IT’S impossible to be economically independent with some of the ministers we have today, niba kaponya, Lusaka lawyer and politician Kelvin Fube Bwalya has said.
Addressing the media after visiting jailed NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili at Kamwala remand prison, Bwalya popularly known by his initials KBF said half the politicians Zambia has today do not even understand the concept of money because it comes too easy and it is corrupt dosh (money).
He said many politicians today do not understand anything about the international markets and wondered how anyone would expect them to emancipate the general populace with their warped thinking.
“With the greatest respect, some of the ministers we have today niba kaponya. There are very few that I can say, yes that’s quality banono sana (very few), we need to change some players and change the game. I keep saying that and I mean it. Nangu ni bola kwaliba substitute noti fye ukushana fye (not just dancing around),” Bwalya said.
He said the current crop of leaders was only good at dancing at rallies, which was never the case in the initial MMD government under Frederick Chiluba.
“Mwakwatafye ukushana, ukushanafye (the only thing you are good at is dancing) for the sake of ukushana…tema politics ayo, no. Elo twalekonka ba (when we followed) Chiluba when MMD was coming up mukumfwa rally, we wanted to get the message, what’s the message, what’s the promise, what am I going to this rally for? Not to go and watch people dance!” he said.
Bwalya noted that there was a place and time for everything.
He said each time, according to the bible, had a season and there was a place for dancing and not at the political rally.
“A political rally means, let’s share ideas. There are some ministers who think the only time they call a rally is for musicians to dance and when you ask that ukomwaciya finshi balandileko ba minister, ati iyo twachilashana (when you ask what the minister said at the rally, you respond that there was nothing, we were just dancing) What’s that? You let the old women, the young fellas leave their daily chores to come and listen to a minister but they come there and there is nothing, all you have is empty promises! Iyo (No), there will be empowerment, what empowerment?” he asked.
Bwalya noted that the country has had presidential empowerment schemes from the time of Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa and currently there was one with President Edgar Lungu but that all have been a fallacy.
“What is it doing? K1,600, is that empowerment? In my book, I have said the triple ‘M’ philosophy talks about mentorship; mentor the person’s mind, change his thinking before you introduce them to money. He must understand the value of education and information and then he must understand the value of the money you are giving him, then introduce him to the markets. Triple M, you can never do business if you don’t understand…I can give you a million dollars today but if your mind is damaged, the first thing you are going to buy is a motor vehicle and next thing is that you are going to get the most beautiful girl on the street, you will be spoiling that money. What kind of investment is that?” Bwalya wondered.
He insisted that youths could not develop without a proper mindset.