What is Hakainde scared of by denying opposition rallies?

By Daily Revelation Editor

Police in their customary impunity have stopped the opposition United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) from holding a rally in Kafue, despite Hakainde Hichilema having promised that under his administration the opposition would be allow to mobilise freely as he will have nothing to fear, owing to the impeccable leadership he would provide.

Kafue Police Station officer-in-charge R. Chiwila said the notice to hold a public rally at Matanda Grounds in Zambia Compound was rejected and the event will not be allowed to take place due to alleged security concerns.

This is another of the many promises Hakainde Hichilema has reneged on or failed to fulfil. And then he goes round saying he’s promoting democracy in the country, we wonder if his understanding of democracy is the same one we all know or something entirely different. It surely can’t be that the police has consistently denied opposition political parties from holding rallies since he came into office. The police is always claiming ‘security, security, security.’ What that security entails only they know.

But we can suspect that the security they are talking about is one where they feel they will offend UPND cadres and officials if they happen to grant permission for the opposition to have rallies. The second one is that the insecurity is actually founded in Hakainde’s insecurities. Any honest Zambian can tell that Inspector General of Police Graphael Musamba and his command will not grant the opposition leeway to hold rallies because Hakainde is insecure. He does not want to see images of opposition leaders attracting crowds to themselves and them hearing a message that does not project his narrative on national matters.

But this country does not belong to or revolve around Hakainde’s wishes and desires. This Zambia belongs to all, those who agree with him and those who do not. It’s especially saddening that the same Hakainde who passed through the most severe restrictions and punishments especially under the administration of Edgar Lungu can go about handling matters in this manner. What is the problem with politicians that they seem to desire to engage in the same wrong vices that they complained about when they did not have power in their hands?

Today it’s him doing such a disservice to his opponents, tomorrow the wrong things he’s doing against the others will be done to him when he does not have the reins of power and he will be in the forefront complaining and gullible minds will actually be complaining together with him. He doesn’t even need to look no further than his predecessor Edgar. Edgar had the power to have changed these state institutions into truly independent and public service oriented institutions. But he loved the mediocre manner the police were in because it served his narrow personal, partisan interests perfectly well. We are sure he is even regretting, but impotent now because he can’t do anything to change the manner of the operations.

Today, Hakainde loves the manner police and other state institutions are operating. He surely has the power to change them for the better, if he only focused his attention not on the next 2-7 years, but beyond that, if at all his vision is broad enough, which we seriously doubt.

Power is very temporary indeed, and it requires one who has it to manage it properly by always seeking the good they can do with the power given to them. There is a saying that, “Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It’s a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other.”