IS OCIDA A THIRD FORCE OR A THIRD CHARADE?
Mpundu, former member of the UNIP Central Committee Bautis Kapulu and former Cabinet Minister William Harrington plus a cluster of retired professionals whose backgrounds have varying degrees of mixed success and failure in their careers.
The announcement was received with surprisingly negative comments even from people I never thought would express such strong opinions on political matters.
A Catholic woman who
I know to be a passionate believer and very loyal worshipper had this to say about the presence of Archbishop Mpundu in OCiDA:
“Morning and thanks my brother. Awe ubuntunse nincito. What is this OCIDA really for. Is it trying to divert attention of the bill 10. What is our retired Bishop doing there and abusing our building (Kapingila House)? I wish he could focus his energy on church-related issues than politics. Amapolitics yalapwisha umucinshi (politics erode respect). Have a blessed day!?”
Some of the many other comments were:
“They are just broke. It’s palaver!
Ala bwa fya sana
These fellas seem to think that they are entitled to an elitist life in Zambia
They seem to have a self- imagined sense of aristocracy. Old wine in new bottles. It won’t help Zambia
Kikikikikikik. But why can’t the same group form a Gold mining company?”
Others thought it was the rebirth of the Oasis Forum because of the presence of Engineer Gilbert Temba.
One citizen thought that the OCIDA was a recipe for civil strife in the country, stating that the Catholic Church was putting itself in the same position that it was during the genocide that cost nearly a million lives in Rwanda.
”It is very dangerous for the church to take sides in any political dispute, they must be reconciliatory and not be seen to be the perpetrators or protagonists,” he said.
He said that he had spoken to several fellow Catholics from the lower and middle income and none of them agreed with the presence of Archbishop Mpundu in OCIDA or the letter of the Council of Bishops in Zambia regarding Bill 10.
OCIDA or Our Civic-Duty listed 15 causes which led to the decision of the Retired Eminent Citizens to form their organisation. The announcement claimed that OCIDA was not a political party, but a close look at the “Overall Objectives” of the organisation is frighteningly political.
OCIDA, or OUR CIVIC-DUTY ASSOCIATION (Ltd), is NOT A POLITICAL PARTY, per-se, the announcemenet read. Why a limited company is a big puzzle!
I am concerned about some of the causes that they have listed. My first concern is on their fourth objective which reads; Anti-Tonga-Lozi-North- West Tribalism. This in my view is a very dangerous statement which can lead to serious divisions and conflict in the country.
Such sentiments create mistrust which can lead to none acceptance of election defeat and inevitable violence. Zambian citizens who do not come from Southern, Western and North-Western will be scared of voting for a candidate from these three provinces.
Citizens who come from Northern, Luapula, Muchinga, Eastern, Copperbelt, Central and parts of Lusaka Province will out of fear not vote for a candidate from the other three provinces. It will be a sad day when we have an election impasse because of such foggy thinking by senior citizens.
This is very negative thinking. In this country, we live together, we marry into each other’s tribes but politicians are hell bent on using tribalism to ascend to power. Such tribalists do not even care about their tribes when they get into power.
Similarly, all the other objectives or causes that they have listed are subjective; it depends on which side one stands and we all have a right to argue for or against each one of them.
For example, I do not agree that there is suppression of freedom of expression. If Bowman Lusambo threatens youths in his party, that is not suppression of freedom of expression. That is their own internal quarrel; but because of the shallow thinking of many Zambians, they believe 1Bally when he says it is suppression of freedom of speech.
If there was suppression of freedom of speech or expression, we would not see or hear so many boring and corrosive postings on social media or some of the insults and lies that we listen to on some interactive radio programmes.
Chitimukulu Kanyanta Manga II the other day called it “freedom of stupidity” because anyone can say anything on social media.
I completely agree with him and his other statement that there are very few people who can think in this country is also very correct. That is why people even believe Seer-1 and spend hours reposting his rantings. There is little thinking.
My other big concern is the mention of elections rigging as concern number 13 by OCIDA. Our electoral system in one of the best in Africa and is impossible to rig. It is true there was an attempt to rig the last elections by one of the many opposition parties which participated in the 2016 Presidential and General Election.
There is a particular party that created a telecoms company which tried to hack the results transmission and the situation was only saved when the Electoral Commission of Zambia reverted to manual tallying of the results. OCIDA must check the facts and be very transparent and neutral if they are going to serve any purpose in our politics. They should not insinuate that the ruling party was involved in rigging or plans to rig,
Of course I do agree with one or two of their causes. They are correct to inquire about the gassing incidents that took place in the country a few months ago. The whole nation is waiting for the answers. Where are the culprits?
Finally, I would like someone to help me understand the meaning of a Third Force. How can any organisation be a Third Force if it will not appear on the ballot paper?
Will OCIDA turn out to be an absurdity created to give a respectable appearance to an evil intention?