Father Frank Bwalya once upon a time stood infallible in the eyes of the Patriotic Front structures. Whenever he stood on the podium alongside President Michael Sata in the build up to the 2011 general elections everything around him stopped.
Did they not bankroll his red card campaign as publicly revealed by Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba? Kabimba told us that Fr Bwalya was too broke and relied on the PF to buy him the red card.
Did they not pamper him when he called former President Rupiah Banda as having “ubuwelewele”? Was he not their greatest supporter? Is it not ironic that Fr Bwalya now an opposition leader of the Alliance for a Better Zambia has been arrested for his newly launched red card campaign?
For the better informed, the reason given is defamation of the President for calling President Sata a “Chumbu munshololwa” meaning a difficult person who does not listen to advice.
Did not President Sata delight in calling former President Levy Mwanawasa a cabbage? Did he not take delight in branding his predecessor Rupiah Banda “Nyamasoya”? So who could be in a worse position to order the arrest of anyone for using figurative language?
In any case has President Sata ever heeded any advice? Has he not ignored all calls to simply recognize Henry Kanyanta Sosala? What is the big deal about recognizing a legitimately elected traditional leader and let everybody move on with their lives?
Has he not stood stubbornly on the constitution? Is he not the man that spelt venom on every government ever since he had become an opposition leader? Is he not proposing the re-introduction of INDECO to feed his UNIP era sentimentality? Why not go the whole stretch and just declare that we are on a party course?
Is it not being closed to advice that acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda is still in office despite all the free and well meaning advice given to His Excellency? Has he not torn the judiciary apart with his strong head approach?
So dear brothers and sisters if this is not being “Chumbu Munshololwa” then you have to better rethink what value embedded in the beautiful language of the mwinelubemba!
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