this literary means is that those of us in authority must never look into their interests alone, but also consider the interests of even least man in the furtherst corners of our land. A note to our leaders is that whatever actions they take today will have a bearing on every Zambian tomorrow, young or old including their spouses and children. They need to ask, 'Will my actions today promote and advance a better Zambia?'
It is an open secret though with an exception of very few individuals, that the majority of the people in authority have showed us that their number 1 motivation in all they do is their pocket, their family, their job, their interest. While this may be disputed, my question is why then have our leaders ignored other stakeholders and pretended all is well. Do we want us to believe a ruling party can be removed due to their selfish ambitions of only wanting power and nothing else?
I seek answers to these questions:
1. Why did the ECZ stay mute in the reported rampant and open abuse of public resources?
2. Why was the ECZ so defensive, emotional and uptight whenever the public raised alarm on dishonesty over the handling of ballots?
3. Why was the ECZ so incosistent in releasing the results citing distance as the main factor?
4. Why did the ECZ allow voting to take place in some areas a day or two after election day?
5. Why has the ECZ and the Police been so quick to hide and protect individuals found wanting like in the case of the Presiding Officer in Munali?
6. How come the Anti Corruption and Police kept quiet when Mulongoti admitted to the 'donating' of money to another political party during election campaigns?
7. Why did Ephraim Mateyo and Isaac Chisuzi see it fit and justifiable to instil fear and intimidate Zambians prior to elections?
8. How come Mbita Chitala & Co. had the audacity to even suggest the margin by which they would win?
9. How come we had names missing from the electoral registers when we didn't have any voter registrations? This reeks of register doctoring.
Logically, the explanations being given in most of cases fall short of reason. Zambia will never boast of a genuine election again until respect for other players and stakeholders is upheld.
Let the powers that be work effectively to ensure transparency in our electoral system. Like the ECZ's motto which says, 'Endorsing Your Choice', let the voice of the masses speak as in 1991, without a trace of doubt.
Percy Mwale,
Kitwe.
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