In politics, never joke at your neighbour`s expense

In politics, never joke at your neighbour`s expense

Brian Rungano Temba

The lecture on basics of leadership may have escaped UPND`s young Information and Publicity Secretary Joseph Kalimbwe.

While exuberance is beautiful, the young Joshua Kalimbwe`s youthful indiscretions if left unchecked can be a cause of regional headaches.

Today being Africa day, it is right that his conduct is explored in the full spirit of what binds our continent together. It is African tradition, that at family events outstanding issues are ironed out.
The elephant in the room is that Zambia is head over heels in love with America.

There have been some curious instances from where inferences can be drawn.
Hichilema Hakainde went to see Lincoln Memorial before visiting the Kwame Nkrumah’s memorial – but that is besides the case.
We cannot judge who Zambia fraternizes with.
Problem emerges when some political players in Zambia start attacking Zimbabwe to impress their political handlers.

Without hiding the character in many words, the person in question is Joseph Kalimbwe.
One need not look far for reasons why he was not nominated for a role in active government under Hichilema Hakainde.
That alone speaks volumes to why he was sent to tend to the goats while grown men were discussing serious matters.

I wrote Kalimbwe a letter dated September 30, 2021 and I don’t think he got the message.
I implored him to stick to the core mandate of communicating the delivery of election promises to the Zambian people as the Party Spokesperson.
I would have made sense if he took heed of my advice.

A wise son makes his father glad: but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
Kalimbwe ended up using his grandmother as political fodder in trying to make a point against Zimbabwe.
That shows how desperate he is to make a point against Zimbabwe, for it gives him more engagement than writing about his own country.

What he is attempting is neither novel nor as clever as he thinks, others like Dr Stephen Chan have tried it to no avail.
For the sake of Kenneth Kaunda’s memory, the following could be valuable to Kalimbwe.

A leader is someone who can see how things can be improved and who rallies people to move toward that better vision. You don’t lead by creating enemies around you.
The subtle art of leading involves reading from the note of present and gone successful leaders, you cannot reinvent the wheel, so refer to the sages for wisdom.

I would recomend that he reads the text 48 laws of Power by Robert Greene.
I took the liberty of picking out a few and breaking them down to help him understand his way around Zimbabwean issues and life in general.

Law 1: Never outshine the master

There is a reason why he was not appointed into any Government role.
I call them active because they involve one being USEFUL.
Kalimbwe still has milk in his moustache, this is why his principal could not trust him even after putting up a strong shift in the campaign period.
His political prowess is in small game, student activism, cyber bullying and other typical childsplay.
Statecraft is still deep waters for him.
HH put him on the bench indefinitely because he was not yet ready, but here he is protesting the decision, moonlighting as a Foreign Affairs Minister.
He carries the face of the UPND, the spokesperson of the ruling party in Zambia, one wonders if attacking Zimbabwe is part of their ideology.

Law 5: So much depends on reputation, guard it with your life

When you make a reputation of being the bully on the block you invite enemies.
Zimbabweans have had nothing but respect for Zambians regardless of their political orientation. However Kalimbwe forgets that Africa is not passive as think.
We judge a man by how he treats his neighbour. That is how reputation is built.
Currently Kalimbwe`s reputation will make it difficult to be trusted on the international stage.

Law 9: Win through your actions, never through argument

Despite his regular jeers towards Zimbabwe, the people of Zambia still have demands.
They still want a better life and the election promises which are yet to materialise.
Tweets against Zimbabwe wont change the reality of Zambian lives.
You want to talk food security, Show us the planting, harvesting and the value addition.
Rebuild your village school, build your mother a better home.
Talk or should I say tweet is cheap.

Law 18: Do not build a fortress to protect yourself, isolation is dangerous

One of the biggest mistakes is to create bad relations with neighbouring countries while depending on the support of Americans.
Osama Bin Ladin, Sadam Hussein were all henchmen of the United States of America once. We all know how that ended.
When the honeymoon phase is over, some countries will need African support.
We hope it will never get to that, but if it does, Zimbabwe will be ready to assist despite the insults.

Law 19: Know who you’re dealing with, do not offend the wrong person

It is easy to underestimate Zimbabwe as a country.
We have never lost a war.
We have bested any ideological warfare ever declared upon the sovereign and its regime.
The Nation of Zimbabwe is known for being an African Powerhouse in global politics.
In the not so distant future, lessons will be learnt.

Law 40: Despise the free lunch

We hope Kalimbwe has not been paid by the West to agitate Zimbabweans.

Law 47: Do not go past the mark you aimed for. In victory, know when to stop

Kalimbwe`s party won the elections and beat Edgar Lungu.
From being an opposition party, they now have the task to lead the country and hopefully lead its development.
Catfights with seasoned political establishments in neighbouring countries is not the best way to do things.