STOP TRIBAL POLITICIANS

POLITICIANS using the issue of tribe to divide the country to gain political mileage ahead of the 2021 elections should not only be treated with disdain but should be rejected because they are a danger to the nation. Such politicians are not worthy of anybody’s vote and deserve to be consigned to the political gutters where they will be damned and forgotten. Admittedly, tribalism has never really been a thorny issue in Zambia as the case is in some African states where tribe counts. Zambians on the other hand, have always lived as one people guided by the One Zambian One Nation motto mooted by our founding fathers. Sadly, tribal politics has in recent times become a great source of concern to the extent that the vice is threatening to tear the nation apart if nothing is done soonest. It wouldn’t be wrong to conclude that the ugly head of tribalism popped up in the aftermath of the disputed 2016 presidential elections which left the nation tensed up to the core and divided along tribal lines. Since then, some desperate power-hungry politicians have taken advantage of the situation to play the tribal card, subtly galvanising chiefs and their subjects to rise against the governing party with a view to muster support. Instead of condemning the vice, some power-hungry opposition leaders are busy accusing the Head of State of making tribal remarks when they were the ones inciting some chiefs and their subjects against the government. The unprecedented fracas that erupted between the Luvales and Lundas of Zambezi during the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s delimitation exercise where tempers flared up, fists and chairs flew, is one case in point. Yesterday, Senior Chief Ndungu of the Luvales blamed what happened during the delimitation meeting squarely on politicians. He said the two tribes have lived in harmony for generations without fighting and wondered why they would now start fighting “Inter-marriages between Lundas and Luvales are all over in Zambezi and people are living happily. But this noise which is being created by politicians will not be tolerated,” Senior Chief Ndungu observed. Senior Chief Ndungu says the purported tribal wrangles are being championed by selfish individuals with vested political interests. In fact, the senior chief argues that what happened during the delimitation meeting was a stage-managed conflict by a named political party. We have no reasons to doubt the traditional leader given the penchant and desperation for power some opposition leaders have exhibited thus far. The hatred, insults and falsehoods being peddled at the head of State, his government and family on social media underscores their unwavering determination to instigate regime change. However, their political manoeuvres have failed and now the tribal card seems to have become the perfect weapon in their quest to divide the nation and gain political mileage. But dividing people on tribal lines is very, very dangerous and should never be tolerated. If left unchecked it has the potential to cause civil war. Some of the opposition leaders are even said to be working with foreign-funded entities to create discontent among chiefs so they can rebel against President Lungu. How shameful and evil an act! How can such people lead the nation? Nevertheless, Zambians not only refuse to listen to such politicians, but deny them votes because they are a danger to the nation.