Patrick Mwanawasa gaming into Politics
by Mazuba Mwiinga
In the Tonga language there is a saying, “Maulu aamufu azyibilwa ku mwana”, literary meaning that ‘you can only know the true colors of the late father from his surviving children”.
Reading Patrick Mwanawasa’s thoughts in The Post of October 28, 2009 reminded me of one reflection that, the will of the people always triumphs over subversive tyrants who want to suppress it, because for every ‘crop’ cut off, another more vibrant and fresh one shoots up. That’s why dictators like Hitler and Mussolini never lasted long.
Our Republican Constitution allows us to cast a vote for the first time in our life at the age of 18, literary allowing us to be in active politics because you cannot just go to the polling booth without having a political conscience for a choice.
At 21 years the Supreme Law of the land again allows us to stand as MPs. But can you really stand as an MP without engaging in politics, speaking out your mind and telling the people the good and bad about our country? Patrick Mwanawasa is 5 years above the border line of qualification for one to represent the people in Parliament.
From his articulation of issues, Patrick may be younger than Miko in age but far more mature in his thoughts than even most of our old and tired politicians we have around. The young man is game, and if the adage mostly used by these same manipulative politicians that youths are the future leaders is to be taken seriously; then let those scare crows leave Patrick alone. He is the present future and has all rights and privileges to speak his mind out.
Patrick’s spirit of not fearing whatever may come, is the true spirit of Political service that can be traced back to the colonial days, when our fore fathers put self interest aside and fought for what was right. This is the time youths should abandon their cadre-ism politics and embrace politics of service for themselves and their young brothers, sisters and mothers who are walloping in abject poverty, because the current crop of retarded politicians will never ever take seriously the concerns of our suffering people.
Patrick is changing the way politics should be taken up in this day and age. It is actually very interesting to note that Kenneth Kaunda joined active politics in 1951 when he became the Organizing Secretary of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress for Northern Province at the age of 27. Being a father is one thing, and a parent another. So is age and maturity. We have seen so many foolish old men, whose age was supposed to be associated with wisdom. But God help us, how dull they are!
Copyright Mazuba Mwiinga/opinion 2009.10.29
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