By Jeff Mbewe
Quiet clearly, there is a wave of persecution hovering around in Copperbelt and targeting those that seek to contest or rather challenge some incumbent Members of Parliament.
Ordinarily, any effective MP should be confident enough that their works in the Constituency is enough to defend them against any threats of competition.
The unconfident ones – those whose works for the past 4 years cannot defend and speak for them – are the ones who use whatever little and borrowed power at their disposal to persecute their real and perceived competition.
The Police’s warn and caution of former Kitwe District Commissioner (DC) Binwell Mpundu on a soporific charge that borders on Public Order Act is neither by accident nor does it find expression in anything sensible. It is a foolish design by some uncomfortable, unconfident characters who feel threatened and whose works in their Constituency cannot defend them.
Further, the move by the Police in Kitwe to stop the Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe from answering a courtesy call from the Clergy is yet another indication of the cowardice displayed by some characters who are not confident of themselves and what they have done in their Constituency for the past 4 years.
These events tells more of what Kang’ombe and Mpundu as well as anyone seeking to challenge any of the incumbent MPs must expect.
It tells me that, the unconfident incumbent MPs are capable of instigating the arrest of their perceived competitors, even if the later were found playing hide and seek in public.
But we must be very clear about this issue.
The reality in Copperbelt is simple and plain. The incumbent MPs have done nothing or little to address the challenges of their people.
Take for example the black mountain issue. Many ordinary people do not have any benefit from the dump site. The very MPs who are supposed to make these people benefit are the ones in the forefront of amassing those benefits for themselves, their relatives and lovers.
We all know that Copperbelt life revolves around mining. How much has any of the incumbent MPs done to address the challenges of their people beyond dishing out handouts each time they visit their Constituencies?
Christopher Kang’ombe and Binwell Mpundu as well as others are only a cog of the problem in the equation. The biggest problem is the people. Mpundu and Kang’ombe wouldn’t have so much influence on the people if the MPs in their respective Constituencies had addressed the people’s problems comprehensively.
No matter what those behind these petty and stupid persecution do, their days are numbered. Their times are up. They should just get used to the idea of being challenged by people who offer meaningful programs that seek to address the fundamental challenges of the people, beyond dishing out petty handouts and plastic development they want to have us believe they have taken to the people in Copperbelt.
Ultimately, even those who doubted the influence that Kang’ombe and Binwell Mpundu have on the people in Kitwe, now have their evidence. You can’t persecute a non-entity. Never!
