BE VIGILANT

ZAMBIANS should be alarmed by the revelation that there is a grand scheme aimed at destabilising their beloved country by a cabal of power-hungry politicians and their surrogates. It is clear for everyone, including the cynical, to see that the unholy alliance between the opposition and some civil society organisations is a danger to the country’s young democracy, peace and unity. It is aimed at removing the Patriotic Front (PF) government from power at any cost. ere is nothing wrong with replacing a government as long as it is done through peaceful means following the country’s Constitution and electoral process. But using underhand schemes to unseat an elected government should not be allowed in a peaceful country like Zambia. We have pointed out in the past that the language and activities of those who are opposed to the current constitution re nement process that has birthed the progressive Constitution (Amendment) Bill Number 10 of 2019 do not re ect a desire to promote democracy. When one opposition political party started consorting with a plethora of small but vocal political parties and foreign funded civil society organisations alert Zambians saw the marriage for what it was – a plot to unseat an elected government through coercion. eir friendship was based on their desire to use undemocratic means of installing an individual in State House so that his sponsors can reap the bene ts of bankrolling the regime change. is is what is unfolding now. e unnecessary acrimony with which the alliance has been opposing a process that came out of the Siavonga Resolutions is an indicator that the whole crusade is not about resolving contentious issues that arose from the 2016 general elections. For how would the parties that sent their representatives to Siavonga where the issues were identi ed and a process that would lead to resolving the agreed U-turn and oppose it? We are grati ed that the government is not sleeping but is aware of what imperialists and their local surrogates are up to. Lusaka lawyer and Government Deputy Chief Whip Tutwa Ngulube cast light on the grand scheme the other day. Mr Ngulube said the sustained campaign against the Constitution (Amendment) Bill number 10 of 2019 is aimed at forcing an alternative process. He said the alternative process is aimed at producing a tailored constitution that will make it easy for the United Party for National Development (UPND) and its surrogates to easily remove the Patriotic Front (PF) from government in 2021. As more dirty money is released Zambians should expect to see more dramatised protests, press brie ngs, provocative press statements by organisations and paid individuals, sponsored so-called public discussions hosted by some hostile media outlets and unproven allegations of corruption towards 2021. at is what the dirty money is being spent on. All peace-loving Zambians should be worried and keep their eyes open to ensure no individual or group takes away the peace they have continued to enjoy for decades. It is good that the truth is unfolding. Should this country plunge into turmoil Zambians should know who will be responsible. Such people do not mean well for the country. Now the people of Zambia are aware that the same western imperialist and liberal forces that nanced the opposition party and the plethora of its surrogates is seriously bankrolling the anti-Bill 10 campaign. Any political party that wants to rule Zambia should convince the voters in all of Zambia’s 10 provinces that it has a better manifesto and o er better solutions to the challenges they are facing. It should, for example, explain how it will manage agriculture and ensure that vulnerable small-scale farmers are protected. Also, it should explain to the voters how it will ensure their children have access to a ordable education up to tertiary level, how it will create jobs and grow the economy. It is on the basis of such a party’s messages that the voters will make their decisions on whether to vote for it or not. A party that has been rejected roundly for umpteenth time should not seek undemocratic means of getting into power.

PURSUING JUSTICE AND EQUITY WITH INTERGRITY