After the Patriotic Front (PF) failed so miserably to deliver their much hyped 90 day projects, it seems the government is still reeling from the disgraceful embarrassment.
During the election campaign last year, the PF and its leader Michael Sata consistently made unrealistic promises that they wished to deliver within 90 days after coming into power. The campaign was riding of the experience and supposed credence of Mr Sata when he was serving as Cabinet minister in the MMD as a man of action.
However, little did Mr Sata knew that governing a country was not as simple as managing a division of government at a ministry level. Mr Sata and the PF promised to deliver within 90 days, more money in the pockets of Zambians, a new constitution, re-introduction of windfall tax, construction of roads, meet the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) demands and many other sugarcoated undertakings.
When the PF eventually assumed power, all their promises were relegated to a marginal position on the priority list. One would have assumed that after about 16 months in office, the PF should feel uncomfortable to mention the delivery of anything, project or service, within 90 days. But not so with some leaders such as sports minister Chishimba Kambwili.
After the contractors handed over a swimming pool at Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) that will be used for Zone 6 games, Kambwili was so happy to name it 90 Days Legacy Swimming Pool. He said the swimming pool that cost about K17 billion has been completed within 90 days.
Kambwili said in consultation with stakeholders, he decided such a name for the swimming pool, which will be filled with about four million litres of water, as a reminder of the PF 90 day promises. It is a shame that Kambwiliís mind is still stuck in the past failures and he cannot move forward in his mental faculties and planning.
It would have been befitting for him to find a neutral name without any political connotations that evoke painful memories of deception, hoodwinking and patronizing the poor majority Zambians in order to get into government.