M’membe blasts shameless political turncoats
By George Zulu
THE politics of turncoats where politicians switch party allegiance opportunistically for power and survival leads to democratic instability in the country, says Socialist Party (SP) president Dr Fred M’membe.
In a write-up, Dr M’membe said politics of betrayal bred governance decay and voter cynicism.
“Voters feel betrayed. Constituents vote for a specific party platform and set of values; when a representative switches sides, it mocks the mandate given by the electorate,” he said.
Dr M’membe said Zambians were losing trust in politicians because leaders changed the goalposts to suit their agenda.
“This is deepening cynicism. Constant floor-crossing fosters public belief that all politicians are self-serving, leading to lower voter turnout and civic apathy. This leads to political and legislative instability,” he said.
Dr M’membe said if such maneuverers were not stopped, the nation would experience the degradation of party systems, leadership and weakened ideologies.
He wondered whether the nation was destined to be governed by turncoats.
“Politics, when reduced to nothing but a selfish hustle, loses every shred of nobility it ought to command. Unfortunately, this is the sorry state of affairs in Zambia today, where political turncoats have perfected the art of treating political parties like disposable ladders, stepping on them to climb up, only to kick them away once they have reached the top,” Dr M’membe said.
He said it was sad that political offices had been reduced to mere vehicles to fulfil personal ambition.
“The result? A theatre of absurdity where defections are no longer newsworthy because they happen with shameless regularity. And this is shamelessly done with reckless abandon, showing no regard for the party that once made them relevant,” he said.
Dr M’membe said politics should ideally be about ideas contesting visions for society and offering the electorate a clear choice.
He said politicians had collapsed politics into a game of musical chairs, where the only thing that mattered was where one was sitting when the music stops.
Dr M’membe said it was sad that in Zambia loyalty was punishable while betrayal was rewarded.
“In other words, loyalty is punished, and betrayal is rewarded, a perverse incentive system that only breeds more treachery. How then can the people trust their leaders?” he said.
“How can political parties build any serious structure for the future when their ranks are filled with fair-weather friends? How can democracy grow when political commitment is treated as a market commodity to be bought and sold to the highest bidder?”
