UNITED Party for National Development(UPND) torchbearers Hakainde Hichilema is falling into a political trap by associating himself with unholy alliance, according Zambia Direct Democracy Movement(ZDDM).
And Former Transport and Communication Deputy Minister Alfred Ndhlovu wonders whether the political alliance partners will deliver victory for Mr Hichilema because some of them have never participated in an election.
But James Lukuku of Republic Progressive Party has branded as prophets of doom those against the political party alliance.
Mr Lukuku said the alliance partners have shaken the Patriotic Front(PF) ahead of the 2021 general elections.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Sakala said Mr Hichilema should be careful with the parties he has gone to bed with because they cannot be trusted, saying some are just there to ride on his popularity and fisting on his money.
He said the political alliance is in bad faith and may reduce Mr Hichilema’s chances of winning the 2021 elections.
Mr Sakala said Mr Hichilema could be more powerful if he contested the 2021 elections alone and not in the group of selfish individual who do not mean well.
“If anything, UPND must be very careful, it must start questioning itself, why are those people around it because they have different agendas to the UPND. I think HH has got to be very careful with those people around him. Most of them can not be trusted. Really, that alliance is very unholy alliance. If anything they might be liabilities on HH himself. HH is better operating on his own, the way he has been doing all along and not to get those people that have jumped on his bandwagon, they might have different agendas and motives. They are going to cut on his chances of becoming President. He is better off on his own,” Mr Sakala said.
He added: “HH is more powerful alone than with those political parties who are just diluting him and taking away much from him. They have got hidden agendas which HH does not know. I know most of those political parties, they cannot be trusted.”
But Mr Lukuku said those people speaking ill against the opposition alliance must be ignored because they do not know what they are talking about and are just jealousy individuals.
He said the opposition alliance means well and is embracing the democratic fundamentals of Zambia.
Mr Lukuku said it was the opposition alliance that saw to it that the launch of the National Dialogue was successfully launched at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
“Those who are taking against the alliance, we must just ignore them because we have made a very strong resolve that cannot be broken by anybody whatsoever. We have realised that without an alliance, there is nothing that we can do. The only thing we can do is for us as opposition to come together. So, i believe every person in the alliance is committed to the well-being of the alliance. We are doing very well in ensuring that democratic fundamentals are adhered to. We are the ones that saw to it that the National Dialogue was launched on the 18th of January. I am sure our friends in the PF are shaken ahead of the 2021elections,” Mr Lukuku said.
But Mr Ndhlovu argued that the alliance could have been viable if those partners have had following.
He said other than the UPND, opposition alliance partners have never participated in a ward or constituency elections but exist as one man show parties and wondered what they have brought on the table.
Mr Ndhlovu said politics is a game of numbers and not a child’s play.
He recalled that Mr Hichilema nallowly lost the last two election, saying with good strategy, he may emerge victoriuos without the alliance partners.
Hichilema has been contesting elections since 2006.
He surprised the nation when he led the 2006 when he led the United Democratic Alliance(UDA) that comprised Forum for Democracy and Development(FDD), United National Independence Party(UNIP) and UPND.
People expected an experienced politician in the name of Edith Nawakwi to contesting on UDA ticket not Mr Hichilema who was a novice and fresh from the corporate world.
The UPND again went into another alliance, that time with the PF but pulled out claiming they had different agendas.
Analyst say that was going a good move because the alliance was working in favour of the PF and could have been betrayed and shamefully kicked out after dethroning the MMD, while otherwise claim the breakaway from the alliance reduced Mr Hichilema as he was going to occupy the position of Vice President and eventually run for Presidency.