Thursday, March 28, 2024

Levy’s Views on African Union Govt

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President Mwanawasa has said time for the African Union government or the
United States of Africa being advocated by some African leaders has not come.

Dr . Mwanawasa, who is also Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Chairperson, noted that countries in the region are not against the idea of the Union government
but that the time has not come for such a government on the African continent.

Dr. Mwanawasa said there is need to strenghthen regional community organisations like SADC before thinking of the United States of Africa concept, which is a version of the possible future unification of Africa as a national and sovereign federal of states similar to that of the United States of America.

“When these organisations have been strengthened and our people sensitised and willingly accept the concept and only when we feel we are ready can we have that idea, but for now we are afraid we are not going to accept it.” he emphasised.

Dr. Mwanawasa said this in Antananarivo when he held a joint press briefing with his Madagascar counter part President Marc Ravalomanana today.

The idea of the United States Africa concept was recently advanced by Libyan President Muammar al-Qaddafi at a 2000 AU summit in Lome, Togo and in June 2007. It was further advanced by outgoing Africa Union Commisson chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare on the occassion of the commemoration of the Africa Day in May 2006.

President Mwanawasa pointed out that some of the countries like Zambia would require the amendment of the constitution as the issue of Africa Union Government is not enshrined in the country’s constitution saying if one was going to introduce such an item with such
an idea they will need to seek views from the people in Zambia or Madagascar.

” Let us not be rational, there is no need to confuse the people on something that needs serious consideration and consultation. We are doing everything possible to protect the interests of Africa and our individual countries,” said President Mwanawasa.

He explained that Zambia has nine provinces and that in most cases the country is unable to agree on which province to produce a President and wondered which nation out of the 53
countries in Africa would produce a President for the United States of Africa concept.
“I also wonder from which countries out of the 53 nations on the continent will produce the
15 ministers outlined in the concept,” he said.

Dr. Mwanawasa noted that the issue of United States of Africa has received a lot of public debate, positive and negative.

37 COMMENTS

  1. Ba Pulezidenti osanama anthu. We dont quarrel over which province will produce a President in Zambia. Stop being negative As a leader you need to tell us how to go forward not how many obstacles we have in our path! And what are you doing to ‘sensitise’ your people on the United states of Africa? Nothing so how can you say the time is not right when you have never even tried. The truth is the time will never be right. You cant wait for time. Its up to the people themselves (that includes the pulezident) especially their leaders to bring about what they want.

  2. The President should step down immediately. He falls short of the leadership requirements needed to move Africa forward in the 21st century. What Mbita wrote in his article made much more sense than what our Prez is alleged to have said here. With his kind of thinking, he is better off at Teka farms than running a country or state within Africa.

  3. Hi Zambia,

    The issue of USA, United States of Africa cannot pass without mention. I happened to attend a youth AU meeting in Libya called for by the Libyan Leader and the experience was quite revealing.

    Intergration is a welcome intent but the question is; are we ready? My take is that we are not just ready but its IMPOSIBLE!

    THE ONLY THING FEASIBLE IS STRONGER ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INTERGRATION.

    Africa is still politically immature and fragmented to run as one state. Leaders are too selfish and cultures are too varied making any intention of an african state illusive.

    Take our conference for instance, it was marred by power struggles and steep difference amoing us youths…

  4. Cont’d…

    The Arabs were claping as a way of voting where as we from the South prefered to do hand votes. So already that decribes a big problem. Our friends from teh north seemed to be so full of themselves and wanted to dominate the whole of africa.

    We also saw the OIl/Diamond/Rich countries using the ‘money factor’.

    The other scary thing was just how obsessed Gadafi is with this whole USA ideology. When I was in Libya, my concious kept on tommenting me- his graving and devotion as expressed through billlboards and literiture gives one an impression that he wants to rule the whole of Africa. Its all scary!

    HOWEVER, one thing I noticed the strength in regional cohesion….

  5. Cont’d

    STRONG REGIONAL TIES…

    Africa was divided into its clusters, the Arabs, teh West africans and the east and Southern Africans.

    What does this tell you?

    The closest level of Unity is best feasible in accordance with regional groupings.

    Why?

    The reasons are historical! Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola are but

  6. Con’d

    COLONIAL BOUNDERIES/LINES… Thats all! Europeans divided us but in essence we are but one. Notice that cultures and labguages are similer if not the same. This notorious truth need not be over emphasized!

    SO WE NEED TO DIRECT OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS STRENGTHERNING REGIONAL GROUPING SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY AND DEPENDING ON HOW WE PERFORM; WE CAN THEN BEGIN TO CONSIDER POLITICAL UNISON!

  7. Guys, Mwanawasa is right. You don’t have to look further than Zambia to realize that an African is not ready to think beyond tribal loyalties. This has suited our politicians. When they lose control, they call on tribal loyalties to shore up their own positions. Even LPM does. There is no need to blame colonialists. Zambia has been ‘free’ for over 42 years but the same mentality still prevails.

  8. TRIBES, TRIBES, TRIBES…

    THIS IS A VERY UNFORTUNATE AND GRIM TRUTH AND I HATE TO BRING IT UP: ZAMBIA VOTES ON TRIBAL LINES!

    THE LAST TWO ELECTIONS ARE A CLEAR-CUT INDICATION. SUPER KEN MANGED TO DIFFUSE THIS NONSENSICAL TRIBE FACTOR. BUT THE ISSUE HAS SURFACED OVER THE LAST 11 YRS OR SO.

    THE CAUSE ALL LAYS IN LEADERSHIP! WE HAVE BEEN RECKLESS IN OUR CHOICE OF LEADERS. SOME LEADERS IN BOTH THE OPPOSITION AND GOVERNMENT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SATANIC ‘TRIBAL’ BUZZ.

    THESE PETTY AND RECKLESS HAVE THROUGH WORD AND DEED PROPELLED TRIBALISM…

    WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND IT STARTS WITH YOU AND ME! DEAR ZAMBIA, IT DOESN’T MATTER WEATHER YOU ARE TONGA, BEMBA, LOZI, CHEWA..

  9. CONT’D

    LUVALE, WHATEVER! ITS ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE ABLE TO DO! IF YOU CAN DELIVER FOR ZAMBIA, THEN WHY NOT!

    ONE ZAMBIA, ONE NATION!

  10. I agree with Levy Mwanawasa. Africa is very far from being ready for integration. You do not integrate for the sake of integrating, just as you do not unite with someone in marriage with whom you are incompatible. Africa has a lot to learn from the USA and other federal states. Some leaders calling for integration have ulterior motives!

  11. Gaddafi and united Africa are all useless..let them go to hell!!Mwanawasa is very right…Africa has alot of unresolved internal conflicts that ought to be solved….and our economies are at very different levels….it’s absolutely fake and useless for Col.Muammar G…to threaten to pull out of Africa…ad anyway,who cares? coz we haven’t benefited from their oil!!

  12. You goon I haven’t grasped any sensible truth in what you have yapped, including LPM. I still support sentiments by Mbita.

  13. #12 uli ciyanga kapati wamvwa.Nguni wakwambila ategwa Chitala represnts Zambia?you can support Mbita’s sentiments that we don’t all agree to.the chap lost his job and he’s gonna be back on the street like a ngw’angw’azi becoz of you shallow thinnking Zambians.United states of Africa is a non-stareter my dear.we have a very long way to go…look at how AU failed in Kenya and even in Zimbabwe!think broadly and be smart…

  14. #13 I told you last time and may I repeat for your sake; everymorning when you wake up learn to shit and wash your ass then you can think like us grown ups. Spare that rubbish language for your children.

  15. (imputi isula) boi ur comments r shallow,r so full of shit jst hs ur ka name.gve constractive comments than evry day insultin n sayn all the shit ur small mind can gve.get a life,ata iwe.

  16. duece

    i fully support president mwanawasa’s statement of taking full consideration of one african government, in my views afica has alot of tribes and i for one being a citizen of zambia fully disagree of this notion,really it may have a positive impact once africa is unified ,but the risks out weigh the positives.
    again a a Zambian i don’t like the idea,my country is a peaceful nation that does not need confusion based on one man’s idea and gain.

    peace be with my coubtry Zambia..and we like our president intelligent mind and stance on this issue.

  17. I think the President is tribal and he has also surrounded himself with fellow tribalists. These are the people who can not agree on who among them should be the next President. The statement regarding the provinces issues is very generalised and in my opinion wrong message to send out to the people of Zambia and Africa. Regarding the U.S. of Africa, I don’t see anything wrong with Gaddaffi or anyone becoming President. It is not a matter of which country heads the USA. Rather, we should put laws and agreements in place to avoid dictatorships and other negatives vices. There after it won’t matter who is the president because the laws will be there for checks and balances. Africa must unite!

  18. When I was in Egypt with a colleague we were welcomed as “our friends from Africa”, because they do not consider themselves Africans; when I recently met a Ghanaian, he asked me if Zambia was an English-speaking country, when I know so much about Kwame Nkrumah and all; and then there is the loathe we have for Nigerians. Yes, I said it! And you want to talk about unity? Dream on Mbita Chitala and your fellow Gadaffists.

  19. I perfectly agree with his excellence the president Levy Patrick Mwanawasa SC. The motive of the United States of Africa is okay but there should proper established political sytems that should be well planned otherwise the concept may bring more harm than good by culminating into unnecessary conflicts. This is especially true that in Africa, we are not good when it comes to who should hold political power and those who are given this mandate end up abusing it. My earnest view is that North Africa wants to dominate the control of Africa and if we are not careful we may land ourselves in the shackles of colonialism again. After all most if not all of these North African countries do not

  20. Continued: even consider themselves to be part of Africa. Imagine, Egypt has a ministry called Ministry of African Affairs. What does this entail? It absolutely shows that these people deem themselves not to be part of our beloved continent. I may be too presumptious here but I can’t help it to opine that those North African countries perpetuating and advocating for this cause have nothing else but to satisfy their selfish interests and ambitions through the expansion of their political and economic power.

  21. 19 – 21

    Your fears are unfounded. If we unite, the black Africans will be the majority and we will be in control of most affairs. The reason most africans don’t know each other is because they have kept most of their recent histories fighting. All the know is individual struggle. While we in Zambia have been enjoying peace and knowledge expansion of our fellow Africans, most other africans were busy fighting each other. You just have to understand them. Like it is said, there is safety in numbers. If we unite we will have a bigger and better voice on world affairs but if we remain divided then we are doomed for continued slavery to other races.

  22. The reason arabs don’t want to be called Africans is because the black Africans are viewed as ignorant, petty, backward. Most African people are poor, wars all over the continent, tribalism, underdevelopment. Nobody wants to be associated with negativity. Yet most people outside Africa know the potential power that Africa holds and it scares most of them. In fact our disunity is benefiting others because they can come to Africa and manipulate and steal all the want and nothing happens to them. While we africans suffer, to others esp. the west, Africa is a land of opportunities. We need to get our act together and everyone will want to be associated with us, with Africa.

  23. Viva president Mwanawasa. Qaddafi’s usa government will not work in Africa. Let us strengthen SADC and not bring me untold miseries on zed and SADC with rivalries from the North, West, and horn of Africa. qaddaffis just want to recolonize Africa.

  24. UNITED AFRICA?????? People lets be real.
    If I asked all of us to list the number of relatives we know within our own families from grand parent generation to niece/nephew generation, very few if any would do it.
    The point is we are not united even as extended families so how are we going to unite a continent when a simple village in Mumbwa cant unit???
    I have been to Libya, even Libyans are not united, Egyptians are not “Africans”, Sudanese want to be Arabs, LEVY IS RIGHT, CHITALA STOP DREAMING, IF GADDAFI PAID U TO DO THE ARTICLE, THAT WAS YOUR CORRUPT PENSION, eat it quietly before the law visits you. BRAVO PRESIDO LEVY.

  25. Ladies and Gentlemen,i was expressing my opinoin not the GOVT position on this matter.Being a Diplomat does not exempt me from expressing my personal opinion.Even if i was fired i will still stick to my principles and chat a way forward.My firing was actually determined a long time ago.

  26. Lets learn to argue constructively on this issue than bringing insults.Where is this animosity coming from fellow Zambians?

  27. The best way forward is to let a few countries take a lead and unite. Somebody may have to refresh my memory, but I believe even in the United States of America some states joined later. Late a few countries whose cultural gulfs are not so wide unite and give us exhibit # 1. I do not think the idea is bad. To dismiss categorically is irresponsible.

  28. Zambia will not develop simply by people specializing in insulting our leaders,it is very embarrasing to find that every one just thrives on insults.Levy is right and deserves to be commended.Whether you like it or not even in zambia we have certain tribes who feel superior to others,that has been a major source of anarchy in Africa,Kenya,Darfur(Sudan),RSA,Rwanda,burundi,Eritrea etc
    Mbita knows why he as a diplomat would chose to take a different view from that of his govt,Oil talks.Remember that Oil has equally brought alot of instability in Oil rich countries so Mbita don’t sell us please,lua kupa.

  29. Thanks Nos 29 and 30 for your contributions and this is what we should be doing as Zambians than those others who are just insulting in the name of freedom of expression. That is not right.

  30. I would like to know which tribes in Zambia think they are more superior than others and what these same ‘superior’ tribes have done for Zambia because to me I see poverty everywhere, unemployment and underdevelopment is countrywide. I personally think tribalism is high among the older generation than the young ones not just in Zambia but across the continent. That’s why we need to stop voting for old people because they are the ones holding back Africa’s full potential. I don’t agree with Prez Mwanawasa’s views on the unity part. Unity can work and it can happen but only if you believe it can.

  31. i dont care what anyone says or thinks i’m 100% behind my president LPM, zambia has always been a pioneer in african politics and the ishu of latter days was indepedence from white rule, then came multi-party democracy and now africa “the enlargement of scale” the Doc is only opening our eyes and making us think ………. some of u can swear @ each other for all i care 20 to 25 years down the line i will be proud to tell my children that one of zambias greatest leaders was a great influence on AFRICAN UNITY …….’washala weka’.

  32. am very disappointed to read mr mwanawasas views on the united states of africa. viva mbita. mwanawasa was among the leaders mbita described in the negative sense in his article thats why he why he was fired. mr mwanawasa is not a pan africanist. teh man cant even unite zambia!shame on mwanawasa

  33. reference 35 You are in zed enjoy peace and you think you are suffering dear when you hear tribe figthing it is not throwing stone at UNZA great east road peaple die in numbers so before you open your mouth travel and see for yourself and then you yes say yes arabs and non arabs can stay togather.

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