As Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), we completely agree with former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe’s sentiments that old retired leaders must vanish when their time to rule comes to an end and that they ought to have confidence in their people to be able to find new leaders to take over from them.
It is clear from Mr. Motlanthe’s statement that Zambia is now a major talking point and a laughing stock in the region and as we feared, former President Rupiah Banda may have tarnished the good reputation which he had built around the world as a rare African leader who handed over power peacefully after losing elections and went into retirement.
Zambia is surrounded by several countries such as Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa where old leaders have moved on and left younger leaders to smoothly take over from them. It is unfortunate and embarrassing that Zambia, which was the torch-bearer of independence in the region as Chairman of the Frontline States and helped liberate some of these countries after our own independence, can now have one of these countries counseling us on such fundamental issues.
With the 2015 Presidential By-election over, it is time for all of us to deeply analyze the influence and effect that the ‘RB factor’ played in this Presidential By-Election and what precedent it has set. The United Party for National Development (UPND) and MMD both got defeated in the election last week in large part because RB, a retired former Head of State, gave his full support to the Patriotic Front (PF) and he willfully violated the Zambian Constitution by coming back to active politics as the chief unofficial campaign manager for Mr. Edgar Lungu and tipped the scale in his favour.
Mr. Banda’s vigorous campaigns and the cannibalization of MMD structures in the Eastern province helped give PF the required 27,000 votes for PF to win, in a province which until very recently had vowed to punish the ‘Paya Farmer’ government harshly for its disastrous agricultural policies, largely seen as responsible for the collapse of the fortunes of previously very successful small-scale farmers.
Without RB’s interference in this election, a completely different picture would have emerged and a totally different person would have been receiving the instruments of power on Sunday 25th January, 2015 as Zambia’s Sixth Republican President. Some senior PF members have attested to this fact.
Our appeal to RB to desist from using MMD structures in Eastern Province and other parts of the country fell on deaf ears as the anti-Nevers MPs and NEC members led by RB visited the length and breadth of the country, telling voters that MMD was not participating in the election. They defiantly continued putting up RB’s posters, even after the Supreme Court ruling, and were openly asking the voters to forgive the PF and that he, RB, was their ‘messiah’ who would be special adviser to Mr. Lungu in running the country and would put agriculture back on the rails if they voted for him.
RB followed Edgar to almost all parts of the country in this campaigns and the slogan by PF cadres was ‘MMD nomba ni Pamaka’ meaning the MMD was now on the PF symbol, deliberately creating confusion in the minds of the electorate. RB unashamedly flashed the MMD ‘Hour’ symbol on one hand and the PF ‘Pa maka’ fist on the other. Other MMD members deliberately wore MMD and PF campaign regalia together to maliciously destroy MMD’s chances in the election.
Unfortunately for RB, Zambians and posterity will eventually judge him on the morality of his comeback into active politics and the betrayal of the MMD, the party that brought him out of retirement and gave him a platform on which he eventually served as Republican president with all the perks that went with the job. The role he has played in this election is yet to be fully analyzed and it remains to be seen how the country’s fledgling and tender democracy will progress going forward in light of the constitutional clause which bars former presidents from active participation in politics.
It is very interesting that even the Law Association of Zambia has made no comment and the nation has had to be reminded by an outsider on just how negative the RB factor is. Even the usually vocal Civil Society has been mute and yet there was uproar when former President Frederick Chiluba joined the PF campaign trail to support Mr. Sata in 2006.
This matter is no longer about the Nevers and Rupiah but about the destiny of Zambia, especially considering that Mr. Banda has got active court cases against him in which he has been accused of corruption during the time he was president. There is a big temptation to either slow down the court cases or otherwise enter a nolle prosequi in favour of Mr. Banda by the Lungu administration.
If that happens, it will be a very sad and disappointing start to the Lungu presidency due to the awkward situation it puts him in and our hope is that he will distance himself from this matter, especially since he has taken the Oath of Office to defend the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia without ‘fear or favour.’
We hope that Mr. Lungu as a lawyer will follow the legacy of former late President Levy Mwanawasa in which the country was ruled not according to ‘laws of men’ but according to the law of the land. As a Legal Practitioner himself, we hope and trust that President Lungu will show leadership on this matter and guide the nation appropriately so that posterity does not judge him harshly.
We believe that his handling of this matter will set the tone of how he intends to govern the country in the defence of the Constitution and the rule of Law which are the cornerstones of governance in a democratic dispensation such as the one we espouse to in Zambia.
By Mwansa Mbulakulima,
Acting MMD National Secretary
Iwe Mbulimakulima just get lost with your vanqished MMM. *****.
spot on Mbulakulima,you are right RB is a foolish baboon s***imbecile ,
imbwa no wonder cilangisha ama **** kaice akeshikulu as ka wife.
The man is selfish ,lets see ka lungu ostrich how he will do his corrupt cases.
what has happened to the retirement packages they said will withdraw PF balenya fye amafi .
I await to join Miles party for 2016
Why don’t you read what he is saying, you might think otherwise.
RB is summary, has become a modicum of ridicule and it is still a mystery why he trued to unseat Mumba let alone and arguably has influenced the destiny of the party that eventually won this election
WHat he is saying is, it is actually not far fetched that if RB decided to support HH, HH would have won these elections clearly certainly done better in Eastern Province.
Inspite of all that influence he seem to have, it is difficult to not think that RB actually did this for himself and NOT for the benefit of Zambians or PF.
A selfish and silly man who has lost respect and thinks only of himself.
I hope Lungu does not influence the judiciary in the cases of RB
Thanks
Bb2014
There isn’t enough room in Lungus Government for both the RB factor and the job seekers under Satas PF , declared as useless Ministers by the late President Sata. For some of them like Frank Bwalya , Miles Sampa, Nkandu Luo , Emanuel Mwamba etc. Their song Kolopa Kolopa kolopa @kolopa.com is now extended to Kolopa kolopa kolopa paka waikolopa we mwine
The point is that you are useless and cannot connect with voters because of natural distance from real clear politics of issues and reality. How do you as a former ruling party actively in the campaign get 15,000 votes in a national election in a country of 14 million citizens even if voter turnout was just 1.5 million? Do you really have moral right to remain leaders?
If RB was a perverted political machinist in the campaign, why didn’t you take advantage of winning those 27,000 voters you believe he helped convert for EL? Time to immediately acknowledge that even Kadansa was more popular and connecting with Zambians than you folks.
@Mwansa Mbulakulima
People say have opinions on everything and this President Kgalema Motlanthe did just that. But we all dont have to agree with peoples opinions. And if the Law does not hinder someone from standing, then it is ones prerogative.
Supporting Lungu on an understanding that the two party can work together for the betterment of the people of Zambia can and should never be criticised by any objective person.
RB was clear that his endorsement for PF and Lungu was purely on the basis that Lungu agreed to work with MMD as a party and not poach individuals as suggested and done by UPND.
How can anyone condemn this? Those that have objectively understood RB’s motives will appreciate his statesmanship even more. The greedy ones wont because it has been a hinderance to them.
RB belongs kumawah, a lost cause mambala ujah!
RB is doing and following the Munkombwe formula, politics of the belly! They called him “Nyama Soya” for massing.
This mbulakulima chap also, instead of quoting fellow opositon members in zambia like HH, Chipimo or Edith, he goes to RSA. RSA has racism and xonophobia, zambia has tribalism and poverty! Get a life
Mwansa has always been a darling of many of us in MMD but on this one he has not thought long and hard. RB exercised his democratic right to support ECL and there is nothing wrong with that. The clause contained in the Retired Presidents Benefits Bill is another poor piece of legislature just like the Parental Clause in the Constitution that was crafted in to bar a man who now everyone wants to have a platform with that great man KK. Chiluba so feared the mans shadow he used everything in his means including imprisonment to break the spirit of someone who wanted to exercise his right to run for office…the rest is history. So bwana Mbulakulima you are a law maker go back to National Assembly and move amendments to the law..do the right thing!
Mumba’s MMD ought to have seen that coming. You do have some homework to do. Please set your house in order. See you in 2016.
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
Jimmy Carter
Bill Clinton
Margaret Thatcher
Jim Callaghan
John Major
Edward Heath
Tony Blair
Kenneth Kaunda
All these NEVER disappeared after leaving office.
Bill Clinton actively campaigned for Obama.
Why should it be RB?
Debate whether RB WAS right or wrong to support Lungu, but not whether he should ‘REST’ or not. Rest or not is HIS DECISION to make.
With this calibre of politicians in MMD, IT WILL SINK.
Real Man just accept what Mbulikulma has said if you are a real man. What he is saying should concern every forward thinking Zambian regardless of party allegiance. We want a Zambia that is progressive. What RB has done has taken us years back and we will feel the full effect as Zambians in more ways than one. It is a negative precedence he has set and sadly it has been condoned for different reasons. RB must be the laughing stock. RB has ulterior motives for supporting PF and the main one is not to kill off MMD. It is with the hope that his cases will be thrown out or slowed down. Had Edgar Lungu told RB, “even if you campaign for PF you are still going to court.” Mbulikulma wouldn’t have written the article.
Please leave the old man to rest. How about KK. He started this when he chased that guy who had replaced him. He then became a staunch MMD. The last 2 years he called opposition leaders opposed to Sata “barking dogs”. So the shame here in zed starts even before Kiluba.
I actually agree with the article.
Thanks
BB2014
There is sense in the article. I have always questioned RB’s integrity. Maybe he is now coming back to his senses.
Mwansa Mbulakulima, Yours is a very flawed and unschooled opinion after failing to meaningfully connect with the masses for a winning vote. Your opinion does not show good understanding of democracy and political history. You definitely need to sign up for a boot camp class in comparative politics 101. To start with, the former South African Vice President and transitional leader Kgalema Motlanthe as do his country of SA, still got a lot to learn from our burgeoning democracy. I invite you to learn from the US democracy where former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter remain active opinion leaders in their Country Presidential politics. Their endorsements and campaigning are the most sought after. It’s unpatriotic for to forfeit constitutional and democratic duty leaders have.
By endorsing, supporting and campaigning for a best candidate of his choice, President Banda demonstrated his best democratic and constitutional right in line with his best national interest. Responsible leaders would not opt to remain resigned from contributing to the democractic process when the nation is at a cross road. They are at liberty to play a role of interventionists if need be. Just yesterday i was watching former Republican Administration SS Henry Kissinger who served in the Ford and Nixon regimes campaigning for the republican foreign policy. Bill Clinton is already mobilizing campaign finance for the democrats ready to endorse and campaign
Generally speaking, most of the endorsements we witnessed during the campaigns were not for the interest of the majority Zambians but for self gain. RB did just that by attempting to run for presidency and later endorsing ECL, maybe hoping his cases would be closed or will be allowed to run his businesses without interference. Dora & others endorsed for self gain (to be offered jobs, contracts among others). I wish the endorsement can be based on merit & for the interest of majority of Zambians. One thing is comforting though, that when those privileged to lead cannot think of us but themselves & families, God does. It shall be well with us one day. Remember the parable of Lazarus & rich man.
Senior citizen, have either Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton ever endorsed a Republican candidate? Think before posting your nonsense.
Rupiah Banda is malicious and a villain, corrupt individual. I shudder that he is still enjoying tax payers’ money.
This foolish old man is actually a serial tribalist, nepotist and above all very corrupt. He has no shame at all
I tribalist an insult, whu have you put **********?
Tribalism is in his blood.
Now I see why Zambia is in a mess. Most of us support leaders blindly without seeing reason or having a clear understanding. Bill Clinton supported Obama because they belonged to the same camp.
RB’s endorsement and campaigning for PF is for selfish reasons but worry not countrymen, “Lesa ni malyotola,” if RB is right in supporting PF God will bless him but if he has done it for selfish reasons and unfairness he will not. There is “Karma.” “Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.” All these are one and the same thing.
Even a mad man will have his day of reckoning! Let us leave him with his tribalism and criminal records!
PEOPLE ARE STILL CRYING OVER SPILT MILK. GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON. YAPPING ABOUT IT DAILY WONT SOLVE ANYTHING. IF YOU ARE SO AGGRIEVED GO TO COURT. SIMPLES
Obviously you have a simple mind! It is not a question of crying over spilt milk. It is knowing right from wrong. Weren’t you taught by your parents? If citizens don’t discuss the wrongs and rights it shows acceptance.
Progress stems from discussions.
I completely agree with this article RB was a big factor in Lungu victory and He has set really a bad precedent which has polluted the Zambian politics! Hence the Statesmanship bestowed upon him by the international community has gone to the dogs!
The factor are we Zambians who traveled thousands of Kilometers to come and vote.
Run up to elections RB was not a factor even his own son Andrew Banda said this several times, please leave him alone to rest and relax, RB my thumb up for old man, nafuti nafuti 2016 teach Felix Mutati, GBM and Kachepa Mangani a good political lesson.
RB is zambian citizen and has the right to endorse whoever he wants in an election he is not contesting, mr mwansa do know that there are other people who endorsed HH who are sitting MPs from that party you are supposed to be the SG in? dont point out one TB alone, make a collective report on the factor of all disgrantled MMD members who actually supported other political parties, cause if they didnt HH wouldnt be claiming the vote was stolen as the 27000 margin would have been in hundreds of thousands. Fact is MMD made the race tight.
People like hh. He sarted politics as an under-5 . Since then he has been losing.
Let new blood flow in the party.
As long as hh is leader. membe will continue his onslaught on upnd until rainbow party takes position 2
U are right Membe wants to destroy UPND so that Rainbow party takes over
Nonsense! Analyse the results and see howHh has becoming a reckoning factor in Zambian politics. There is a huge difference in the number of votes when you compare to the 2011 elections. Keep on laughing and he will have the last laugh. At least he got votes in areas where he had never previously been voted for.
Before we nail RB what does UPND constituition say about term of office? is there any difference between HH and RB in failure to control their ego? its not about age or level of education but degree of selfishness in an individual
I totally agree with the writer of this article, I have respect for this man who assisted me handle a problem when he was copperbelt minister.He did that with so much maturity. I have no kind words for Dora and Rb. RB has no integrity and he is an ungrateful old man who has helped destroy MMD. Unfortunately for MMD they did not listen to the grassroot I was one of those that warned them thta Nervous was not a popular candidate ,in my opinion they should have settled for Mutati
The help you got from him was personal. Please look at national interests and not personal ones. What is wrong with us Zambians kanshi?
Kaluba, Mutati would have just sold MMD to PF.
The two main reasons MMD is where it is today is because of RB and Nevers. From the time he was president the party’s unpopularity was clear. Then Nevers Mumba came in as party president. He is not the right man. He cannot connect with the voter at the grassroots level. He will never unite the party. Then the return of RB as party President and the fights began. Exit RB to PF and that was the final nail in the coffin. RB is selfish.
Look, it is safe to say MMD is done. MMD MPs will be shared between PF and UPND depending on region. Nevers Mumba was not a grassroots member and was not fit to be president. The best candidate was Dr. Brian Chituwo, a level minded and well respected man of stature. A man who despite not standing for what Nevers did, did not endorse any opposition candidate, respecting the fact that he is a Member of Parliament. MMD is trully finished and I do not see Nevers Mumba getting more than 20,000 in the general election.
Rupiah Banda won Edgar Lungu this election. It is no secret. It is no secret too that he saved Zambia from obtaining a minority president in the name of HH.
Since when did any of your Kola -foundation inspired klux klan win an election with over 50% . Every tribe is a monitory in Zambia that’s why the alliance between EDGAR and Banda was necessary , otherwise the “tribal trumpeters ” in northern province would have lost , ” rig or no rig” that’s why you are afraid of 50+1 constitutional clause Because the majority of Zambians including those fromNorthern province who don’t benefit from National cake would vote for a credible leader like HH. Not an alcoholic time bomb about to expire. Mrs Lungu sold her husband to the masses. Even I non PF was impressed, that’s a supportive wife. He family forest need to go into foreign service and SATA family forest needs to come back home. Badyela kwasila
RB is the reason why LUNGU is in power, the article admits.
So ECL supporters should support RB.
Where were the cartel when RB was campaigning for Lungu. Where were the learned.
And now the cartel want to use the courts to embarrass RB and Test Lungu’s stance on RB.
The cartel used Guy Scott to limit Lungu’s campaign time buy prolonging the confusion in PF.
My advice to Lungu is that don’t listen to the cartel.
Wisdom is about knowing where you are coming as a guide to where you are going.
Just let RB free, after all RB cases were based on vengeance and hatred by the cartel. There is no case there. If you don’t do this, you will remain alone next year. Because both Banda and the cartel will run away. Since it is clear the cartel will not vote for you, you might…
Imwe ba mbulakulima, remember that it was your MMD that attempted to change the zambian constitution to allow Chiluba to go for a third term, until Zambians rejected it. Is that not perpertuating leaders to stay in power? Stop the hypocrisy!
Rupiah will soon be taken to prison just wait and see.
Look at wat the late mwanawasa did to chiluba, who ever steals from the people of Zambia deserves to be punished so is bwezani!
RB supported lungu out of frustration.
Kolopa kolopa Kolopa paka mwai Kolopa mwebene.
Ine nshaliko ” elo mwaletele BA banda. “Ni ziko lanyoko”
Nkandu luo kolopa’ed
Kambwili kolopa’ed
Musa mwenge kolopa’ed
Mulenga SAta kolopa’ed
Miles Sampa kolopa’ed
Frank Bwalya , Kolopa’ed
Nevers MUMBA Kolopa’ed
Yonse northern province kolopa’ed
Mchinga province kolopa’ed
Iwikete Broom ninani ? Rupiah Banda
“Without RB’s interference in this election, a completely different picture would have emerged and a totally different person would have been receiving the instruments of power on Sunday 25th January, 2015 as Zambia’s Sixth Republican President”.
From the above extract, it also follows that not everyone hates RB. At least not as much as the cartel does, otherwise RB’s effect would have resulted in a negative result, i.e. Lungu’s loss. The extract demonstrates that those in favor of the article would have loved to see President Lungu lose the election.
President Lungu, please be very careful with those against RB or those who want you to continue with the persecution of RB. Their aim is in the extract above. RB worked for it, he deserves freedom.
The cartel worked with Guy but…
OLD MEN ARE VERY DANGEROUS, THE SAME WAY RB *****24 YRS OLDS, THE SAME WAY HE BEHAVES….LISTEN TO THIS ( I am still shocked about old men)
Beacuse of my name,a Bemba man and PhD holder walks up to me and says, ‘kwena mwalibomba paka botolo, pantu inga twalichula saana aba Botonga’imagine that!!!!!!!…I told him I personally didnt vote for Vodka…I am sane, and looking for merit…he walks away sadly and said young people of today are not patriotic….I wasnt moved as he is too old and has not even recovered from colonial hang-over….However, the point is these are the people who are sowing a bad seed among young people.
RB can support whom ever he wants.
He chose Edgar so please get over it bane
Iwe mwansa mbulalikulima what lie is this? “the good reputation which he had built around the world as a rare African leader who handed over power peacefully after losing elections and went into retirement?”
The reputation RB left is: “Thief number one who got his family rich from Zambia’s hard earned public revenue”
@ Iwe, actually the help I got from the former minister was for the benefit of all Zambians.From then on foreigners stopped treating us like second class citizens at a certain location. I believe my government is there to protect my rights as a Zambian and I appreciate the way he handled my case.
Mbulakulima Nevers is your own obstacle. Period
I have a question for Nevers Mumba? Does he believe he will salvage MMD from the doldrums? How does he hope to do that when he came fourth in the last election, even below Nawakwi? Does he believe in one year’s time, he will manage to organize MMD to win the 2016 elections? Meanwhile his parliamentary representatives don’t think even highly of him? How does he hope to bring them to his side, if he is so busy threatening them with expulsions? Isn’t that the juvenile way of running a party? Most of his MPs may never return to MMD if he does not employ the right strategy. Mumba and HH messed up big time in this 2015 election. These two guys were selfish. Mumba or HH would have been vice presidents today if it wasn’t because of their myopic view of looking at things. Both HH and Nevers…
I lyk pf but hav neva been a fan of rb,i dont kno maybe its bkoz of his head