Lawlessness, impunity and MMD cadres

Lawlessness, impunity and MMD cadres
Written by Editor

IN the Zambian government's message to commemorate this year's World Press Freedom Day, information minister and chief government spokesman Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha said "...freedom of expression and access to information are indispensable to any viable democratic society such as Zambia because they facilitate dialogue which fosters deeper understanding of many challenges we face today".

But as Lt Gen Shikapwasha is releasing his statement, MMD cadres at the City Airport were harassing and chased journalists from The Post who were there to cover the arrival of Rupiah Banda from Zimbabwe. And this is not the first time journalists from The Post have been beaten and chased from covering Rupiah. What worries us most is the impunity with which these MMD thugs carry out their attacks on our journalists. They do it in full view of the police, they don't attempt to hide their actions. And always those responsible for such actions against our reporters escape justice, their crimes go unpunished. It is clear that they have a license to do what they do.

This is what the intolerance of Rupiah towards The Post is breeding. And Rupiah should be held personally responsible for whatever these MMD thugs, these supporters of his do to our journalists. We say this because it is Rupiah who incited them against our journalists. They have been made by Rupiah to believe The Post and its journalists are enemies of the state and the MMD who should be crushed.

Clearly, the good statement, the progressive words contained in Lt Gen Shikapwasha's statement mean very little, if not nothing. This is because they are just empty phrases copied and pasted by speechwriters who believe every sensible government in today's world should work towards such goals. Those words do not represent the feelings, beliefs and commitment of Rupiah's government.

And we are not exaggerating in saying this because Rupiah and his friends have made public their hatred for The Post and its staff. They have not hidden their intentions to wipe out The Post and what it stands for from the face of this country. And the police know it. This is why the police cannot do anything against these MMD thugs who have continued to harass our journalists with impunity.

This is not the way civilised people can run a country. This is not what the rule of law calls for. This is the lawlessness Rupiah has introduced and is perpetrating in the country.

Clearly, what is seriously lacking in Rupiah and his friends is a spirit and culture of tolerance and humility which places the humanity of others before self and accepts that all citizens have a right to participate in the shaping of their destiny directly without fear of reprisal from organised thugs, unemployed youths of low literacy.

As we have stated before, tolerance and respect for our fellow citizens makes us allow those who are not with us, those who are opposed to us, those who are critical of our ways to express their opinion about us, about our decisions and actions without inhibitions, without being threatened by party thugs, whether these seem to be unpalatable or not. At the same time, we expect the same treatment or privilege when our turn comes. This is not something we achieve instinctively.

Rather, we develop it consciously and respectfully. For, our very instincts would drive us to throttling our opponents in argument or, better still, smack them with a deadly blow. This is familiar to all those who have seen the manner in which these MMD thugs have gone on the rampage harassing, chasing and beating our reporters.

And it is not only our reporters they treat that way. They have treated even ministers of government in a similar manner. Not very long ago, these same thugs harassed and chased local government deputy minister Chrispin Musosha with impunity, in the full view of the police. Rupiah is aware of this but has done nothing about it simply because he believes those thugs are advancing his political interests, are defending his hold on power.

Again, this is not the way to run a country. And it is sad that this lawlessness is being encouraged by Rupiah himself. This is a very dangerous practice, which may soon backfire on Rupiah. The same thugs Rupiah is using to harass our reporters and others will tomorrow be used to harass him. Rupiah should learn from Chiluba's experience. Chiluba is today being booed and harassed by the same cadres who used to boo and harass others on his behalf. No one owns these thugs.

This culture of intolerance that Rupiah is planting in our country is very dangerous because it will make people lose the habit of thinking and exchanging creative views and thoughts. It will make people have no real interest in the future of the nation and start to think that only the present owes them anything. Worse still, what is frightening is that Rupiah and these thugs think they are the only ones with the right to say and do whatever they want to say about anyone and do to anyone. They want to hold everyone to ransom by insisting that since power lies with them, they alone have the sacred right to rule.

End of debate. The rest is fear, silence and bewilderment. They will even go as far as allowing these unemployed young thugs to run their lives for as long as it means that they are being seen to be on the side of the ruling party and of its leader Rupiah. This is our tragedy, the inability to value every single innocent life and bring happiness to our people without silencing anyone. And the police don't cough; they just watch and sometimes turn a blind eye to the crimes of these young thugs.

To suggest, or insinuate in any way, that meaningful political participation, participation without harassment, in this country is only possible within the context of the machinery of the ruling MMD, its young thugs and its leader Rupiah is tantamount to saying that what is good for the MMD, its criminal cadres, and Rupiah is good for everyone, a suggestion which is patently false as far as what is known about the diversity of the human condition goes.

Rupiah and his friends may not like The Post and its work. But they have no right to do what they are doing against The Post and its reporters because this is contrary to the provisions of our country's Constitution. Of course we know that for Rupiah and his friends, the Constitution means nothing - they can violate it at will and with impunity.

But again as we commemorate World Press Freedom Day, we would like to remind Rupiah and his friends - and indeed all our people - of the wise words of Nelson Mandela on the press: "A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press is one of the pillars of democracy. A bad free press is preferable to a technically good, subservient one. None of our irritations with the perceived inadequacies of the media should ever allow us to suggest even faintly that the independence of the press could be compromised or coerced."

This is valuable advice but one which may be very difficult for the likes of Rupiah to take because to follow this line requires a lot of honesty and humility on the part of those in power; it requires the constant practice of self-limitation and modesty. And this is something that Rupiah does not possess.

However, Rupiah's use of young thugs to harass the media and political opponents will backfire because no one in this country possesses the monopoly of force. Soon other individuals and groups that are being harassed by Rupiah's thugs may be forced to answer force with force, violence with violence, intolerance with intolerance. And where will this leave the country? And where will be the peace that we all talk about so eloquently lie? We shouldn't forget that peace is the fruit of honesty, truth and solidarity. Where there is no honesty, truth and solidarity, peace cannot be there also. Therefore, to guarantee peace, all are called to maturity, tolerance and responsibility. And it is said that peace is the tranquillity of order. And this being the case, this lawlessness, this rule by thugs that Rupiah has planted in the nation can neither bring nor guarantee peace to our nation. It should therefore be opposed and resisted by all Zambians of goodwill. Today Rupiah's bells of intolerance may be tolling for The Post. But if they are not stopped, tomorrow they may be tolling for the whole nation.

And Montesquieu has already taught us that despotism is more convenient to apply than legality.