By political features writer
Africa-Press – Zambia. Zambians love soccer, it’s nearly a religion to some of them! However, the biggest disappointment whenever the nation goes to play competitive matches like COSAFA or AFCON is the fact that fans are subjected to calculated winning chances, mostly anchored on bad performance of other teams.
The reality of life is that you can’t pin your winning hopes on chance and calculated moves alone, all other factors must be considered. Soccer fans are nearly every time left broken hearted while players come back home licking their wounds.
The lesson from the above is that we have failed to invest in soccer academies, our sports infrastructure is compromised, we don’t have the capacity to hire the right and competent coaches, yet we want results of champions through calculated fixtures and sheer luck.
It could have worked once during the 2012 AFCON, but we shouldn’t think that Zambian fans will celebrate again without adequate preparation and paying the full price. If we want to win trophies, let’s prepare.
This analogy fits squarely in today’s political landscape of Zambia where politicians have not been allowed to hold mobilisation rallies, have been forced to depend on their Facebook presence only, never been to any of the 116 districts (apart from Lusaka) to campaign, don’t have any established solid countrywide structures, but are eager to be on the ballot
Sadly, the prevailing conditions don’t favour them and frankly speaking, they are ill prepared for an election coming up in 116 days.
Unfortunately also, most established political parties have been rocked by divisions, endless sponsored defections, and legal battles over party ownership and legitimacy.
The PF for example, once the biggest opposition party, has been split into four factions, each splinter hoping the others would go and join hands with them. Meanwhile, time is not on their side. How sad!
Shockingly, even with all the drama going on, leaders of such beleaguered political parties remain hopeful, calculating like Zambian soccer that others would find solace in them to go and join forces last minute and form some loose alliances capable of inspiring regime change.
It’s becoming impossible for most of these permutations to work. The courts and a toxic political environment have not helped matters. Time has given up on them, it’s no longer their best ally.
It’s however not all gloomy even with mingalato in full gear. Scanning the political landscape and all factors considered, it seems one party understood the saying that “when preparation meets opportunity, success becomes inevitable.”
Having looked at the mingalato and given what is likely to happen between now and nominations day, the foresight to focus on evading constant political threats and concentrating on grassroots mobilisation is setting the Harry Kalaba led Citizens First Party apart and presenting the outfit as one of the most viable opposition unity safetynets.
While other political outfits are plagued with and being weakened by resignations, defections, police cases and legal battles, CF has continued to receive visible and reputable personalities in the recent past, giving hope to where deliberate unity, energy and focus should be exerted. Civil servants across the country seem to have found a party that resonates with their aspirations which they can now call home.
This reality was recently crystallised when some notable civil service emissaries, former senior civil servants themselves, brought the message home to join Citizens First.
It was not a noisy movement made or induced by politicians, it’s a quiet but strategic power move by silent voter symbols. No defection speeches, no branded materials, no brown envelope inducement, just timely conviction and moral judgement.
Mr. Stephen Mumbi Chishimba and Mr. Geoffrey Kamfwa, collectively synonymous with defending workers’ rights in court, negotiating better pay for teachers, and writing of the legal opinions that govern Zambia’s classrooms, delivered the message.
Mr. Kamfwa, who served as Commission Secretary for the Civil Service Commission, was the custodian of appointments, promotions, and discipline for the entire public service, is back to repair the broken bridges in the Civil service, hoping that Citizens First takes the reigns of power after the August 13 elections.
This natural movement provides the ray of light that while the opposition is running out of time to pin their hopes on calculated moves, voters are beginning to align themselves in pole position with CF ahead of the August 13 elections.
Given all these factors, it’s become necessary that the opposition bury the hatchet and embrace the bigger picture of a possible government of national unity. It’s time to start agreeing on how to share 226 parliamentary seats and council Chairpersons seats.
Havings considered available evidence from UKA, Tonse Alliance, WOZA, People’s Pact, PF/Pamodzi Alliance, and the Council of Elders, all tried to achieve unity, they have all been calculating and waiting for joint efforts, but time is up! It’s time to play ball and show leadership that puts the nation above self.
Zambian voters are expecting progressive decisions and choices from the opposition as a collective. Sometimes answers don’t lie in what we want, answers lie in destiny, and no one can fight off destiny when its knocking at the door. We recommend the opposition to unite around CF and agree on shadow cabinet positions.
We don’t know how the party came up with the mantra that “David is Coming”, but at the rate things are going, Kalaba could be the political David of our time! Others may not see it yet, but we are witnessing a new political chapter in the making.
Source: The Zambian Observer – The Zambian Observer
For More News And Analysis About Zambia Follow Africa-Press
