Eeeh!

Fred Tells “Amai Doti” in Saboi Imboela’s tone; “Get Off My Back”

…the death of civil society in Zambia and the eerie silence against Hichilema’s misrule…

Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Wrote;

Civil Society leader, Laura Miti was a regular columnist in The Post newspaper.

Her work in The Post clearly lifted her profile tremendously.

She came across as someone who was fearless, courageous and spoke truth to power.

Until the Hichilema presidency…

These days she regularly castigates members of the the Opposition and lampoon her erstwhile colleagues such as Sishuwa Sishuwa and Jihn Sangwa whose only sin was to expose or criticise President Hakainde Hichilema’s Government.

While she seats on the Human Rights Commission Board, she mocks those that have been victims of human rights abuse by the Police choosing to blame them for their misfortune.

Clearly,Laura now speaks against the powerless as a result of her total blind loyalty to President Hichilema.

And on Socialist Party President Fred M’membe, she has chosen him as her political punch bag,probably to impress her new master.

Since she found herself on the opposite isle of politics supporting President Hichilema,she has without provocation or justification, continuously attacked Fred M’membe calling him all sorts of names including; a dictator, an authoritarian, tribal, divisive, poisonous, toxic e.t.c.

To his credit, Fred M’membe has never responded to her, choosing to keep quiet or ignored her rantings especially that she is a comrade in their past struggles.

Last week, an analyst exposed that Laura was Tonga (since her mother is Tonga) and had therefore, as a civil society leader, lost her objectivity in checking the excesses,misrule and corruption of the UPND and President Hichilema, favouring him on account of her tribe.

That while she publicly flaunted her Eastern Province roots, she deliberately hid her Southern roots to deceive her audience.

This and the recent report about Zamstat seige, published by The Mast, ticked off Laura who went into yet another tirade against Fred.

She assumes Fred M’membe owns or controls The Mast, when to my knowledge he doesnt.

Referring to her consistently unkempt look, Fred responded by calling Laura “Amai Doti” (Mama Dirty!).

“Does Amai Doti sleep over me? Every so often, it’s Fred this, Fred that. Get OFF my
back,nakupapata!” Fred posted on his Facebook page.

NDC leader, Saboi Imboela, well-known for her use of strong and uncouth language was the first one to call Laura; “Amai Doti”.

Okey bane apa fyafika ni palya batila “nazala”!

Maybe Laura chooses an African look, no make-up, no wigs, no treated hair….is that dirty?

That’s a debate for another day.

Let’s elevate the debate.

What is clear is that Laura represents the current state of  Civil Society in Zambia,that has chosen to die or.remain silent because of their fleeting association with President Hichilema during the Edgar Lungu years.

A few Civil Society leaders got jobs while the rest appear to be on the waiting bench for a government job.

Zambia’s High Commissioner to Bostwana, Pamela Chisanga was the Action Aid Executive Director.

The list is endless from Nicholas Phiri, Laura Miti herself, Chama Fumba, Nalucha Nganga Ziba all from civil society have been given jobs by President Hichilema.

Others are; Pamela Towela Sambo (Chairperson of the Human Rights Commissioner), MacDonald Chipenzi (Electoral Commission of Zambia), O’Brien Kaaba (former ACC Commissioner), and Fr. Emmanuel Chikoya (Human Rights Commissioner).

The offer of jobs has been the biggest catalyst to the death of voices for the poor and the eerie silence by civil society leaders currently prevailing.

We have a choice, nature doesn’t like a vacuum and new leaders in civil society and new critical voices must rise to replace those that have been bought.