YOUR SURROGATES DIRECTLY REPRESENTS WHO YOU’RE! HOW THE POST’S RECKLESS CAMPAIGN COST MAGANDE A CHANCE TO RULE ZAMBIA

Late Ng’andu Peter Magande is probably Zambia’s best finance minister ever. Magande oversaw Zambia’s biggest economic transformation post – independence. Hon Magande is a president that Zambia never had!

But what happened?

Following the sudden death of former President Levy Mwanawasa in August of 2008, Magande emerged as one of the frontrunners in the succession battle, after all, he was seen as that pivotal point for Zambia’s economic transformation under Mwanawa.

Magande’s main rival was then vice-president Rupiah Banda, who only two years before 2008, was safely at his farm in Chipata, licking his wounds having retired from active politics as one of the most visible UNIPISTs.

Rupiah Banda was largely seen as an accidental vice president after Mwanawasa got upset with the Bemba of Lukashya constituency for rejecting Lupando Mwape who at the time was one the staunchest Mwanawasa loyalists, and often excessively so!

Although it was the first time the MMD party was electing a president outside the traditional national conventions, the succession battle was not expected to be so vicious given that it was a contest between ‘brothers.’

However, the world forgot about the other ‘stakeholders’ outside the National Executive Committee of the MMD – The mighty Post Newspapers!

Having established a culture of cosy personal ties with late Mwanawasa, The Post’s professional lines became so blurred that it felt entitled in participating in choosing Mwanawasa’s successor! The newspaper, using its influence at the time, decided that Magande was the anointed heir to the throne (total insanity!)

In a pursuit of its selfish interests which were largely commercially driven, The Post launched a vicious campaign to stop RB from challenging Magande for the MMD presidency. When it became clear RB was unyielding, The Post launched one of the most vitriolic personal attacks against RB’s candidature. Some of the editorial comments were utterly insultious, and whoever stood in the way of the newspaper’s unprofessional conduct was annihilated, pulverized to pulp.

The old man was subjected to all manner of abuse including being body-shamed! It was a very unfortunate period for journalism. A highly derogatory moniker, “nyama soya,” was coined by the newspaper in it an attempt for desecrate RB’s character. The man was even insulted for his choice of wife even when the newspaper very well the old man was a widower!

Magande was consummate professional, all-embracing, non-tribal, a highly decent man – he was an embodiment of a true gentleman. But he was politically naïve.

Despite being a decent man who enjoyed the support and love of his fellow cabinet ministers, Magande failed to rein in the senseless and rapid excesses of his backers, The Post.

We knew Mr Magande was not one who could lacerate a competitor’s character; Magande was not one who could disrespect another person’s family, later on, his wife, but he missed one key life’s lesson; he failed to stop The Post’s toxic approach towards his campaign.

Without his realisation, Magande was being viewed as a ‘project’ of The Post. And as expectedly, the MMD shareholders – the NEC inevitably started considering the newspaper’s uncouth campaigns against RB as the work of Magande, or at the very least, had his full blessings.

As campaign surrogates, The Post represented Hon Magande and all his hopes and dreams were shuttered by the newspaper’s misplaced and uncouth campaign tactics.

Despite some of the attacks resonating well with some of the readers of The Post, Magande’s rating among his cabinet colleagues plummeted and was humiliated on the election day, effectively extinguishing what seemed to be a rising decent political life. The will of the real owners of the MMD – the National Executive Committee eventually carried the day .

The format could have evolved over the years but the pitch has stayed the same.

Today, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) is in an election mood and the top three contestants are without doubt brothers. In fact, after having evaluated their campaign manifestos, we have failed to see anything that fundamentally distinguishes Mr Adrian Kashala’s promises from what incumbent Mr Andrew Kamanga is doing. As general secretary, Mr Kashala was always seen as Mr Kamanga’s strongman.

We have equally failed to discern anything that fundamentally distinguishes Mr Keith Mweemba’s campaign promises from what Mr Kashala is offering or what Mr Kamanga is doing in the office. But we’re just counsellors and lovers of the beautiful game.

In a country that has adequately failed to deal with consistent high poverty levels and lack of opportunities, any semblance of a power battle at any level becomes a currency for the many desperate souls. Today, we have all manner of insults and character assassinations being orchestrated by individuals extremely peripheral to the determination of the next President.

We know desperation can inspire people to do the unimaginable like an SDA member attempting to influence the election of the next Pope!

An impression is being painted that the contest for the FAZ boss is more ferocious than the war between Sudanese chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his nemesis Hemedti of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. We don’t hold that view.

The battle appears hotter among the opportunistic supporters than the candidates themselves. Today, some supporters appear assets, but the Magande-The Post failed relationship of convenience provides some strong lessons from history.

We leave it for now but as history has shown, ultimately, the shareholders will determine their next FAZ president devoid of external influence, real or perceived.

Look out for part II as we wonder what will remain of football journalism after 9 May. Enjoy your Friday mates!- The Vital