The 26th American President,
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “To go against the dominant thinking of your
friends is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform”.
An individual’s freedom to choose
is an inalienable right that even God Himself respects from “In the beginning”
(Genesis 2:17). The decision to do right or wrong in your personal life or,
indeed, in our democracy, in this political dispensation, is personal and ought
to be respected. The consequences are yours to bear. The right to vote for one
individual over another is personal and a right which every one of us must
respect.
In this coming election, most of
us are more focused on a Presidential Candidate that we desire to lead us for
the next five years more than, perhaps a candidate for parliament or councilor,
or even the referendum.
We must remember though, that the
Member of Parliament we choose must be equal to the task that is laid upon him
or her, should the President appoint them to a ministerial position that
requires certain competencies. I have that in mind as I decide on whom I should
give my vote for Parliament in my constituency.
Many of us by now have already,
for various reasons, settled on a Presidential Candidate to vote for. Some have
based their decision on patronage, to keep or get a job. Some have decided
based on party loyalty or the emotional hype generated by that party and its
leader. Some have decided based on promises made or favors expected, while
others have believed the lies told by various candidates during campaigns. For
some, the decision is based on personal protection from persecution or
prosecution for misdeeds of the past. Some have based their choice on issues
they believe in, their conscience. Indeed some have decided based on tribal
affiliation as one former high-ranking government official said to me in the
January 2015 Presidential Election, “Mr Malunga, don’t make a mistake, support
your own.” I considered that an insult to my intellect and I did not respond.
Now, more than ever before, is
the time to elect leaders who will be dedicated, creative, hardworking and
honest. I expect them to do things that have never been attempted before;
bringing in new ideas and implementing them, not out of desperation for the
next term but as an obligation to all the people of Zambia. I expect them to
know who their masters are and not get puffed up with power as I have witnessed
in the past. I expect good governance and a vicious fight against corruption.
Because you are in power, it does
not mean that you are more intelligent than the governed and are entitled to
plunder the peoples’ resources, use and abuse the people, violate their civil
liberties and create an arrogant elite whose main reason for power is to enrich
yourselves. I want a leader with character.
Former Arkansas, USA, Governor
Mike Huckabee once said, “Character is
who we are when nobody but God is looking. Character is who we are when nobody
has caught us. Sadly we think that character is our public performance and not
our personhood.”
The reason we need leaders and
the reason we need to put character first in our lives is because in those
moments of crisis and in those moments in which our decisions will affect the
lives of others, we need to make decisions that can be morally defended,
decisions not based on what is good for me but what is good for others. That is
the God Spirit in us. It is how Jesus Christ would call us to live. We cannot
live that way publicly if we are not that privately.
The best government we will ever
have is self-government. It is a government of simply saying; “I will do unto others as I will have them
do unto me”. What we do, is really the ultimate result of who we are.
Many of my friends know, and it
is no secret, that I am a great admirer of our First President Dr Kenneth
Kaunda. You may not like the way he handled certain issues, but I hold the view
that what this country needs now is a 21st Century Kenneth Kaunda, a visionary
leader whose private deeds are as clean as his public deeds; men and women of
character.
As I thought about the leader I
will vote for as President of this great nation, I put together 22 points that
I view to be extremely important to the Zambia I want. The areas covered
consist of the following:
- The need for Good Governance and aggressive fight against corruption in high places.
- Job creation through the resuscitation of the manufacturing industry and the protection of the Zambian worker from exploitation.
- Implementation of a strategically effective health plan.
- Energy Sector development for the future.
- Creative Tourism Program Development and Implementation
- Dealing with lapses in the agricultural sector.
- Development of a revenue plan to sustain our Local Councils.
- Ending and rectifying bad land administration policies.
- Dealing with unresolved and neglected critical issues in the educational system.
10. Information
Technology uplift.
11. Getting
Zambia back to a leadership position through a proactive Foreign Policy
performance.
12. Preparing
and protecting our people against possible International Terrorism attacks.
13. Developing
a regional networking strategy for the future.
14. Addressing
concerns in our Defence Forces.
15. Rebuilding
a profession Police Services.
16. Addressing
Zambia’s poor and worsening Road Safety record.
17. Developing
a Sports Plan and implanting a program that makes Zambia globally competitive.
18. Freeing
the State Media from abuse and supporting private media initiatives.
19. Developing
a vibrant performing arts industry that rewards our artists.
20. Urgently
resolve outstanding constitutional bottlenecks.
21. The
Presidency: Preventing abuse of the authority.
22. Our
faith in God and restoration of our national pride.
I have evaluated the various
candidates based using the above issues as a means of determining who best
among the current Presidential candidates has similar, not necessarily the same
line of thought, but who best is capable, knowledgeable and equipped enough to
deliver my vision for Zambia, and above all has the character to lead our
people into a vibrant and prosperous future in the midst of the challenges we
face as a nation.
Zambia is now at the
crossroads. From this election, we must emerge victorious from the failures of
the past. We want to emerge as a people whom our founding fathers and mothers
meant to be: One Zambia, One Nation. Our people deserve the best regardless of
tribe, color or faith.
Our country must never ever
be turned into a den of thieves and robbers but a sanctuary, an oasis, where
our people dwell in peace, progress and prosperity.
In the last 36 months, I
have had an opportunity to pay more attention to various political party
leaders in my quest to determine if this country can be governed any better. I
respect the decision of those whose choice may differ from mine, and hope that
as mature adults, they will in turn respect mine, my position. For me, the
choice is perfectly clear.
I have in the past been very
critical of the United Party for National Development President, Mr Hakainde
Hichilema. I did not trust him. I did not believe him. I believed he was a
bitter man with a hidden agenda that was meant to benefit and create a tribal
click in this country.
By paying more attention to
and listening to the UPND President over the last three or four years,
especially during the 2014/2015 and 2016 campaign trail, I believe he has the
greatest ability amongst all candidates currently vying for the Presidency of
Zambia to bring about an economical, social and moral cleansing of Zambian
politics and to move our people forward. Our people deserve the best regardless
of tribe, color or faith. I believe that unlike as portrayed by some sections
of a biased media, he is a good and decent man who is fit to be our President. I
believe he is ready to be President. I believe he is well placed to move Zambia
forward. Yes, I do have a problem with certain men and women close to Mr
Hichilema but I am overlooking that concern believing that he is a strong
manager who will crack the whip should any of these people fall out of line.
I have therefore decided to support and endorse the UPND President Mr
Hakainde Hichilema and on August 11th 2016, I will be voting for him
as Zambia’s next and 7th President of the Republic of Zambia.
With your vote for the UPND
and Hakainde Hichilema for President on August 11th, the future for you, me and
for our children, can be redesigned to effectively provide opportunities for
all and privileges for none.
God bless the Republic of
Zambia.
Wynegood Malunga
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