FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
24th MAY 2014
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
BY
HAKAINDE HICHILEMA
AFRICAN FREEDOM DAY 2014
On 15 April 1958, in Accra, Ghana, African leaders and political activists gathered at the first Conference of Independent African States. The Conference called for the founding of African Freedom Day, a day to “mark each year the onward progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolize the determination of the People of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation.” Five years later, specifically On 25 May 1963, leaders of thirty-two then independent African states met to form the Organization of African Unity (OAU). By then more than two-thirds of the continent had achieved independence, from imperial European states. This meeting changed the African freedom day date from 15 April to 25 May. The day was then declared African Liberation day. This is very significant in the sense that indeed Africans must be liberated in line with their own aspirations. The question is; has Africa achieved the aspirations of its founding leaders in this regard? Have the negative experiences we as a people went through under the york of colonialism been reversed?
Independence for African countries came at a great cost. Gallant men and women shed their blood for our independence. We saw in the initial stages of independence that we the African people enjoyed political freedom while we continued to grapple with economic freedom. Within a few years of independence, we saw the greed of the few leaders exceed the needs of the majority of the people. Political freedoms were quickly taken away. Ruling parties declared countries one party states. This period was characterised by an unprecedented levels of political oppression where the state machinery was used to silence any form of dissent, in many cases, brutally. Ruling parties soon blurred the line between the party and the government, creating a state of affairs where state resources became party resources firmly controlled by the ruling class. Political sycophancy became the order of the day. Zambia was no exception to this unfortunate dark era of political intolerance. Dissenting voices were brutally crashed. The nation was put under a perpetual state of emergency which was used with swift ruthlessness. Zambians against all odds rose against the system and dismantled the one party system in 1990. We saw a serious attempt to reverse this gain during the failed ‘third term project’.
We are now seeing a very worrying trend in Zambia where opposition party political meetings are being disrupted by the highly compromised police formation. Opposition leaders are being dragged before courts of law on flimsy charges. Innocent Zambians gathering to accompany their political leaders are being overrun by vehicles, assassination attempts have become the order of the day. The list of the evidence that shows the reversal of political freedoms are too numerous for one message.
No serious attempt is being made in Africa generally and in Zambia particularly to give the people economic freedom. Life has been reduced to ‘dog eat dog’ to survive. The basic social services such as education, health, water and sanitation are all in free fall. If people cannot receive quality education, cannot access health care and do not have access to clean water and sanitation facilities, what sort of liberation are we talking about? If people cannot criticize the Government openly without fear of victimization, then what kind of liberation are we talking about? Africa has some of the longest serving Presidents, most of whom (if not all) have manipulated constitutions to perpetuate themselves in power. Africa has the indignity of having six of the of top ten world’s longest serving Presidents in the world. The longest serving President the world over, at 37 years and still counting, is from Africa. Such a record is not something to be proud about.
What do we promise as UPND? There can be no liberation if people are not economically liberated. We therefore promise economic liberation by enacting laws that will guarantee citizens participation in the economic activities of the country. We also promise the citizens free quality education. People have to be educated to make informed decisions including choosing the kind of leaders they want. We promise quality health care. We cannot have an educated people, who are economically liberated but not healthy. That will affect productivity negatively. We promise a Zambia that will be food secure. We cannot have a people that are in a good economy, educated, health but hungry. Most importantly, what I, Hakainde Hichilema personally promise to deliver, is freedom of expression and assembly through a people driven constitution. My personal commitment and that of our party UPND to a people driven Constitution is unequivocal. Zambia claims to be liberated from colonialism yet the public order act that was used by the colonialists is still in force. We seem to have changed the DJ but left the same music playing with some of it repeating ad infinitum. Countrymen and women, let us take this opportunity to take a hard look of where we are coming from and where we want to go. Where we want to go will then determine what kind of manpower we need to get us there.
Have a blessed day.
Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President
true, we have just been changing the DJ’s but still playing the old records of paul ngozi and lima jazz band. they are even over scratched they sound like a train approaching
There you go…. instead of just talking about Afrian Freedom, you take a step further to condernm your government, you are losing potential suppoters like me. Do not have this habit of attacking government napashilingile, just talk about African freedom, kipeto
Wea are with you HH. God bless us. Amen.
This is the kind of vision our country is desperate for. Servant leadership is what we ask of you Hakainde. Your emphasis on education to develop the human resource should be the basis for exploiting those other God given resources to get our people out of poverty. Investment partnerships between local and foreign should be a legal requirement so our country can be economically independent, you have the knowledge, skills and competence to help lead our country out of poverty. The fight for economic independence and personal freedom needs to start, please lead that fight
The above should form a social contract the people of Zambian should demand to be signed by President HH so that he does not renegade on those promises. A clause should be inserted to the effect that if HH renegades on his promises he should be impeached. I say this because all our past leaders without exception have reneged on their personal and party promises. No more cheating to woo votes only to turn around and start making excuses and THREATS to those who demand what was promised. We are tired of being hoodwinked.
There you go…. instead of just talking about Afrian Freedom, you take a step further to condernm your government, you are losing potential suppoters like me. Do not have this habit of attacking government napashilingile, just talk about African freedom, kipeto
Experience is the best school, but fees are high! A reference to what happens in Africa and particularly Zambia, is hard lesson sir! And if you cannot take audit of what happens with your leaders and the amount of freedom you have to “cough”, one wonders how far you went in the hallways UNZA, CBU, Hone, NRDC or any such at Z? Your statement just reinforces HH’s call for quality education, I guess you real need it to understand the cry for mother Zambia!
Everything has to be about UPND. Hope the Zambians can how self obsessed HH is.
People may hate HH, but THE ALMIGHTY GOD has blessed HH.
Peace and Love be upon HH and all Peace Loving Zambians all over the world.
We love You HH!
“We are now seeing a very worrying trend in Zambia where opposition party political meetings are being disrupted by the highly compromised police formation. Opposition leaders are being dragged before courts of law on flimsy charges.”
Indeed (HH) is a very dull under-5. You cant bring up such issues which are so irrelevant to the topic at hand.
Love everyone, not selectively to the one you want be president. They are all the same. Just like Sata is not liked by so many, HH is also disliked by so many, same fo Nawakwi, Chipimo, etc you name them. They will all never impress every body. We have seen it before, the mud at KK, FTJC, LPM, RBB, they all got bad and good. The only problem is where people disagree with everything the others do, that is a terrible stance when you also want to come and be liked by everyone including those you hate or despise. Its not easy. Here we go with Africa Freedom Day but with a pintch of salt looking at each other! Instead of fight those stealing our copper whilst we keep looking at them we are busy pushing and pulling each other and in the confusion they steal from us that copper. Pew!
Nice article with hope
HH Spot on. There is no reason whatsoever to pretend that all is well. We need the freedom of assembly and to feel free in our own land, we need economic freedom so that people are empowered to take care of their own. The state police should not be used harassing citizens. You do not send a battalion to arrest one man who has assaulted someone. If one assaults someone whether they have money or not arrest them but use proportional force not the whole barrack, arrest them in dignity. We need order in the country but it must start with the state. The next govt will need to retrain the police to remove the SATA cadrerism mentality from them.
Zambian we are not yet reached the stage of having freedom of expression because you don’t chose what to say and not to say . Given that freedom this country will be a lawless state. You always think that freedom of expression is to say whatever comes in your mind you don’t think of the out come of your words and the impact it can bring. Just this little freedom we have we have gone world selling our country to westerner in view of gaining political power forgetting that when you are given that chance of being leader you will fail to bring back the country’s dignity.
@kuntakinte speak for yourself. You kuntakinte is not ready.
this chap is indeed a very dull Under 5 boy. why do you have to include a UPND campaign in the message? you’re wasting the public’s time (HH)
i have enjoyed this artcle which is a well written massage to all zambians on this occasion of african freedom day how free are we if we pretend to be free and yet we are dictated to hate each other good education freedom of association good health and all the like will be the good meaning of this occasion we love you hh god bless our zambia
Zambian we are not yet reached the stage of having freedom of expression because you don’t chose what to say and not to say . Given that freedom this country will be a lawless state. You always think that freedom of expression is to say whatever comes in your mind you don’t think of the out come of your words and the impact it can bring. Just this little freedom we have we have gone world selling our country to westerner in view of gaining political power forgetting that when you are given that chance of being leader you will fail to bring back the country’s dignity.
Quite refreshing presidential speech. So inspiring and so educative that HH consistency in his quest for freedom for all is indeed leadership quality that Zambia is craving for. Zambians need not waste time who should be the next head of state as HH ranks well compared with others who can hardly be heard what they stand for.
HH suits for presindence
Kwena mwebantu Underfive can really dream in his vanity and pomposity. What does this boy take himself for kanshi? He gets rejects in form of Maybin Chisanga and Mpundu, gets them into the management committee and thinks he can win! He gets the first sitting deputy speaker to have lost an election in the history of Zambia, Nalumango, who lost a simple parliamentary election and gets her to be national chairperson and thinks he can win elections! This boy is a dreamer. He mistakes ethnic commitment from Southern, parts of Western and North Western Province and mistakes it for national popularity. He thinks this will be enought to close the huge over 700,000 votes Sata had over him in 2011. He had 18% to Sata’s 43% and thinks closing that gap is child’s play. He and his followers are blind
Hahaha I agree. This boys insatiable appetite for presidency rather than serving the people is what has ruled him out of the presidential and political race to become a shell that he is. He clearly lacks political tact and is miles away from the cunnines that helped Sata draw masses acroo the country to himself. kulibe chabe namuntu wamene amaoneka okalipa ntawi zonse (looking angry all the time). Full of bitterness, anger and jealous this small little tribalist. You shall never get into State House, never even closer to the smell of it. You will rot with that shell of yours called UPND and your fellow Underfive
Great Speach. HH can be the next president, UPND need to work on some logistics to increase votes in the 2016 election and broaden their outreach. Currently HH stands at 40% to 50% in winning the elections with Southern , parts of Western and North Western comfortably under UPND. Lusaka, Copperbelt and Central Provinces may lean towards UPND depending on what will prevail few months before the elections so more work and voter registration need to take place in these provinces. Eastern province will require a lot of work as it seems to be the last province to make decisions during a political turn around.
contd As for Northern, Luapula and Muchinga Provinces UPND needs to change it’s strategy by having 2 Vice President positions to destroy the media propaganda of tribalism by giving one of the positions to an influential politician from that region e.g Bwalya of ABZ etc. Voter Registration and a lot of work is needed in that region. If the above steps can be undertaken it will boost the percentages to 50% to 60% of HH being the next leader.
Dr Nevers Mumba also has a chance of being the next President by 40% to 50%. A lot of work and voter registration is needed by the New MMD especially to convince Zambians that MMD has reformed including the internal conflicts need to be managed and resolved successfully. Eastern Province, Central Province, Western, North Western is comfortably under MMD and a lot of work and voter registration needs to take place. Parts of Northern, Muchinga and Luapula province is comfortably under MMD and a lot of work and voter registration needs to take place.
Lusaka, Copperbelt and Central Provinces may lean towards MMD depending on what will prevail few months before the elections so more work and voter registration need to take place in these provinces. A lot of work and voter registration needs to be done in Southern Province maybe with the possibility of a Vice President from that region. Dr Mumba needs to also enroll in an Economics degree to add to his Masters Degree in Public Policy.
Zambia has learnt the hard way and to bring the country back to it’s Economic standing and even perform even better than the past the country needs a President who not only relies on Technocrat but has also some subject matter expertise in Economics and can debate intellectually with them and also guide the technocrats where there are gaps. If the above steps can be undertaken it will boost the percentages to 50% to 60% of Dr Mumba being the next leader. Every vote counts and every voter segmentation needs to be won.
U are right but pf will not allow them to hold indoor strategic meetings in either province because they no that people are not happy,winter knows that suppressing the opposition will result in voter apathy and its the only sure way for pf to hold on in 2016.
@Analytics are you dreaming or truly about about the same MMD which has lost since 2011 the Luangwa, Katuba, Solwezi East, Kapiri Mposhi, Mpongwe, Katuba, Chongwe, Mkushi South, Chama South, Livingstone, Mufumbwe, Kafulafuta and came third (losing even to FDD in an area like Mansa-central in Luapula province where you say they have a presence). Are you aware that MMD only has one seat out of 14 in Luapuala and the only real stronghold they have remained with is Eastern Province. And how about the other problems they are facing with other MPs like Kaingu, Chituwo, Siliya, Simbao and others. Which presence does MMD have in Northern when they only have 3 MPs out of 22?
@Analytics I thought it was estimated by UPND even in 2011 and 2006 that they would get some seats in Lusaka and Copperbelt, what happened? How will ou convince me now when your past estimations have proved way off the mark. It is a situation where were your leader is getting 1000 votes, Sata is getting 34000 votes in that same constituency. Quite embarrassing ai! Are your estimations on Lusaka, Copperbelt based on fact or just mere comments people put up on social sites. Have you followed parliamentary elections and local government elections recently, MMD is worth nothing, even UPND might beat them by being a distant second in 2016. Atleast while UPND have been grabbing seats from MMD, they have not gained any from PF. PF has also been grabbing from both UPND and MMD. These are facts
As for the smaller parties they need to concentrate on winning Parliament positions versus Presidential they can endorse HH or Dr Mumba for 2016.
Useless HH criticizing the whole of Africa! Who gave you the authority to do so you arrogant businessman? Unelected (and never to be elected) mandate-free garbage monger
Counting chicks before they hatch. Under5 behaving like he is head of state. Tekanya mune, elections are 2 yrs away and l hope you have a great heart to withstand fefeat yet again.