By Chinoyi Chipulu
Civil rights activist Brebner Changala says health minister Elijah Muchima found solace in attacking a traditional leader without shame, using the benefits of his office.
And Changala says the UPND government should accept that it has lost favor in the eyes of the people for failing to fulfil its promises, or the party will perish.
Recently, a video went viral in which residents were seen chasing Muchima’s entourage from chief Nyakaseya’s palace in Ikelenge district.
And addressing the media on the same, Muchima said he was not chased but walked away because chief Nyakaseya, who is a PF cadre, wanted to fight him.
But in an interview yesterday, Changala said what happened to Muchima was unprecedented and showed that UPND had lost favor. He said in developed countries, UPND would have been given a vote of no confidence by the people.
“The UPND government has lost favor,” Changala said. “They have lost legitimacy. It has never happened before where a full Cabinet minister is chased in his own constituency.”
Changala said it was unfortunate for a Cabinet minister to attack and debase a traditional leader instead working to resolve the misunderstanding. He said Muchima should have gone back and made peace with the chief and his people because the anger they exhibited was due to broken promises and non delivery of services.
“And arrogance is not a good tool in a constitutional democracy. When you offer yourself voluntarily, you have to behave in a manner that is acceptable,” he said. “In UPND, it’s not only Muchima who finds himself in such a challenging situation.”
Changala said Zambia was going through a lot of economic challenges and the government had failed to fix them.
“The UPND was voted for to come and fix poverty as they campaigned. But what they have delivered in the last four years is nothing but a blame game, blaming PF, attacking former president Edgar Lungu and failure to accept failure,” said Changala. “Zambians are very intelligent and can see through. I advise this administration, and Mr Muchima in particular, that it’s not too late. Go and make peace with the people who gave you the mandate. Do not attack and debase the traditional authority. That is unacceptable. We know you have lost favor, accept it or you perish.”
