IN one of the cables released by Wikileaks in the
weeks following the ousting of former president Rupiah Bwezani Banda's MMD regime he was reported to have said the
reason his government relaxed on the fight against corruption was because he
had a lot of stakeholders to satisfy or something in those lines.
Whatever that meant, Rupiah claimed that he would
only intensify the crusade on corruption if he was given another term in
office. Unfortunately for Rupiah, that second term never came.
Perhaps the people of Zambia would have understood
if this came from his predecessor looking at how Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa [MHSRIP]
ascended to the highest office of the land. However, despite the late Mwanawasa
having a lot of “stakeholders” to satisfy, that never stopped our beloved late
president to get down to business and do what was expected of a good leader.
Had the late Mwanawasa waited until he was
re-elected to start his fight on corruption, I have lots of doubt whether we
would be talking of a Mwanawasa legacy today. If there is one big lesson our
political leaders can learn from the late Mwanawasa is that there is never a
perfect time to do what is right; and that if you have intentions of doing
something good, do it today for tomorrow is never promised to any of us.
Instead of doing what was right, for reasons known
best to himself, Rupiah chose to satisfy a few men at the expense of the
majority Zambians. And this is what has cost him his dream of being re-elected.
If Rupiah had chosen to put the interests of the nation above anything else, he
would not have vacated the presidential seat in tears as we witnessed during
his final speech.
In business it is believed that, your most unhappy
customers are your greatest source of learning. The same can be said in
politics. If Rupiah had taken time to listen to the cries of the majority
Zambians-I say majority because it is the majority who decided to kick him out
of office-perhaps he could still be president today.
Anyway, I’m aware of the fact that this message may
be too late for Rupiah Bwezani Banda. However, I believe it is timely for our
current government. There is a lot President Michael Chilufya Sata can learn from the mistakes
made by his predecessor.
Rupiah is no longer our president because he never
listened to the people he governed. Rupiah never understood what the people of
Zambia wanted because half the time he was too busy touring the globe.
Rupiah never heard our cries because he chose to
surround himself with useless vuvuzelas.
Today, Rupiah may feel betrayed and
deceived because he chose to put minions and puppets where they don’t belong. Rupiah
may feel lonely today because he chose to associate with opportunists.
Rupiah’s present is bitter because perhaps he forgot
the wise words of Mahatma Ghandi who said, “The future depends on what we do in
the present.” Rupiah was toppled because while he was at the top he was
too stubborn to listen to those at the bottom.
Rupiah is no longer in power because power got to
his head and forgot what the Bible say in Psalm 62:11 that, “God hath spoken
once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.”
To the current government I can only urge them to
never forget why the MMD is now in the opposition as I echo the wise words from
one of the greatest sons of Africa Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who once said, “We
must use time wisely and forever realise that the time is always ripe to do
right.”
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