Kasauta a liability to Hichilema – Prof Ngoma
By Tony Nkhoma
THE re-launch of political cadreism by the United Party for National Development (UPND) in Bweengwa Constituency, where President Hakainde Hichilema hails from, has dented the image of the president.
Recently, Bweengwa Member of Parliament Michelo Kasauta announced the re-launch of cadreism in Monze, Southern Province, urging other provinces and districts across the country to do the same.
Kasauta, who is Monze district UPND chairperson, said the party would not tolerate people criticising the President any more.
But academician Professor Naison Ngoma said the relaunch of cadreism by Kasauta would be misconstrued that he had Hichilema’s consent.
“The declaration by the UPND member of Parliament in the President’s constituency of Bweengwa that the ruling party has relaunched cadreism is a very sad pronouncement,” Prof Ngoma said.
He said there was no doubt the leadership might have sanctioned Kasauta to make such a pronouncement as a ruling party’s senior officer and a member of Parliament.
“Had it not come from a member of the Legislature and one from a party in government, one would have ignored it as nothing as mere hot air of little consequence,” Prof Ngoma said.
He said such statements put the name of the President and his office in question.
Zambians were now wondering whether Hichilema was adequately protected if party officials would issue such inflammatory statements to incite citizens to fight each other.
Prof Ngoma wondered why government and State House, in particular, had failed to respond to a decisive announcement touching on the President.
“The statement requires swift action by the state machinery charged with the responsibility of ensuring that we are all on the same path. No matter how one would like to justify or defend that statement by Kasauta, it has exposed the UPND and President Hichilema, and Zambians are watching,” he said.
Prof Ngoma said what Hichilema experienced in Chingola recently cast a poorly crafted picture of Zambia.
“President Hichilema is our President, irrespective of the political party one supports. We have one head of state, and that is President Hichilema, whether we like him or not. However, for Kasauta to implore violence in defence of the President is scary and frightening,” he said.
Prof Ngoma said it was only the people of Zambia who could remove the President if they so wished next year.
“We have the opportunity at the ballot box next year to express ourselves emphatically. Whatever failures that have occurred in Chingola must be robustly corrected, including making people accountable for their failures, commissions and omissions,” Prof Ngoma said.
