Thursday, March 28, 2024

Part 1 : Fred M’membe is wrong; President Hichilema is a Statesman!

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By Prince Bill M. Kaping’a Political/Social Analyst

Before his sentencing to life imprisonment at his 1964 Rivonia trial, Nelson Mandela said, “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

During the last decade of PF in power, our nation got polarized to alarming proportions! While consideration of individuals for important government positions was mainly reserved for those from certain tribes, any semblance of development we witnessed was lopsided – it largely went to certain regions at the expense of others! How on earth do you commence constructing 3 universities in one region at one goal?

Now that we have a Tonga-speaking individual in State House, it doesn’t mean that those of us who have been bitter opponents of subjugation of certain tribes by others should lose guard and allow the ugly head of tribalism to rear up its ugly head ever again! Just as Bemba tribalism is abhorrent, equally Tonga tribalism is disgusting!

However, we won’t allow the likes of Socialist party leader, Fred M’membe, to mislead the nation on this matter. If at all there’s any person who should be the last one to talk about tribalism, it’s Dr M’membe! During his helm at the defunct The Post Newspapers as Editor in Chief, the now self-proclaimed hardcore socialist never missed an opportunity to repeatedly bash UPND as “Bantustan,” a misnomer which made the general public actually believe indeed the party was tribal!

Featuring on Hot FM immediately after President Hakainde assembled his cabinet, M’membe observed that the president had endangered the unity of this country by tribal appointments. He further claimed that all the key ministries are from same the region. This is a wild and malicious accusation farthest from the truth! He continued to repeat the same allegations on Diamond TV the other night.

This article shall seek to demonstrate that Hakainde is a true statesman whose credentials are comparable to those of our forefathers. Despise him or not, the man has gone an extra mile to reunite what was once a divided nation.

In keeping with our much-touted “One Zambia, one nation” motto, first republican President Kenneth Kaunda always tried his best to balance his cabinet. This was the complexion of KK’s topmost cabinet ministers at independence: Vice President – Reuben Kamanga (Eastern); Finance – Arthur Wina (Western); Defence – Grey Zulu (Eastern); Home affairs – Aaron Milner(Minority); Foreign – Simon Kapwepwe (Northern); Legal affairs – Mainza Chona (Southern); Local Government & Housing – Sikota Wina (Western); Health – Kanoso (Luapula); Information – Peter Matoka (N/western); Commerce & Industry – Nalumino Mundia (Western). The secretary to the cabinet was, of course, Aaron Milner from the minority group.

You can see from the foregoing that KK’s cabinet represented a national character. And even if reshuffles would occur from time to time during his prolonged stay in office, KK would ensure every region was represented in government.

20 COMMENTS

  1. Trying to sanitize UPND tribalism is an effort in futility. Talk about Bembas and Easterners that lost their lives at the hands of UPND zealots in 2015 and 2016 in Southern province

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    • Did you read the article? Is it talking about political violence? In my reading, the article is clearly trying to address the issue of tribalism in appointments. So, it’s too incomplete to make any judgement.

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    • 1.1 No need to read articles by this man. He will praise everything Upnd no matter how bad it may be.

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    • Well the article tries to create an imaginary Bemba tribalism to fight against. The previous President wasnt a Bemba so why would Lungu promote Bemba tribalism? If you want to tackle tribalism just tackle it without creating what is called a strawman argment. i.e. one meant to justify tribal support for your party. I repeat Lungu wasnt a Bemba. The Ngoni, Chewa, Kunda Tumbuka, Nsenga people in Eastern province are as different or similar to the Bemba as the Tonga, Toka Ila or whatever. Why did UPND make it difficult for PF to appoint anyone from that party? So that they could arguse PF of tribalism.

  2. Of course the monkey who wrote this will support his fellow tribal monkey. As I said;

    Hh is like an attractive prostitute who is riddled with disease. During elections he promised the world and made himself appear attractive. Millions of gullible desperate aroused voters decided to sleep with him, and now they realise that they made a mistake but it is too late because they have riddled themselves already with the disease of poverty.

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  3. Let him be a Statesman, President, Double H7 and Father of the Nation. Pile everything on him and let Lungu just be ‘Former Eagle one’. Lungu was nice but he had no vision so he turned to pilfering!

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  4. The bitter bemba tribal supremacists, who……….

    Are of the mindset a tonga can never rule zambia are here on LT………….

    Membe is indeed a dirty tribalist who helped usher in the illiterate tribal bigot sata and the theives of PF………….

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  5. It’s tight like weave for the tribal theiving clique who had state capture on their hands…………….they can’t get their dirty hands on GRZ funds

    Ontop of that the theiving criminals who the PF expected to bankroll them are under pressure…………….

    The mine in the game park the thives hoped would be the salvation of PF is stalled by public demand……….

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  6. Usually those that are quick to point at others as thieves they’re the criminals themselves. I have never heard of any Commission of Inquiry to investigate Northerners for the theft of 2,000,000 animals from TAZARA wagons. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong with evidence. I’ve never heard in any reports that Northerners beat people from other regions when their tribesmen lost elections. We know which region is guilty so what can they tell us?

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  7. Any person who ascends to the position of President of the Republic of Zambia is a Statesman…how they chose to utilize the honor that the nation bestows upon them is a totally different issue…for now this is our Statesman our President H.E HH and may the Lord grant him much wisdom as he discharges his duties…

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  8. The chief praise singer Prince, in full swing. We have eyes and can see how these appointments have been made. You can go ahead to do part 2, part 3, part 4, ….,P n, can assure you it won’t change the fact.

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  9. His Royal Highness messing the wood for the trees in Mmembe’s article!!! Prince, remember the criterion for the UPND presidency?

  10. His Royal Highness missing the wood for the trees in Mmembe’s article!!! Prince, remember the criterion for the UPND presidency?

  11. #2 Kaizar Zulu, just stop beating women- the era of PF is gone – you will soon be arrested for beating your wife and another woman in public places. Grow up and be man enough – moron.

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  12. Muna you are just a moonyellow for believing tabloid lies. I will beat your ugly wlfe up just to teach you a lesson

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