Critical analysis and objectivity has been traded for cheap political affiliation - FDD spokesperson

By Staff Reporter, Lusaka 

Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) Spokesperson, Antonio Mwanza has charged that everything in Zambia has been reduced to politics, cadreism. 

In a statement monitored by WM Media, Mr Mwanza stated that critical analysis and objectivity has been traded for cheap political affiliation and in certain instances regional and tribal belonging.

“People will oppose or support anything based on their political inclination and not based on facts, truth, sound judgment or even reality. What one says, regardless of how true or objective it may be does not matter because after all, people's reality is now based on the political party they belong to and not based on the truth,” he. stated. 

He stated that everything is seen in the lenses of one's political party. 

“If it is raining and a PF colleague says that it is raining, a UPND comrade will dispute and say that, no, it is not raining, it is shining; when a UPND colleague points out to the sky and say it is blue, a PF comrade will stand up and argue that no, the sky is red even if it is indeed blue. Everything is political. Everything is partisan. Facts don't matter. It's us versus them. It's them verses us. What they say, no matter how true or objective it is doesn't matter, we must oppose them since those comrades don't belong to our party. We have reduced everything to partisan politics, to caderism; everything my party says or does is correct since its my party and everything the other party says or does is wrong since that's not my party,” Mr Mwanza stated. 

He pointed that partisaness and the politicisation of politics that this country is locked has led to perpetual acrimony, hatred, bitterness and backwardness. 

“No country on earth has ever moved forward when divided on petty and flimsy differences of partyism and cadrism. It's time we realized that patriotism is not standing by a political party or the president, patriotism is standing by the country. We must defend the truth, irrespective of who propagates it. We must remove our partisan lenses and look at things and analyze situations objectively. And in defense of the truth we must not be afraid or ashamed of losing friends. After all, the truth has few friends,” said Mr Mwanza. 

Mr Mwanza added that this country is bigger and more important than any individual political party. 

“We must stand up for what is right and fight what is wrong. If we can't do that for ourselves, atleast we must do it for those that are coming after us and for the sake of posterity,” he said. 

The FDD spokesperson has since urged Zambians to change the country from a nation of cadres to a nation of patriots. 

“Together we can make Zambia a better place. Together we can create jobs for our youths and opportunities for our women; together we can build energy sources of the future and cut down on foreign reliance and donor aid; together we can give every child an opportunity to quality education and affordable healthcare; together we can combat disease, eradicate poverty and hold our leaders accountable; together we can achieve the rule of law and fight against abuse of human rights, corruption and theft of public resources; together we can and together we must,” he said.