By-elections
Lawrence Temfwe September 3rd, 2007
Former PF Member of Parliament for Nchanga Constituency, Mr. Charles Chimumbwa has resigned from PF Party and has joined the ruling MMD Party. As a result of resignation, the Constituency has no representative in Parliament until the by-election which will cost the tax payers a minimum of K2 billion. Why did Mr. Chimumbwa resign from his party and join the ruling party?
Here is what he did not say. He did not tell us that he was joining MMD because it had leadership that has earned its respect. He did not say that the MMD was compassionate and providing merciful services that were liberating people from suffocating government regulations, high taxes and oppressive bureaucracy, allowing them to develop to the ir full potential. He did not say that the MMD government was providing orphans and vulnerable children with free education and was making available wonderful options such as adoption and material and emotional support for them. He did not tell us how the MMD Macro economic policies aimed at arresting the economic decline was spreading its benefits to people living in poverty and curbing the destruction of our environment.
Mr. Chimumbwa did not mention any achievements by the MMD government on issues that matter to the people he represented in Parliament- such as water, employment, HIV/AIDS, education, electricity, foreign investment. Why is he joining a party of which he said very little about the quality of its leadership and policies? For example, while he said bad things about his former leader he said nothing about the integrity, capacity and the ability of the MMD leadership to deliver on their promises.
We ask again. Why has Mr. Chimumbwa resigned from his party at a cost of K2 billion to the tax-payers? Mr. Chimumbwa cannot bear all the blame for wasting our meager resources on a totally unnecessary by-election. He has people who are willing to be fooled by his decision. The image we see is not Chimumbwa?s face but those who voted for him and those who will vote for him.
Politicians who lack principles and actions of mercy thrive in communities where churches are not active. A church that is active has several gifts to offer. This includes preparing leaders who facilitates the community?s ability to guide the process for a better future. The Christians are called to be present in order to guide and equip people in the community to rise with motivation, competency and effectiveness in solving their own problems. Will the church be present in Nchanga Constituency? If the church won?t be there the poor, who are the majority voters will again be duped by politicians whose leadership in society has not been earned and whose standard of justice, compassion and mercy is not permanent.
Lawrence Temfwe
