From Fr. Hilary Mulenga
Africa-Press – Zambia. I’ve watched with so much mesmerization how the famous cooler box has become even more popular than some of our politicians. Some of our politicians used to be greeted with pomp and splendour the way the cooler box is being greeted now.
But as of today, if we were to compare the crowds that are greeting the cooler box, many of our politicians should be getting uneasy. If the cooler box was to be on our ballot, am sure someone would have fired or appointed judges just to stop it!
First of all, it is naive to think that the cooler box will solve our problems including loadshedding and the soaring prices of essential commodities. It is naive to think that the cooler box will even solve the problem of national leadership including that of the presidency. I think at at moment we have a President who thinks so much more about himself other than what we Zambians are going through. (I am yet to recover from the shock that he can even parade young Chipo Mwanawasa just to kill off some of the perceptions that people have about his relationship with her.)
Going back to the cooler box, which for me is more popular now even if we put HH and ECL together, the nation has either lost its moral compass or has misplaced its priorities.
Zambians would rather go and celebrate the “Trojan horse” that is going to milk them of their natural resources than protest on the roads why we have longer hours of loadshedding.
Zambians would rather watch a truck than watch their stomachs that have been affected by the high cost of living. In short, Zambians would rather celebrate a machine rather than appreciate the problems that this nation has been going through and even celebrate (if at all) that the government is doing something to resolve these problems.
Where we have missed it as a nation is that we have at times failed to celebrate what can better our lives. We have rather celebrated what others will think of us. This is the same reason with the “Trojan horse” that is being transported and celebrated on our roads. For example, apart from saying it will help our Mines, have Zambians asked how it will benefit them? Have Zambians asked if it will end the incessant problems of loadshedding and high cost of living? Have Zambians asked if the same box will help our Judiciary that is now fixing people who may just be against a government position or are a threat to it? Is the cooler box going to help Zambians appreciate the prophetic role of the church that the UPND government has relegated to the gutters? Is the cooler box going to stop the widening space of lack of democratic rights and the incessant attacks on the church that especially plays a prophetic role of reminding the governemtn about it’s prerogatives?United Party for National Development merchandise
zambianobserver
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