AMERICAN ARMY IN ZAMBIA: Ruling party UPND speaks out

Over the past days, there has been a serious agenda to paint Zambia and our leader as Western Sponsored using the false US Military Base existence narrative within our borders. The propaganda being peddled is that President Hakainde Hichilema, has authorized the opening of a US Army Base in our country. This cronyism and false narrative has sadly since been spread across Africa, beyond our Zambian borders.

Jonathan Moyo, a former Zimbabwean Education Minister and many others have taken a front row seat in trying this propaganda to create fictitious army bases that never exists. By calling our leader, "Uncle Tom", Moyo 65, played the daily immaturity that has been played before our eyes in our African politics. An immaturity & failure to distinguish right from wrong by trying to score political points.

Moyo went further to mock the intelligence and wisdom of our Zambian Education system, particularly our UPND free Education system which for the first time in decades has put thousands of Zambian kids back in school, on the verge of putting 30 000 teachers into full employment. But Moyo's misguided views represents exactly what's wrong with our African politics. A continent whose politics is so tribally divided, one where individuals feel because they have been to university and earned PhDs, then its only them and them alone who hold the monopoly of wisdom.

I was 8 years in the early 2000s when Moyo was first appointed Minister and for that i respect his accomplishments. But it was a missed opportunity, one which exposed his lack of inspired leadership. An opportunity he used to drive thousands of innocent men and women, including journalists whose onlg crime was speaking truth out of his country of Zimbabwe. Constantly using his power to deny others the freedom to speak the truth. In the years that followed, our country has been building itself through successive Zambian Presidents, from Kenneth Kaunda to our current leader, Hakainde Hichilema, who has shown nothing but courage in lifting Zambia up since August 2021.

In the years since, young men and women have answered the call to join the Zambia army. Priding themselves in the chance to wear the colours of our land. These men and women have won the uniform our country with bravely and distinction. Like every Zambian soldier they represent us so bravely, with a Commander in Chief in chief in President Hakainde Hichilema leading them through and through, giving them the equipments they need and a life they deserve for serving our country here at home, in missions abroad in the Central African Republic or anywhere in Africa. Over the years, throughout my more than 2 decades on earth, I have seen Zambia grow from the failed policies of the previous regime to find grace, hope and inspiration in the inspired leadership of a new leader, Hakainde Hichilema - the man Moyo and many others have painted black these past days by peddling the narrative that he permitted a US Military Base in our country.

Therefore, individuals like Moyo must begin to realise that our land remains peaceful with a clear eyed President who serves nothing but the interests of the 18 million Zambians in our land. He must go and unleash his anger elsewhere rather than unleashing insults on our leader in Zambia because there is no US Military Base in our country. We will continue to be solidly guided, every step of the way, by those 4 proud words of our country, "One Zambia, One Nation" and not be moved by exiled individuals who deliberately paint us Western sponsored.