By E. Munshya, LLM, MBA, MDIV. There is no better way to win an election than to win an election. For those who win elections, they win elections by winning elections. Those who want to win an election must win an… Read More ›
Michael Sata
Loving the “Other” In Zambia: Towards a praxis of peace in political violence
By E. Munshya, LLM, MBA, MDIV Our nation is in crisis. We have suddenly realised that we too are a violent nation. The so called oasis of peace, we think we are, has been challenged a great deal by recent… Read More ›
Splitting Regulation from Fraternity: Reforming the Law Association of Zambia
By E. Munshya LLM, MBA, MDIV The functions and objects of the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) are very important in our system of law, government and politics. LAZ’s mandate is primarily derived from two statutes: The Law Association of… Read More ›
Justice Mushabati and the Electoral Commission of Zambia are Wrong on the Grade 12 Requirement
E. Munshya, LL.B., LL.M., M.Div. Justice Christopher Mushabati, a commissioner at the Electoral Commission of Zambia (the “Commission”) has issued what seems to be an official directive from the Commission about the Grade 12 requirement for running in the 2016… Read More ›
Grade 12 Certificate Is Not the Only Qualification, Stop Demanding It
E. Munshya, LLB., LLM, M.Div., MBA To borrow from the late Justice Antonin Scalia, Zambia has a written constitution which “says what it says and does not say what it does not say”. Barring some concepts that are deeply tied… Read More ›
Alliances of the Bizarre: The shape of Zambian politics towards the 2016 elections
By E. Munshya, LLM, MBA, M.Div. Nothing can get more politically bizarre than the sudden announcement that Elias Chipimo, Miles Sampa and Eric Chanda would form an electoral alliance to defeat the incumbent Patriotic Front (PF) government. This Sampa-Chipimo-Chanda (SCC)… Read More ›
When a Constitution Forgets: A theory of interpreting Zambia’s constitution
E. Munshya, LLM, MBA, M.Div. Surprise, surprise. Now that we have read the new constitution we are quickly realising just how much of a blessing, and a controversy it has become. I would be surprised if a constitution did not… Read More ›
Zambia’s Sugo Fiasco: Interpreting the constitution’s Grade 12 requirement
E. Munshya, LLB, LLM, MBA, M.Div. In the recent constitution amendment signed by President Edgar Lungu is a provision that is both absurd and confusing. According to Article 70 (1) (d), a person is eligible to be elected as a… Read More ›
I Object: Why Ms. Libongani should not come to Canada as Zambia’s High Commissioner
By E. Munshya, LLM, M.Div., MBA To all police officers, please serve Zambians impartially. Do not shoot the innocent. Do not curtail liberties of our people. Protect President Lungu just as much as you would protect others. If you do… Read More ›
An Open Letter to Dr. Christine Mwelwa Kaseba
Kuli ba Mama Kaseba: Intanshi mutende! Before I proceed any further, let me state out-rightly what this letter is not about. As a person who strongly believes in women’s rights, I must commend your decision to stand as presidential… Read More ›
After the Cobra: What does the law say about Vice-President Guy Scott?
E. Munshya, LLB (Hons), M.Div. The President of the Republic of Zambia, Michael Chilufya Sata has died. He died in a London hospital on 28 October 2014. Sata died the same week that the nation was celebrating 50 years of… Read More ›
When a Vice-President works in the dark: Guy Scott and the vacuum from Tel Aviv
E. Munshya, LLB (Hons), M.Div Never in the short history of our republic have we had a vice-president who is as marginalised as Guy Lindsay Scott. Effectively, this Patriotic Front government has managed to reduce the vice-president of our republic… Read More ›
When a smuggler acts as President: Wynter Kabimba and his men from Kenya
E. Munshya, LLB (Hons), M.Div. Personal sabotage should know its constraints. But just when you think that stuff cannot get any worse, that is when it usually does. It is one thing to make a small mistake, or perhaps, to… Read More ›
One Zambia, Many Vultures: Towards a More Humane Politics During Presidential Illness
By E. Munshya, LLB (Hons), M.Div. The question is not really about whether President Sata is sick or not. The question is about how the nation and its political players should conduct themselves in moments of alleged presidential illness. When… Read More ›
The Temptation of Nevers Sekwila Mumba (Part II): A Turbulent Vice-President
By E. Munshya wa Munshya In 2008, as President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa was reflecting on his legacy, one issue he had to confront was whether he had any regrets in choosing Nevers Mumba for his Vice-President from 2003 to 2004…. Read More ›
The Temptation of Nevers Sekwila Mumba (Part III): Keeping the Ambition Alive
By Elias Munshya wa Munshya Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba believes that political parties are not the centre of the political process, people are. As such, he sees nothing wrong with changing parties, starting new ones, disbanding others and going back… Read More ›
The Temptation of Nevers Sekwila Mumba (Part I): Politics of Personal Sacrifice
By E. Munshya wa Munshya It is Frank Talk time on prime time television in the early 1990s. One evening, the whole nation is listening in as journalist Frank Mutubila introduces his guest on ZNBC TV. Pastor Nevers Mumba sits… Read More ›
Is Stella Shooting at Shadows?: Hichilema, Police IG Libongani & “Amayendele”
E. Munshya, LLB (Hons), M.Div. In our democracy, there should be no reason why the police command should be wasting taxpayers’ bullets and teargas to chase Hakainde Hichilema (HH) out of the Eastern Province. Bullets and teargas should be for… Read More ›
One Zambia One Kandolo: Mwanawasa, Cabbages and the Politics of Insults
E. Munshya, LLB (Hons), MA, MDiv. President Levy Mwanawasa (Zambian President from 2002 to 2008) was a controversial figure. Without doubt he has gone into history as one of the most contentious presidents. Several things about Mwanawasa are contentious. Just… Read More ›
In the Name of the Clan: Is Bemba-Supremacy Behind GBM’s Resignation?
By Elias Munshya, LLB(Hons), MA., M.Div. September 2009 on Radio Mano It is September 2009. In a few weeks, the people of Kasama Central are supposed to be voting in a by-election. The key candidates in this election are Geoffrey… Read More ›
The End of Pan-Africanism: Post-Africanism and the Re-imagination of the African Myth
Elias Munshya The era of pan-Africanism is over. Pan-Africanism has flopped. And it has flopped very miserably. It needs to be replaced, as it is no longer appropriate. Whatever is still alive in the beast of pan-Africanism should be exterminated…. Read More ›
Hakainde Hichilema, Luapula Province and the Politics of Tribal Perception
Munshya wa Munshya It was certain that the Patriotic Front party was going to win the Mansa by-election. We all expected the PF to win. Luapula is their stronghold after all. And no doubt, the people of Mansa Central showed… Read More ›
“Stupid Idiots”: Presidential Insults From Kenneth David Kaunda to Michael Chilufya Sata
Munshya wa Munshya “To insult or not to insult.” That has been the question we have had to contend with from our presidents since 1964. Zambia’s history with presidential foul language and insults is not new. We, in fact, started… Read More ›
Beyond President Sata’s Tantrums: My Passion For Zambia’s Economic Future
Munshya wa Munshya When a leader lacks a clear vision of what he exactly wants to accomplish, he spends his energy chasing shadows. Without a clear articulated economic vision for Zambia, President Sata and his PF government will continue punching… Read More ›
Fallen To Rise Again? Emmanuel Mwamba & His Future In Zambian Democracy
Munshya wa Munshya From the instant that little known Emmanuel Mwamba was appointed President Frederick Chiluba’s personal assistant he became an instant sensation. The man would be seen defending and in many cases travailing for his boss. Chiluba had so… Read More ›
One Bemba, One Nation: Politics of Tribe From Kenneth David Kaunda to Michael Chilufya Sata
E. Munshya, LLB (Hons), M.Div. Fighting for his political survival, Hon. Wynter Kabimba, made a very significant comment that his party has a clique of Bemba political hegemonists. Even Guy Scott has supported Wynter in these assertions. A daily newspaper… Read More ›
Of Cohorts, Cherries & General Miyanda: I Stand By What I Had Written
By Munshya wa Munshya Brigadier General Godfrey Kenneth Miyanda has objected very strongly to this paragraph in my article of 20 September 2013 in the Daily Nation Newspaper. This same article is also published on http://www.eliasmunshya.org. This is what I wrote:… Read More ›
….And Then General Miyanda Responds to “When A General Cherry-Picks History”
BRIGADIER GENERAL GODFREY MIYANDA’S RESPONSE TO MUNSHYA WA MUNSHYA’S ARTICLE TITLED ‘WHEN A GENERAL CHERRY-PICKS HISTORY: MY RESPONSE TO GODFREY KENNETH MIYANDA’ Munshya wa Munshya’s article titled “When A General Cherry-Picks History: My Response to Godfrey Kenneth Miyanda by Munshya… Read More ›
When A General Cherry-Picks History: My Response to Godfrey Kenneth Miyanda
By Munshya wa Munshya If history were tomatoes, we could all easily amble towards Soweto Market find vendors and from a variety of that fruit choose which kind we want. If history were a presidential candidate, we could easily exercise… Read More ›
Zambia and The Living Tree of Democracy
By Munshya wa Munshya Nothing shows the character of a president, or any person for that matter, than the battles she chooses to fight. The saying that action speaks louder than words becomes even more real for a nation, in… Read More ›
Has the King Cobra Become An Ostrich?
By E. Munshya wa Munshya We are seeing the portrait of a very active and engaging leader from State House, a cobra in his own right. President Sata is appearing in more public events. He is seen commissioning or not… Read More ›
What We Can Take-Away from Justice M.S Mulenga’s Ruling in the Dora Siliya Case
By E. Munshya wa Munshya On Tuesday, 3 September 2013 Justice Mungeni Siwale Mulenga ruled in the case in which Dora Siliya and others had sued the Attorney General and the Electoral Commission of Zambia for banning her and her… Read More ›
Divided We Stand: Why Squabbles in PF Are Good for Zambian Democracy
E. Munshya wa Munshya The beauty of Zambian democracy is that no president in Zambia holds a monopoly over political players be it in the ruling party or in opposition. In fact, Zambian democracy manifests itself greatly in the personal… Read More ›
The Rule of Riffraffs: Why GBM is Right About the PF Government
By E. Munshya wa Munshya It is common knowledge that the battles of succession for Patriotic Front leader President Michael Sata are now being fought openly. The vultures are not trying to hide anymore. They have come out in full… Read More ›
Chibesakunda’s Spokesman Goes Offside: Why Terry Musonda’s Press Statement Does Not Make Legal Sense
By E. Munshya wa Munshya Mr. Terry Musonda, a spokesman for the judiciary of Zambia has issued a statement in which he purports to clarify the issue that has engulfed our nation in recent days. The issue has been whether… Read More ›
Leave Dora Siliya Alone – Mwefilwani
I should disagree with The Post, The ACC and the PF with the way s.22 of the Electoral Act read with ss.104 to 107 is being interpreted. Ultimately, the advise of the Solicitor General that the PF should attempt to… Read More ›
When a Cobra Spits at Crocodiles: Why President Sata Shouldn’t Fight the “Bashi Lubemba”
Elias Munshya, LLB (Hons), MA, Mdiv. The Issue President Michael Chilufya Sata in May 2013 used his powers as President of the Republic of Zambia to withdraw government recognition of one Henry Kanyanta Sosala as Senior Chief Mwamba of the… Read More ›
With Forked Tongues: Why Chibesakunda’s Majority Ruling in Attorney General v. Mutuna & Others is Flawed
By E. Munshya wa Munshya It should not calm any nerves to realize that an analysis of the majority ruling in Attorney General v Mutuna, Kajimanga and Musonda should begin by looking at a single sentence taken from its last… Read More ›
Seleni Tusheteko: Zambia Railways & Why Parastatals Have Failed Zambia
I have not given up on Zambian Railways and neither have I given up on the Zambian people. I have not given up on the resolute will of our people to better our country and restore our future.I believe in… Read More ›
Bombasa Fyapena: Why We Must Not Blame the Law When Our Politics Go Berserk
By Munshya wa Munshya Over the issue of the lifting of Rupiah’s immunity, we are conflating too many issues and I am afraid it is becoming confusing for me. I have not said that what parliament did was FAIR. I… Read More ›
Sound At Law: Why Speaker Matibini Was Right to Ignore the Bombasa Injunction
By E. Munshya wa Munshya On Friday, 15 March 2013, the Zambian parliament debated a motion that sought to remove the presidential immunity enjoyed by former president of Zambia, Dr. Rupiah Banda. The motion passed by 80 votes, with most… Read More ›
A Short Man Who Walked Tall: The Life and Times of Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba (1943—2011)
By E. Munshya wa Munshya The Birth of The Man Biographers differ about where and when Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba was born. Even his names have raised controversy. Chiluba’s background had been such a thorny issue, that in the 1996… Read More ›
“The Declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation: Blessing or Curse”: What Gershom Ndhlovu Misses About Pentecostals
By E. Munshya wa Munshya The book The Declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation: Blessing or Curse is Gershom Ndhlovu’s debut book. It is available at amazon.com in kindle edition. It is a book for the modern person in… Read More ›
“Dear Mr. Kick Ass” – Musamba Mumba Responds to Her Critic
Musamba Mumba, going by the name Proud Aushi or Proud Ushi Musamba Mumba is an active blogger whose political insight and prowess is exactly what Zambia needs. In moments of great political intimidation and paternalism Musamba speaks her mind out… Read More ›
A Major Shoots Himself in the Foot: Why Kachingwe Can’t Win at Law
By Munshya wa Munshya Issues surrounding recent events in the MMD can be analyzed from different angles. However, in this article I wish to concentrate on only one angle. That is whether Major Kachingwe can succeed at law to have… Read More ›