Maravi

Ego rules Hakainde

Ego rules Hakainde
By The Post
Thu 14 June 2012, 13:25 CAT

OUR call for a "loyal opposition" is not a clarion call to the opposition to sing praise about Michael Sata and his government. Our call for a loyal opposition is not new. It is something we had been calling for over the years. Even during the run-up to last year's elections, we were calling for a loyal opposition after the elections. At that time, Michael was in opposition.

It is surprising that Hakainde Hichilema today sees our call for a loyal opposition as a call to him to sing praise about Michael and denounces us as Michael's praise singers.

We have no problem praising Michael if he does something or conducts himself in a manner that deserves praise. Similarly, we have no problem criticising Michael if he conducts himself in a manner or does something that deserves criticism. If criticism is justified, it must be made.

But we are not cynics who will simply criticise anything for the sake of it, even where there is no justification. Societies, communities, nations have never been built by cynics. Cynicism is for frustrated elements like Hakainde. We are not frustrated elements, we are not disgruntled elements, we are not bitter people like Hakainde.

We know that the concept of loyal opposition is something very difficult for bitter elements like Hakainde to accept. But this idea is a vital one, however. It means, in essence, that all sides in a multi-party democracy share a common commitment to its basic values.

Political competitors don't necessarily have to like each other, but they must tolerate one another and acknowledge that each has a legitimate and important role to play. Moreover, the ground rules of the society must encourage tolerance and civility in public debate.

When the election is over, the losers accept the judgement of the voters. If the incumbent party loses, it turns over power peacefully. No matter who wins, both sides agree to co-operate in solving the common problems of society. The opposition, whether it consists of one party or many, can continue to participate in public life, with the knowledge that its role is essential in any democracy worth of the name.

They are loyal not to the specific policies of the government, but to the fundamental legitimacy of the state, and to the democratic process itself. Calling for this type of politics does not, in any way, amount to asking Hakainde to sing praises of Michael.

We don't think praise should be forced out of people. There are many people who see something positive, something good, something worth being proud of in the way Michael and his government are running the affairs of the country.

And Dr Kenneth Kaunda is one such citizen who has openly proclaimed to be proud of the manner Michael and his government are running the affairs of this country. We hope Hakainde will not denounce comrade KK for praising Michael and his government the way he is doing to others. No one has forced him to praise Michael and his government.

All that is being asked is to be constructive, civil, modest, humble and indeed sensible in the practice of his opposition politics. Again, we don't think Hakainde understands this kind of reasoning because of his unbridled ego.

Ego can be a very destructive force in a human being. This is the problem that we see with Hakainde today. He is a man driven by an ungovernable, unmanageable, uncontrollable ego. This trait is making him lose all sense of propriety and political tact. What benefit does UPND get by defending the corrupt, defending things that they themselves are not free to defend?

It is clear that Hakainde has hired himself out to the forces of evil and corruption. He is now the spokesman for Rupiah Banda and all those around him who tried to destroy us when he was president. Why did they want to destroy us? It was because we dared to speak out against their abuses and their corruption.

They have not stopped trying to destroy us simply because they have lost an election and are out of power. We have no illusions about this; they will continue trying to destroy us. They know they are too dirty to come for us directly which is why they have hired Hakainde.

It is not difficult to hire Hakainde; he is a very cheap man to hire because all that one has to do is to stroke his ego. The man has an ego which almost knows no bounds. And it is this ego that is destroying his party. Hakainde cannot listen to anyone except his ego. His ego is even bigger than Zambia, bigger than our collective national interests.

If it wasn't, Hakainde wouldn't be concerned about peddling tribal politics. Yes, he wouldn't even be concerned about defending corruption. But this doesn't matter to him. As long as he is acknowledged as the supreme leader, Hakainde will go to any lengths.

Hakainde's ego and desire to be crowned as the de facto leader of the opposition ahead of the MMD has made him jump on any bandwagon that promises that prize - leader of the opposition.

This explains Hakainde's desperate attempt to defend MMD's corruption. This also explains why he is attacking us with lies and half-truths. This is why Hakainde is tirelessly campaigning against us as if we are in competition with him or we are candidates in some election that he is about to contest.

An ungovernable ego can make even an otherwise intelligent person do very foolish things indeed. Thinking that he is destroying us, Hakainde is finishing himself politically and otherwise. Hakainde should ask his re-discovered friends in MMD what happened to them after they embraced Frederick Chiluba and the corruption of his league. Where did that end them?

Clearly, we are not Hakainde's problem. Hakainde's problem is himself, his ego. Of course, they have declared us their enemy number one, but the truth is their real enemy number one is themselves, their conduct. Setting the goal of fixing us as one of their key political objectives, as the meaning and purpose of their politics, will not take them far.

We have survived the worst, they had written us off, claiming all sorts of things against us but we are still there, we are still here. We have learnt to confront every difficulty; pressure and all sorts of attacks, political and otherwise. We will keep moving ahead.

We will go on winning new laurels and scoring new victories. We will march forward victoriously, and nothing and nobody can ever stop us as long as we continue doing the right thing and being loyal to the people of Zambia and to all humanity. We have been loyal to this country and we have given it our best.

And because of this, the Zambian people have helped us survive, have protected us from tyrannical regimes and hostile politicians. The Zambian people have always been loyal to those who are loyal to them; they have always been protective of those who, heart and soul, serve them.

We have never cheated ourselves that the forces of evil will totally leave us alone. We have always been prepared to meet difficulties.

We have waged many battles against corrupt elements. And as long as corrupt elements continue to exist in our country, they will always fight us. They are fighting us now, and we will have even greater fights with them in the future, no matter what we do, even if we do things the right way - and we should do them the right way, even if it calls for our greatest efforts and sacrifices.

We have to cope with the objective problems of living in a country where corruption had taken root, had contaminated all the key institutions of the state. Corrupt people have all the money and all the power that go with it. Yes, they have money. But we have something more powerful than money and that is consciousness. We are more powerful because we are not for sale.

We have a conscience while they have money, nothing but money. It is difficult for Hakainde to understand this because for him, everything is calculated on the basis of money. And this is what drives or propels his ego. One day, Hakainde will have to swallow his ego! And that day is very near.

Labels: CORRUPTION, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, UPND

posted by MrK @ 4:13 PM