Elections For “The Soul Of Our Nation” - Pilato
Musician and civil society activist Pilato has shared his take on the upcoming elections.
“The coming general elections are about the soul of our nation, the restoration of power from a few political individuals to the institutions of this country. These elections are about the people of this country claiming back the dignity that has been lost over time. The police officers, who have lost power to criminals, thugs masquerading as political cadres. This election is about claiming back that power and giving it back to the police officers so that we the people can recover our confidence in them again,” Pilato writes.
According to the musician the election is a chance for citizens to save themselves from the “economic genocide” of recent years and reclaim dignity.
He gave the example of civil servants, who have worked hard but find themselves in debt and have been subject to social, political and economic abuse during President Lungu’s time in office. Drawing on parallels from the Bible Pilato writes, “Just like God couldn't trust Pharoah to lead the children of Israel from Egypt to the promised land, we can't trust the Pharoah that enslaved our honourable men and women in the civil services to free them now.”
Pilato also sets out the importance of the polls for restoring power of dreams in the hearts and minds of young Zambians,
“We need to remind our gifted youths that it is necessary to dream and yes dreams do come true. Our young people have been forced to abandon their biggest dreams just to fit in our mediocre status. They have been told you can't pursue certain studies because there are no opportunities for that in Zambia. This election is about reassuring them that this country is ready for their greatness. Their dreams are valid and must come true. This election is about promising our young people that they can start businesses in Zambia and succeed even without becoming political cadres,” he explains.
The musician also talks about the importance of restoring back the power to the city councils around the country and confronting corruption with the power of the vote.
“Whoever you decide to vote for in this election, remember the country must come first. Do not compare Zambia to another country, compare it to its former self. Look at where we are coming from and where we are now,” Pilato writes.
“Whoever is your preferred candidate or political party, remember, the problems we face today are non-partisan. They are problems that affect us all and those coming after us. The unemployment crisis affects us all. If your vote was a statement, what is it saying?
If your voice was the only thing we needed to build this country better.... where will you place it?” he concludes.