Sata, explain your dealings with Chiluba!
Sata, explain your dealings with Chiluba!By Editor
Friday January 11, 2008 [03:00]
It is said that no one feels sorry for a snake charmer or wild animal tamer who gets bitten. This is what one would say about Michael Sata and the crisis that has rocked his political party as a result of his dealings with Frederick Chiluba.
Many people, including some important leaders of Sata’s Patriotic Front, questioned his political relationship with and support for Chiluba. Sata found it wise to defy logic and lead his cadres to receive and dance for Chiluba whenever he travelled to or from South Africa.
In the last elections, Chiluba threw himself behind Sata and most of his corrupt associates, those facing corruption charges with him joined Sata’s campaign. Some were even adopted as parliamentary candidates. We joined in questioning all these activities and the rationale behind but we were singled out and made to look like we just hate Chiluba. For us it simply became another case of every creature preferring its own kind, and people being no different.
Just as animals of the same species flock together, so people keep company with people like themselves. A corrupt politician has no more in common with a clean politician than a wolf has with a lamb. An honest politician has no more in common with a crooked politician than a hyena has with a dog. Honest people hunt down corrupt elements just as lions hunt down wild donkeys in the open country.
At that time Sata’s political fortunes were really rising, were at their peak. And when things are going well, it is hard to tell who your real friends are, but in hard times you can recognise your enemies; even your friends will leave you then. But when you are successful, your enemies will act like friends. Never trust an enemy; his wickedness is as destructive as rust. Watch out, and be on guard against him, even if he acts ever so humble. He is like a metal mirror that rusts away if you don’t keep it polished. Seat an enemy at your right hand, and the next thing you know, he will be trying to get your own place of honour. Put him next to you, and he will overthrow you. Then you will realise the truth of our words, and be stung with regret when you remember them.
An enemy will stay with you for a while, but not when trouble comes. He will speak fine words while he plots how to trap you. He will pretend to share your sorrows, but he will kill you if he gets a chance. If trouble comes your way, you will find him waiting, ready to trip you while he pretends to help you. He will be a different person then, rubbing his hands, nodding his head, and spreading rumours about you.
If you touch tar, it will stick to you, and if you keep company with thieves or crooked people, you will come to be just like them. Don’t try to lift something too heavy for you, and don’t keep company with people who are crooked, who are corrupt – criminals. You cannot keep a clay pot next to an iron kettle; the pot will break if it hits the kettle. A crooked man will use you as long as he can profit from it, but when you need him, he will leave you helpless.
He will live with you as long as you have something and will gladly drain you dry. If he needs you, he will trick you with his smiles and cheerful, kindly words. “Do you need anything?” he will ask. He will feed you until you are embarrassed. Finally, when he has drained you two or three times over, he will laugh at you. If you see him later, he will pretend he doesn’t know you, and will pass you by.
Be careful not to be misled; you can be enjoying yourself and suddenly find yourself humiliated.
This is the way what has happened to Sata, what Chiluba has done to Sata can be explained. Wicked people are always hungry for evil; they have no mercy on anyone; they walk a crooked path. And sometimes it takes a painful experience to come to know and accept who they are. Sata is getting his baptism.
It is not right to favour crooked characters and keep honest people from receiving justice. Those who are good travel a road that avoids evil; so watch where you are going – it may save your life.
Chiluba will never change his ways – that’s what he is. People talk about forgiveness. Yes, there should be forgiveness but it should be on the basis that one has changed his ways and is repentant. One can easily distinguish the mistakes of an honest man from those of a crook. No one can pretend that Comrade KK’s rule was perfect, was faultless. He made many mistakes, some of them very big and serious. But these were clearly mistakes of an honest man that cannot be compared to those of Chiluba which were clearly deeds of a dishonest person. The mistakes of an honest man are open to correction whereas the deeds of a crook are his way of life that cannot be corrected easily.
But why did Sata decide to team up with Chiluba and his tandem of thieves? It is not difficult to guess why. He must have thought there were benefits to be derived from such a marriage – even if it is of convenience.
The crooked elements had the money. Therefore, it was assumed that they could easily use it to win him political support and elections. And they nearly succeeded but they didn’t succeed. Now it has even gotten to their heads and it’s making them think what they nearly achieved for Sata they can do for themselves. They believe they are very popular. That’s why they can even talk about the nonsense of Chiluba coming back to contest the 2011 elections.
Again, this is what happens when principles are lost. This is what happens when values are abandoned. This is the result when crookedness, deceit and corruption are allowed to dominate a country’s politics. This should be a wake-up call to all Zambians to open their eyes and see that which needs to be seen so that they can stop that which needs to be stopped.
Tomorrow may be too late even though it is said there is honour among thieves, among crooks. Let us ask ourselves what type of Zambia we want for ourselves, our children and their children, and their children’s children. Do we want a Zambia that operates or is governed by the standards set or dictated by crooks, corrupt elements, scoundrels, jackals, hyenas and scorpions? Well, it is said that at the end of the day we reap what we sow. If we want politics and a government of crooks, we should never expect honest politics and clean dealings in the nation; we should expect corruption to be the order of the day.
It would be interesting for Sata to explain to the nation, to the Zambian people why he went into a political marriage with Chiluba – a person who is facing very serious criminal charges and there is a judgment in London of him stealing public funds, a judgment Sata once said he recognises. What was in it for Sata? He needs to tell the nation the truth about all these things before he can be trusted again and voted for. Otherwise, Sata should be trashed and sent to the garbage dump together with Chiluba.
posted by MrK @ 5:59 AM
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