Vuvuzela

Celebrated South African stand-up comedian, Trevor Noah, in one of his shows and video releases, describes Julius Malema as a vuvuzela. He says; “Julius Malema to me is like a vuvuzela. He makes noise and scares foreigners. That is all he is to me”.

Wikipedia gives the following definition for vuvuzela; “The vuvuzela, also known as lepatata Mambu (its Twsana name), is aplastic horn, about 65 centimetres long, which produces a loud monotone note. Some models are made in two parts to facilitate storage, and this design also allows pitch variation. Many types of vuvuzela, made by several manufacturers, may produce various intensity and frequency outputs. The intensity of these outputs depends on the blowing technique and pressure exerted.”

“Traditionally made and inspired from a kudu horn, the vuvuzela was used to summon distant villagers to attend community gatherings. The vuvuzela is most used at football matches in South Africa, and it has become a symbol of South African football as the stadiums are filled with its loud and raucous sound that reflects the exhilaration of supporters.”

Julius Malema

I wouldn’t say Trevor Noah’s description of Julius Malema as a vuvuzela is far from the truth. Julius is definitely an alarmist. He is such an alarmist that the ANC finally decided to expel him as they realized he was a liability to the party. As long as the ANC had to be relevant to the needs of the 21^st century South Africa, Julius Malema was not needed in their ranks.

Julius Sello Malema, and below supporters of Malema

 According to wikipedia, ‘Julius Sello Malema (born 3 March 1981) is a South African politician, and the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters political movement, of which he founded in July 2013. He is also a former president of the African National Congress Youth League. Malema occupies a notably controversial position in South African public and political life; having risen to prominence with his support for African National Congress president, and later president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. He has been described by both Zuma and the premier of Limpopo province as the "future leader" of South Africa. Less favourable portraits paint him as a "reckless populist" with the potential to destabilise South Africa and to spark racial conflict.’

This brings me to three names that have been popular in Zambian politics in recent years. The names are; Cosmo Mumba, Humphrey Siulapwa and Bowman Lusambo.

Cosmo Mumba and Humphrey Siulapwa were at some point close allies and belonged to the same political party, the New Generation Party (NGP). This is a party that had the likes of Davies Ngoma (musician Nasty D), late Castrol Chiluba, Callen Chisha (controversial Zambian musician of the ‘tomato balunda’ fame), James Lukuku and others whom my memory can’t recall right now. 

Cosmo Mumba

I am not very well versed with the reasons as to why Cosmo Mumba left the NGP but he formed his own party named National Revolution/Restoration Party (NRP). Whatever the reason, Dr. Cosmo Mumba has successfully been at the helm of NRP for quite some time now but has never participated in any election as a presidential candidate. However he has been very present in the media giving his opinions on various governance and economic policy matters. For many years he was a strong critic of MMD, the then ruling party. Then just before the 2011 elections he declared his party’s support for the Patriotic Front. This simply said one story, we would never hear the political ideology for NRP any time soon.

Cosmo Mumba has since been a militant figure representing the ‘voice of the youth’ at different platforms including the constitution making process. One incident that really comes to mind was a scene captured by MOBI tv two days after the PF’s electoral victory in 2011. Mumba went to Kamwala shopping area ‘inspecting’ Chinese shops and the owners’ adherence to labour laws. One Chinese shop owner who offered resistance was threatened of deportation and other punitive action. Someone was working! This was before even any cabinet was put in place. This young man must be very passionate about his motherland. It is very unfortunate most of us don’t know the other members of his party, as they seem to be a sleeping bunch maybe the NRP would have participated in at least even one local government election. The only time I ever heard of another member of the NRP was when the vice president Charles Mwewa was being expelled in July 2012 for gross indiscipline. Mwewa had come forward to disclose that Mumba, an apparent opposition leader, is a paid agent of the PF to fend off criticism of the ruling party from other stakeholders. Hmmmm.

(http://zambiareports.com/2012/07/13/zambias-opposition-leader-cosmo-mumba-exposed-as-pf-front/)

A 'Ghadafi style' female bodyguard opens the door for NRP president Dr.Cosmo Mumba,
and below, Former Libyan Leader Muammar Ghadafi alongside late former Zambian president Fredrick J.T. Chiluba, behind them is a female bodyguard and current Zambian president Michael C. Sata 

Humprey Siulapwa

Humphrey Silulapwa on the other hand has been the leader of NGP. He too has been preaching the message of youth empowerment and looking into the plight of the youth. His main message has been a clarion call to incorporate young people into political and government leadership positions. At some point he almost attempted to run for parliament by contesting the Chongwe seat. He never contested the seat and the next thing that happened is that Mr Siulapwa announced his support for the then ruling government and its leader Rhupiah Banda.  He then worked closely with the ruling party then, MMD, and would hold regular press conferences used to denounce then opposition PF leader Michael Sata.

He strongly opposed the formation of the PF / UPND pact and predicated that it was going nowhere. At one point during a strike by nurses he stormed UTH where he blasted some medical personal for staying away from work.

After the MMD lost power in 2011 he left Zambia for the US where his wife is based and working as nurse. Sometime last year he came back to Zambia briefly and held a press briefing where he withdrew his support from MMD and said his party will work and support the new party in government, PF. He then asked all youths to always support the party in government. Hmmm, probably an admission that his party may never form government!

NGP leader Humphrey Siulapwa speaking at a news conference

Bowman Lusambo

Unlike Mr. Siulapwa and Dr.Cosmo Mumba, Bowman Lusambo does not lead any political party. He is the head of a political youth wing of the MMD known as ‘MMD die hard’. Before then, he was called ‘RB die hard national coordinator’. I am not too sure when the name changed, but just after the MMD lost power. This was at a time when Dr. Nevers Mumba the current president of MMD was still not yet recalled as Zambia’s ambassador to Canada. I got an update from a friend who sent me a text one evening telling me to watch Muvi TV where Bowman declared his support for Dr Nevers Mumba to succeed Rhupiah Banda as MMD president following the latter’s impending retirement from politics. The next time the same friend of mine said something on Bowman, he sent me another text to tell me he was pictured lifting Nevers Mumba at the airport upon his arrival from Canada. Since then, we have heard different statements from Mr. Lusambo in support of Nevers Mumba or simply telling off those against the leadership of pastor Mumba. One event that vividly comes to mind was when he promised to wait for now sports deputy minister Steven Masumba at Parliament entrance in order to force him to resign from MMD and join PF. The rest is history; Mr. Masumba is now a PF member.

Bowman Lusambo

Mr Lusambo over the period became almost the ‘unofficial spokesperson’ for MMD. He churned out statement after statement to the media, most of which were ‘off the cuff’ statements. He became the face that attracted media attention on any MMD party matters. This was despite some lone voices in MMD voicing out the fact that there was no such organ as MMD die hard within the party structures. When Major Richard Kachingwe held a press briefing at the MMD secretariat to nullify the election of Nevers Mumba as Party president some youth belted him and while he was dragged to the road side, was heard saying it was Bowman Lusambo. I never saw Bowman in the video that evening on the news; neither did I see him on any pictures that showed major Kachingwe being man handled. Technically it wasn’t him, and that matter must still be before the courts so I can’t discuss it.

Then in May 2013, some ‘suspected’ PF cadres abducted and beat up Mr. Lusambo even asking him to denounce his party and some positions he took such as opposing the PF government’s removal of fuel and maize subsidies. Recently, Mr Lusambo has been in trouble with his party. Bowman was apparently angry at UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema's decision to support the withdrawal of MMD's Evelyn Mwanawasa from the Kafulafuta Parliamentary seat race. Mr Lusambo was recently quoted as having said that the MMD youth wing had decided to support the PF in Kafulafuta and Solwezi East parliamentary by-elections because the UPND could not be trusted. Some MMD members called for Lusambo to be disciplined and termed him a ‘Loose cannon’.

My view… my thoughts…

I’d like to first of all quote excerpts of comments by Kachepa Mtumbi in the post newspaper dated Sunday 27March 2011.

“By now menopausal, this country can't possibly outdo herself in reproducing the society she has carved in nearly five decades. But then this is a nation that has produced first Chama Chakomboka and then Humphrey Siulapwa, so I suppose Zambian history does repeat itself. It however begs the question whether we'll leave behind a country that bears any resemblance to the one we're living in.

There are a number of quintessentially Zambian habits that will never change. Politics will remain, as somebody once said, showbiz for ugly people and goat meat will persist as the official snack for city drunkards. It's quite simply the way of life in Zambia.”

The late politician Chama Chakomboka formed the Movement For Democratic Process (MDP) and made people laugh with his promises if voted into State House. It was almost as if he recited lines in a play circle show. Chakomboka’s political symbol was a man who looked like he was urinating! We saw this with Siulapwa. He made us laugh all the time he spoke at press briefings. Chama Chakomboka reincarnate? Or is it that Cosmo fits the bill better?

It is quite simply the way it is; Zambian democracy breeds political jokers now and then. The number of political parties continues to rise and everybody is beginning to feel they are ‘presidential material’. Poignantly, the country has seen a number of talkative pretenders allegedly with presidential ambitions who are most of the times over zealous and dont understand that the country’s real development engine ought to be a cadre of qualified technocrats and not necessarily politicians.

Is this the role of youths in a democracy? Merely playing the role of a ‘sound box’? The vuvuzela! The likes of James Lukuku had even gone quiet after the now infamous ‘admission of K 15,000 brown envelope inducements’, only to resurface recently under the guises of a new political party called Republican Progressive Party. Is it that maybe playing a ‘political vuvuzela’ is more lucrative? It could be more lucrative if you hear of Julius Malema’s assets. Yes the now 32 years old Malema who only completed high school aged 21.  It not the side of the fence they play ‘vuvuzela’ for that matters, either ruling or fellow opposition they seem to be coming up, and making a living out of it. Maybe I am being too judgmental, these are gentlemen who get into politics with successful businesses and genuinely want to serve their country.

The MMD seem to have termed Bowman a bit by appointing Muhabi Lungu as presidential media relation liaison officer (whatever the actual position is called). Mr. Lungu has done a good job so far and this is how it should be done in a democracy. I do not subscribe to these ‘off the cuff’ militant statements. Need I mention here that Mr. Bowman Lusambo, is a personal friend of mine who is different from the figure in the media. But does he do enough to rid himself of this tag or image being created? I don’t think so. Maybe He should learn from Muhabi Lungu and the likes of Chembe Nyangu who have recently been the voices of reason in the former ruling party.

The likes of Siulapwa, Cosmo Mumba, and James Lukuku can also redeem themselves by truly representing the youth in a right manner. Not to be seen as agents of violence, confusion, hooliganism and corruption.

Will this happen? Only time will tell. If this does happen I will be the first to congratulate the gentlemen on leading the nation and its youth to a better political landscape of ideology and tolerance.