Opposition diatribe

THE opposition has nothing to lose but everything to gain from miring Government into vacuous debates that are of no consequence.

The penchant for frivolity is compounded by the crude language they use whose temerity mimics the worst we have seen of South African Parliament pantomime. It is a disgrace to the nation and totally un-Zambian.

In this regard, it is not enough that only procedural propriety of these manoeuvres should countenance, the government must go deeper into the substantive nuance which ultimately offends national interests.

Those behind these machinations are traitors, with evil intentions who must be exposed for what they are - enemies of peace and tranquility which this nation has enjoyed.

Indeed, it will be foolhardy for the nation not to learn a lesson from the experience of Fred M’membe who championed moral campaigns only to crash dismally - but only after causing so much harm and damage to the national psyche.

At the same time, the capacity of the opposition to stir acrimony and strife should not be underestimated. This is how conflict in other countries has been unwittingly countenanced to the belated regret of the now beleaguered fallen countries.

It must be clear that the sponsors of this mischief are not sparing efforts and resources to promote disaffection. They appear to have unlimited sources of funds which our security wings must identify to save the country from disaster. They appear to have unlimited resources.

The impeachment project, presidential parentage and attacks on the United Nations envoy are diversionary intended to focus public attention from positive national aspirations, gaining traction as indicated by many economic indicators, including the stable Kwacha.

These issues will not add an iota to the pressing social and economic challenges that this country is confronting. Precious time will be spent debating, maligning and demonising Government effort in creating human capital while extending physical infrastructure.

Africa is poor, not because it lacks resources. It is poor because we have not mastered sufficient technology to face the various challenges of adding value and therefore stemming the exploitative trade relations with the developed world.

Unfortunately, there are those amongst us who collude with international capital to externalise even the little that should accrue to the continent in general and Zambians in particular.

It has been estimated for example, that while $134 billion flows into the continent each year in loans, foreign investment and aid; $192 billion is taken out, in profits, tax evasion and sheer loss of raw resources.

This plunder has over time exaggerated the economic and social inequalities between the rich and poor world, which unfortunately has been replicated with greater rapacity in the developing world, where the rich few have grown richer while the poor have become poorer.

Sadly, some Zambians who lack integrity are, are in cahoots with international capital and are therefore part of the plunder that has further marginalised many Zambians into abject poverty from which Government is endeavouring to liberate them through the massive infrastructure programme that has turned the whole country into a working site.

It is very easy and it is indeed the intention of the opposition for the government to lose sight of this exercise and engage in sterile vituperative debate that lowers its stature as a trendsetter and policy champion.