Politicians are more interested in votes than the welfare of the voters, hence they are ready to offer anything as long as it secures them a vote says Gregory Chifire.
In an interview with News Diggers! Chifire charged that to a politician a vote was more valuable than life.
“Politicians are more interested in votes than the welfare of the voter. They are ready to offer anything as long as in the heart of their hearts it will secure them a vote, it will make them win. If it were possible, they can even offer their own life for votes. To a politician, a vote is more valuable than life. During campaigns they are very vulnerable but immediately elections pass they forget those promises,” Chifire observed
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“Zambian politicians are taking voters for granted. It is ironic how these politicians become conscious of the problems voters are passing through, but soon after elections, they pretend and act like all is well. It is high time that Zambians stop being swayed by empty promises by politicians who promise them heaven during campaigns but offer hell once voted in or get the required votes.”
Chifire observed that the country only saw some cosmetic infrastructure development during campaigns.
“Zambians are now more enlightened, they know how to treat such politicians. During campaigns, it is the only time citizens have opportunity to be bought beer and mealie meal, it is the only time when a section of voters afford a meal or two. This is not the way it should be. This is the only time we see some cosmetic infrastructure development all thanks to the appetite for votes. This is not the way things are supposed to be. If politicians had good hearts as they claim to have, they could not have been subjecting citizens to such levels of object poverty while themselves are living in opulence,” he said.
“Zambia has enough resources to go round, to benefit all her citizens. This is evident from the gifts that are splashed during campaigns. Politicians become so benevolent during campaigns. They act with so much care and love. Using what actually belongs to the public to try to buy election favour from the owners of the resources. Time has come that we must not vote because of gifts because we shall not survive on gifts all the time. If we are to take stock of all the money that is spent during election campaigns we will discover that it could go a long way to develop the welfare of society in a genuine way.”
He remarked that the whole government machinery played servant-hood during campaigns.
“Today in Zambia, if you want to see a minister wash the feet of your child, you must pray for a by-election. Today in Zambia if you want to see government attend to the needs of the people in a given area you must wish for a by-election. The whole government machinery plays servant-hood during campaigns. This is the only time when citizens of a given area are accorded some semblance of respect. Our people in Chilanga have an opportunity to mingle with their leaders, have an opportunity to have medicines in their clinics [and] business will temporarily boom,” said Chifire.
