. Mpombo
Title: An audacious Journey
Author: George Mpombo
Pages: 191
Printer: Mission Press
GEORGE Mpombo’s memoirs titled “An Audacious Journey” reveals a brave, candid and adventurous man who can be said to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He describes his father, Wello Kalasa Mpombo, who hailed from senior chief Mabumba of Luapula Province, as a very enterprising and shrewd businessman who made a huge fortune in trading and butchery business.
His father, with support from mother Sophia Milambo Kapaipi was a strategic business planner, who pounced on opportunities wherever they emerged and was never challenged by real or imagined obstacles.
Business opportunities led his father to settle in senior chief Chiwala area in Ndola rural on the Copperbelt, his last born sister Elizabeth married senior chief Chiwala Majariwa Mbaluku.
Until you read Mpombo’s autobiography, one would be wrong to perceive him as a political joker, he borrowed traits of resilience from his father.
From his early stages in school at Chiwala primary, Mpombo was among the top achievers who jostled for a top position and tamed arithmetic subject, ‘a cup of tea.’
He narrates how he was made to welcome then President Kenneth Kaunda on behalf of the students when he (Kaunda) visited Ndola rural in 1968.
It would be naïve for would-be readers to dread the author’s trade mark of big words as the book is written in lucid language that can be understood by average readers without a dictionary.
If familiar habits die hard, then Mpombo cannot do without his taste for rare words, hence you find therein, words like nincompoops, gusto, gem, epitome, garb, imbroglio, shenanigans, shellac, juxtapose, Gestapo, jejune and others.
The author known for his love for big words, even typographical errors would be mistaken to be some bombastic words.
Enter Chiwala secondary school in 1969 where late President Levy Mwanawasa was at the time school head boy, Mpombo could not fold his arms as bullying continued to go unabated.
He walked into the school head’s office to report a dehumanising incident of bullying he witnessed the previous day.
His interest for English language was born and nurtured from Chiwala secondary school where he read books like ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe and Kongi’s Harvest by Wole Sonyika.
An Audacious Journey is written in way that Mpombo quotes the Bible and some philosophers in order to relate to his real life situation.
One quote from Napoleon Hill says “There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definitions of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire.”
He also quotes the Bible in the book of Habakkuk 2 vs 2; “Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run who reads it,” as a way to set his goals in life, among them, to become a politician, author and farmer.
In this book, he outlines his work experience to the point of his introduction into mainstream politics contesting the Bwana Mkubwa parliamentary elections losing to Juma Eno Banda in 1978, he, however, made it 10 years later.
It was at Parliament where he met notable men and women that dominated the Zambian political scene.
He explains several encounters with late President Michael Sata.
The author is no stranger to what he termed political harassment as he outlines how he got acquitted of charges connected to United National Independence Party (UNIP), he was also arrested in 1993 for alleged maize theft, the Times of Zambia carrying headline story as “UNIP COUNCILLOR ARRESTED”.
“The prosecutor left the court with his head bowed down, obviously with his heart bleeding and his mind suffered with regrets. It was a sad day for purveyors of hate, political cannibalism and acrimony.
Dr Julius Sakala, seasoned top flight lawyer made mincemeat out of the comatose performance of the prosecution,” reads a quoted on his acquittal.
His loss of three teeth was as a resulted of a confrontation between his then party United Party for National Development (UPND) and Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) in Eastern Province.
Though the book refers to Regina Mwanza as former First Lady, she never was, because she married former president Frederick Chiluba after he had left office.
Having been Minister of Energy at a time Zambia experienced fuel shortages, he tells a story of how then President Mwanawasa demoted him.
He, however bounced back as Defence Minister.
In this book, Mpombo reveals his standoff with former president Rupiah Banda, and explains how he was accused of hiding Mr Banda’s purported letter to act as President.
His description of Mr Banda is that of a highly opinionated, unforgiving and vindictive man.
He explains stories behind headlines like “Mponbo drowns in a pool, Mpombo survies lynching, Mpombo bounces K10,000,000, Mpombo’s loans turns sour” that ran in some print media.
When he could not take any more of then President Banda’s harassments, he resigned from the position of Defense minister.
One of the political fights he vigorously fought was against late president Michael Sata on behalf of President Mwanawasa, though the trio became friends later.
He also drew lessons from Nigeria where he served as Zambia’s Deputy High Commissioner, and in the course of his duty met the Osigwe brothers who were linked the Zambia, Nigeria oil deal saga.
At the time of the book’s publication, Mpombo had not been convicted, sentenced and later pardoned from jail.
Chapter 26 closes the book with his preview on Nigeria’s forth-coming 2015 general elections.
Upon reading this book, one gets inspired to reach higher heights, strengthened against harassment of all forms, learn new English words and get to know the author better.
