by mazuba mwiinga
Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba is seriously infested with an egocentric virus and needs an effective medication – professional political counselling.
To this effect, one needs to remind him that we have now seen what kind of rule he had for this nation as propounded by Political science professor Li Shuguang, who once said that the ancient concept of rule of law is to be distinguished from rule by law.
He says that, "The difference (between rule of law and rule by law) ....is that under the rule of law the law is pre-eminent and can serve as a check against the abuse of power. Under rule by law, the law can serve as a mere tool for a government that suppresses in a legalistic fashion."
And for Frederick Titus Jacob Chiluba to say that Kalumba’s conviction is tantamount to witch hunt; is actually a tenacious indication of a man who served this country with a rule by law formula in which he unleashed the snaring dogmatic repressive laws on his opponents as he proudly laughed and shamelessly stole from this country.
Those who closely followed Chiluba’s 10 year atrocious rule will recall very well how he first initiated the Mwanakatwe Constitution Commission Review in 1993 which came up with the best ever report and Draft Constitution this country would have ever had.
But the same Chiluba who promised the best Constitution in the Region when he ascended to the ‘sweet’ reigns of power in 1991 as he called it, rejected almost all the Commission submissions which in most cases would have limited the powers of the President to make sure there are clear cut checks and balances in the operation of the Executive wing of government.
Little did we know that all this was a well calculated political way-chart to loot this country’s resources by manipulating the law for he even at one time called us “docile people”.
Unfortunately Chiluba’s shrewd-contriving prowess is now proving other wise. Remember every dog has his day. Foolish as we may have been seen by him then, now it’s our time to show him that ours is the rule of law. His statement that “all the corruption allegations against him and his former officials were a political witch-hunt in which the courts were just used to achieve this political goal by his enemies”, is in itself tantamount to judicial contempt and a manifestation of a man infested with an egocentric virus.
Remember Dr. Kaunda’s reference to Chiluba in 1993 as “scared little man”? Indeed Chiluba is so ashamed and terrified now that what his acquittal tried to achieve has failed because things are turning sour on him every day, as his cronies and associates are continuing being jailed for cases related to his and which in most instances touch him because some how he is linked to them.
Now that the rule of law, promised by the late President Mwanawasa is effectively working and trampling down his manipulated rule by law, he audaciously finds guts to cry foul to things that are so clear and distinct for everyone to see. Legend reggae man Bob Nester Marley once sang that you can fool some people some times, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.
Remember the popular Mafia tag: “you can’t steal from a Mafia and go scot freely to enjoy the loot”. In a literal sense, a Mafia is a highly organised grouping that has well devised rules that are followed to the letter. Their rule of law mechanism works well with the rule of law followed in democracies.
Chiluba will never enjoy his stay in this country as long as he remains what he is today – an associate to convicts, a judicially ruled thief and a questionable acquitted man. His day is coming and his days are surely numbered. Tick-tak-tick-tak.......