Honeymoon is over in Zambia?

AGITATING for change and ousting so-called undemocratic regimes may be easy but ensuring that the so-called democratic forces will indeed be democratic and bring about the needed change is something else. This is the bitter lesson Zambians are learning as the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, their saviour nine months ago, is not only failing to bring the changes the people were looking forward to but seems to be adopting the same self-enrichment programmes of the ousted regime.

There are already increasing fears that there could be a split within the MMD with strong reports that a pressure group within the movement called the Caucus for National Unity might turn into a fully-fledged political party.

The CNU includes senior members of President Frederick Chiluba’s government like: Akashambatwa Lewanika, Minister of Technical Education; Ludwug Sondashi, Minister of Labour; Humprey Mulemba, Minister of Mines; Arthur Wina, Minister of Education; Daniel Lisulo, former Prime Minister; Baldwin Nkumbula, Youth Minister; and lawyer Edward Shamwana.

There are also complaints over the awarding of lucrative contracts to companies in which some government leaders have interests. These include a K4 billion road rehabilitation project on the Mposhi-Chingola road subcontracted to Apollo Enterprise whose chairman is State House chief-of-staff, Alex Chikwanda; and a US$460 000 contract for a computer network awarded to SNCR Africa in which a deputy minister, Dean Mungomba, has an interest.