As the country ends the period of mourning for the late president, it is probably time to take stock of the events and learn from what transpired. Most commentators have observed that GRZ handled the funeral arrangements very well and they are to be commended for that.
One organisation that has lost some of its shine during this period is the POST Newspaper. Many of us have come to regard the POST as a national treasure and perhaps one of the few pillars of our young democracy. In a country where the state controls the mass media, the POST has sought to always present independent news and analysis. We all recall the courage displayed by the POST and its staff in the past when they have faced intimidation from the state and powerful political figures. A number of its senior members of staff have actually been prosecuted on a number of occasions for a myriad of falsified charges. Given this background, it is very difficult for me to comprehend why the POST decided to influence the selection of the MMD presidential candidate on the pretext of “continuing Levy’s legacy”. This was even backed up by an ill-advised interview by Mrs. Mwanawasa in which she confirmed Magande as the late president’s chosen one. We can only speculate on how Levy would have handled the succession issue had he lived beyond 2011. BUT if the man was a champion of democracy, he would have made a recommendation and then left the MMD membership to choose the party leader as stipulated by the constitution. In the situation we faced, the MMD constitution seems to empower the NEC to choose a presidential candidate in the absence of a national convention. It was therefore proper that the MMD allowed members who felt competent to file their applications. This is what Levy would have wanted and this is called democracy. It was therefore wrong for the POST to try and force Magande on the MMD. I am not saying RB is a better candidate or that the meeting that selected him had no flaws but at least that process was better than what the POST was proposing.
Many people were at a loss as to why the POST took this irrational stance. It emerged last week that Zambian Airways was in serious financial trouble. The company owed National Airports Corporation approximately $2Million! Dora Siliya (Minister of Communication) had asked the company to pay up but Peter Magande offered them a lifeline by agreeing to defer the payment by 2 yrs. Another story came out that the POST actually owned 30% of Zambian Airways. The POST came out fighting with a hard hitting editorial justifying their investment in Zambian Airways and why GRZ should save the company. In a country where ‘kachepa’ still thrives, many people are beginning to link the two issues.
One organisation that has lost some of its shine during this period is the POST Newspaper. Many of us have come to regard the POST as a national treasure and perhaps one of the few pillars of our young democracy. In a country where the state controls the mass media, the POST has sought to always present independent news and analysis. We all recall the courage displayed by the POST and its staff in the past when they have faced intimidation from the state and powerful political figures. A number of its senior members of staff have actually been prosecuted on a number of occasions for a myriad of falsified charges. Given this background, it is very difficult for me to comprehend why the POST decided to influence the selection of the MMD presidential candidate on the pretext of “continuing Levy’s legacy”. This was even backed up by an ill-advised interview by Mrs. Mwanawasa in which she confirmed Magande as the late president’s chosen one. We can only speculate on how Levy would have handled the succession issue had he lived beyond 2011. BUT if the man was a champion of democracy, he would have made a recommendation and then left the MMD membership to choose the party leader as stipulated by the constitution. In the situation we faced, the MMD constitution seems to empower the NEC to choose a presidential candidate in the absence of a national convention. It was therefore proper that the MMD allowed members who felt competent to file their applications. This is what Levy would have wanted and this is called democracy. It was therefore wrong for the POST to try and force Magande on the MMD. I am not saying RB is a better candidate or that the meeting that selected him had no flaws but at least that process was better than what the POST was proposing.
Many people were at a loss as to why the POST took this irrational stance. It emerged last week that Zambian Airways was in serious financial trouble. The company owed National Airports Corporation approximately $2Million! Dora Siliya (Minister of Communication) had asked the company to pay up but Peter Magande offered them a lifeline by agreeing to defer the payment by 2 yrs. Another story came out that the POST actually owned 30% of Zambian Airways. The POST came out fighting with a hard hitting editorial justifying their investment in Zambian Airways and why GRZ should save the company. In a country where ‘kachepa’ still thrives, many people are beginning to link the two issues.
The PANEL
1 comment:
I think the Post newspaper has ridden on the goodwill of the people for so long that they've actually forgotten the roots of their relationship with the public. Now, that goodwill is evidently wearing very thin, in light of the recent revelations of the Post's involvement with Zambian Airways/Magande and its rather shameful calls on the MMD NEC to sideline democratic procedures in choosing a new leader.
The Post is now running rather desperate statements and letters from obscure individuals calling on the nation to rally behind Zambian Airways as a national airline, which it isn't. Instead of holding their hands up high and apologising, the Post has chosen arrogance and deceit, hoping to sway public opinion.
They have clearly misread the public mood on these issues, and having been a "paper that digs deeper", it appears that this time they have dug their own grave, and a deep one for that.
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