Maravi

Shikapwasha is not making sense

Shikapwasha is not making sense
By Editor
Tue 08 June 2010, 10:50 CAT

It is said that silence is golden. It is also said that sometimes it is better to keep quiet and be thought a fool than open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.

There is a lesson in this that Ronnie Shikapwasha should learn. Many times when he opens his mouth, he leaves many of our people wondering what is wrong with him. Shikapwasha tries to carry himself as a distinguished man. But his utterances are far below any distinction.

Shikapwasha also tries to carry himself as an upright pastor. But his actions leave much to be desired. It seems there is no level to which he is willing to fall in order to keep his job. Shikapwasha is ready to betray principles and friends if that helps him to keep his job. He has allowed himself to become a spineless jobseeker who will not stand for anything if it threatens his job.

There is no denying that Shikapwasha was one of the closest ministers to Levy Mwanawasa. When Levy was around, Shikapwasha, like other minions who surrounded Levy, pretended to be loyal to Levy and what he stood for. What Levy and the nation should have known is that people like Shikapwasha, and there are many of them, are very loyal to their stomachs. As long as they are getting something out of you, they will do whatever it takes to remain close to you. In the case of Levy, they pretended to be the champions of all the causes that he supported. But as soon as Levy was off the scene, they changed and started to call into question the very things that they claimed to support before. These are the people who are supposed to have been Levy’s lieutenants in his fight against corruption. But today, they have deserted, and are defending the same things that they were condemning not too long ago. As far as we know, Shikapwasha did not only work for Levy, he was a relative. But today, it does not surprise us that he takes every opportunity to distance himself from Levy and his legacy. We have always said that Levy was not perfect. He made many mistakes, like we all do, but he stood for something and was ready to fight for it when he thought it was threatened. We cannot say the same thing about Shikapwasha because he seems to be a shameless opportunist whose modus operandi is governed by the principle of which side of my bread is buttered.

With this kind of background and history, we are not surprised when Shikapwasha tries to justify the unjustifiable and defend the indefensible. To him it seems keeping his job is more important than any principle. We say this because Shikapwasha’s utterances yesterday recorded a new low in what he is prepared to defend. His shamelessness is frightening and dangerous for a man serving as chief government spokesman and cabinet minister. These are the people who are supposed to be making decisions for all of us. Like somebody has said, we can only cry for our beloved country.

We are not surprised that Shikapwasha is pleased at the conviction of the editor of this newspaper. But we expect his happiness to be tampered with reason. It is strange that as things stand today, Shikapwasha can say that no one should be above prosecution. We agree with him that indeed all of our people should be treated equally before the law. It should not matter that it is a political enemy or otherwise. The issue should be the enforcement of the law for the good of our country. Shikapwasha himself, Frederick Chiluba, Deputy Minister of Health Dr Solomon Musonda, the son to the losing MMD candidate for the recent Mufumbwe by-election Mulondwe Muzungu, should be treated the same way that any other person not connected to MMD, accused of having committed an offence, is treated.

We know that Shikapwasha is trying to please his boss Rupiah Banda by making all sorts of attacks on the editor of this newspaper. But he forgets that his unbridled display of hatred for the editor of this newspaper exposes the double standards and lack of consistency in the way that Rupiah and his minions are administering law and order in our country. Rupiah and his minions are brewing a crisis in our police service because of the high-handed behaviour of their bootlicker Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde. The officers are seeing the way that those perceived to be threats on Rupiah’s continued hold on power are treated. They also see how those who have links to the government are being treated.

We do not understand how Shikapwasha can justify his position and sleep at night. In one breadth, he is attacking the editor of this newspaper and demanding that he should be treated like any other person and should not be an exception for prosecution. But in the next breath, he is defending the actions of the deputy minister who shot and nearly killed a person last week. To Shikapwasha, there is no contradiction in the position that he takes. As long as the editor of this newspaper is fixed, all other issues to them are secondary. He also claims that we should allow the processes of the law to take their course. But this was the same Shikapwasha who was defending the government’s decision to stop the appeal in the case of Chiluba. Again, to him this is not a contradiction. A self-respecting person with strong principles would have a problem to do the kind of gymnastics that Shikapwasha is doing.

Today it is one thing, tomorrow he says another. As he is celebrating the conviction of the editor of this newspaper, Shikapwasha seems to have forgotten that they have a problem in Mufumbwe where three people were killed by what appears to have been a reckless driver. But because he is the son of their candidate, no charges have been brought. But the editor of this newspaper must be crucified for any reason.

It is strange that in the case of Dr Musonda, Shikapwasha says that Dr Musonda should not do anything until the police have decided what to do. Shikapwasha seems to have forgotten that in the Chansa Kabwela case which has led to the matter for which the editor of this newspaper has been convicted, Rupiah and his minions did not wait for the police to do their work. They ordered them to arrest and prosecute. In the case of the editor of this newspaper, Shikapwasha publicly demanded the arrest of the editor. These matters are all well recorded.

It is only last week that Shikapwasha was defending chief Mwanachingwala who threatened arson against Zambia Sugar. This is the way Shikapwasha behaves.

Anyway, if anyone was in doubt as to what kind of person Shikapwasha is, his conduct as chief government spokesman has exposed him and shown to what level he is ready to sink in order to maintain his job. But this is not the way things are supposed to be. A man of Shikapwasha’s years should be concerned about the type of contribution he is making to our nation. He is in a position where he could make a difference. But Shikapwasha has now consistently chosen the way of an opportunist and a bootlicker who is incapable of making any difference. We have not forgotten that in 2001, he was one of Brig Gen Godfrey Miyanda’s Heritage Party faithfuls. When Brig Gen Miyanda did not win, he decamped and went to work for Levy. Now that Levy is not there, he is ready to betray everything that Levy stood for. We will not be surprised if tomorrow is among those attacking Rupiah. Even in opportunism, there must be some principles. But Shikapwasha is not making sense. We know that he is trying to please Rupiah. But in doing that, he should at least be consistent. That way, he might retain some respectability.

If Shikapwasha has nothing useful to say, he is better off remaining quiet.

Labels: CORRUPTION, FRED M'MEMBE, PROPAGANDA, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 3:07 PM