By Chanda Mfula
Don’t rule out people because of their present circumstances. I’ll use an example many Zambians will relate to.

I won’t talk about what he did or didn’t do for the people, but at a personal level, President Frederick Chiluba was a latecomer to the MMD but became its surprise leader and president of Zambia. MMD had many rich and powerful individuals but it had to be President Chiluba.

Even more surprising was President Levy Mwanawasa’s rise to the top after being booed, isolated and ridiculed. Those who thought they deserved to succeed President Chiluba were so angry and bitter they went to congregate and languish in the wilderness.

An even bigger surprise happened when President Rupiah Banda shot to power unexpectedly even after having retired, and was broke, forgotten and decided to settle in rural life and peasantry, where he whiled away time playing isolo. There were many credentialed people who came up and claimed they had the right to take over after President Mwanawasa’s passing, but no, it was the broke peasant they looked down on who became president in the end.

Then came President Michael Sata, who was initially considered a joke, but was finally taken seriously 10 years later and elected president.

Today there is President Edgar Lungu, and at least for this one I even know how he was always dismissed with contempt by his colleagues, some of whom are now his ministers while others act as opposition during the day but go to meet him in the still of the night. There are even those moneyed ones like ba GBM, who felt too proud and left but have gone back to bow to him.

Of course many of these have been very pathetic as presidents but we can perhaps use the change in their personal fortunes as a lesson/reminder that in life generally, we will do well not to underrate anybody based on what they are going through today. Life is never short of surprises. Tables turn.