CALLS by the opposition United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema on the Police to allow people to protest against the procurement of the 42 fire-trucks worth US$42 million are ill-fated in more than a sense.
Parliament recently heard that the procurement of the fire-trucks was done after an elaborate scrutiny of all bids.
Well, charming people to protest against the procurement of the machinery may be squarely misplaced because all available platforms have not yet been exhausted.
Otherwise, what is the essence of democracy without dialogue?
It is a political fallacy to ignore that a protest in itself may at times be the subject of a counter-protest — protesters can violently clash. It is predictable that protesters intend to show their frustrations against a Government policy or action, among others.
Make no mistake, in my discourse, I intend to raise specific issues surrounding the validity of protests against the backdrop of failure to dialogue over a public concern.
As architects of looming protests urge the Police to issue them permits to take to the streets, there are other issues on the table considering that protests form part of self-expression which means that the same protest are sometimes restricted by governmental policy (such as the requirement of protest permits) and prevailing economic circumstances.
That is the danger of ignorance in a society of armchair political intellectuals. The English author and professor of divinity at Cambridge, William Ralph Inge, would describe most of current crop of political leaders and social-political commentators as men who are busy building themselves thorns of bayonets yet fail to sit on them.
Those calling for protests against the fire-trucks, which Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale says fire-fighting experts were involved in the procurement process that requested specific fittings of the highest standards, need to think again.
To protest, for sure, is not the right path to take because dialogue has not been exhausted and that President Edgar Lungu has encouraged the law enforcement agencies to take interest in the matter and dig out allegedly corrupt hands buried in the process, if they are any at all!
What the leaders need to do is encourage the people to pursue the best ends using the better means that benefits the majority.
The 42 fire-trucks will benefit 39 councils countrywide in line with President Lungu’s vision of ensuring local authorities are adequately equipped to protect human life and property in infernos and other accidents.
Capping up the vision, Government plans to construct 11 modern fire stations countrywide, one for each provincial capital, besides a modern fire and rescue training facility in Kabwe.
Investing in the equipment to water-down the negative impacts of fires and other emergencies on the lives of the people and their property is not in bad taste hence the need for people to give way to investigators to get to the bottom of the story and unravel the truth.
“It is critical that the country stops unnecessary loss of lives and valuable properties through fire and other forms of accidents due to lack of adequate and appropriate infrastructure and equipment.
“We will continue to empower local authorities with appropriate equipment for firemen and women to enable them discharge their duties effectively, especially with the massive infrastructure we have put in place since 2011 and is still being implemented,” President Lungu said.
Grandview International Business Development and Investments Head, Ntinda Kandeke, who spoke on behalf of the company that manufactured the fire tenders, Rosenbauer International, said the tenders were specifically designed for Zambia in terms of the terrain and demography.
But accusations of corruption are mere opinions which anyone is free to hold but forget not that facts are sacred and need to be proved.
Time to give chance of those charged with the responsibility to solve such emerging national issues of financial significance is now.
Members of Parliament should also take the opportunity to discuss the matter in the House to show direction of purposefulness in the law-making institution.
In all, Irish philosopher Rev. Francis Hutcheson, who also became known as one of the founding fathers of the Scottish Enlightenment, would have advised us that the action to take on the matter should procure the greatest solution for all concerned parties.