The United Party for National Development (UPND) has refuted claims of tension with the catholic church, dismissing them as mere propanganda by the embattled former ruling party PF.

UPND Consultant Mark Simuuwe addressing media at the Anderson Kambela house in Lusaka , described the ongoing narrative suggesting tension between the church and the ruling party UPND as an agenda the embattled PF are setting to dent the image of the ruling party and its President who has exposed their weaknesses in governing and managing the country’s resources.

“ Our Party has always maintained a respectful and cooperative relationship with the catholic church and we value the important role they play in our society.” said Mr Simuuwe.

Adding that it is crucial to not fall for false narratives and instead focus, on the facts and truth of the matter.
Mr Simuuwe said that, It is a known fact that the Patiotic Front during their time in government completely failed, to acknowledge and recognise the role played by the Catholic Church in the social and economic system of the governance.

“It is so shocking that those who previously disregarded the Catholic Church, marginalized the church’s voice and gave preference to alternative groups like “Christians for Lungu.” are now leading a propaganda claiming that there is tension between with the ruling party,”said Mr Simuuwe.

He noted that the opposition are spearheading the propaganda when, there has been no formal complaint from the Catholic Church or the ruling party regarding any conflicts between them.

“Yet, the PF persist in creating a false narrative of tension, which not only lacks sincerity but also disrespects the Catholic Church and undermines efforts to foster unity.” said Mr Simuuwe.

He said the ruling party has maintained a positive and constructive relationship with the Catholic Church since their time in opposition.

Mr Simuuwe said the UPND will not fall prey to divisive propaganda, but will continue to uphold the values, transparency, accountability, and mutual respect in all public discussions.

And condemned PF’s attempts to fabricate a conflict between the Catholic Church and the ruling party.
“As Zambians, we must remain vigilant against such divisive tactics and prioritize unity and cooperation for the betterment of our nation.”said Mr Simuuwe.

Adding that it is important to scrutinise the motives behind these accusations and acknowkedge, President Hichilema’s dedication and efforts to fostering a harmonious bond between the church, government and the people of Zambia in general.
Mr Simuuwe said the current situation of PF’s efforts to manufacture discord calls for alertness from the people of Zambia who need a peaceful environment.

“We echo President Hakainde’s call that unity and collaboration over divisive strategies is key to the advancement and prosperity of every nation.

Former diplomat, Muhabi Lungu says it’s extremely dangerous to lie to the nation that some regions like Southern Province were excluded in the governance of the nation in previous regimes.

“This is a very dangerous lie to suggest that a certain group was excluded in governance, in leadership or in parastatal companies for 26 years,” a daily tabloid quotes Lungu as saying.

To think that an individual with absolute cognitive abilities is able to churn-out such untruths is mind-numbing! If we set the record straight, President Hichilema wasn’t just talking about Southern province when he made those remarks; he was actually referring to the entire Zambezi provinces – Western, North western and Southern provinces! And the previous regimes he was definitely alluding to weren’t the United Nation Independence Party (UNIP) or Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), but the Patriotic Front (PF)!

Stop insulting or mocking our intelligence Mr. Lungu, Sir; evidence of how your colleagues in PF sidelined people from the said regions in government appointments abounds. In my upcoming book, One Zambia One Nation; how various presidents have navigated around the issue since independence, I seek to demonstrate to which extent the recent regime desecrated the sanctity of our motto, “One Zambia One Nation” by completely ignoring certain ethnic groupings in government appointments. For the purpose of this rebuttal though, we’ll restrict ourselves to the issue of nominated MPs right from the Kaunda days to date.

There are basically two reasons why our forefathers inserted provision of nominated MPs into our Republican Constitution:
(1) To give room to a President to ‘head-hunt’ individuals with exceptional abilities and capabilities outside parliament in the event of the same being absent in the August House. That’s how Ng’andu Magande, a man who would demonstrate to be arguably the best Finance Minister, found himself at Manda hill from the diaspora!

(2) In case a particular political party fails to secure parliamentary seats in certain parts of the country; for the sake of fostering inclusivity in line with our motto, “One Zambia One Nation” a President may create space for individuals from such regions to promote national unity. A perfect example was when President Levy Mwanawasa nominated ex-service man, Lupando Mwape as MP and subsequently appointed him as his vice president. Readers may be keen to learn that his party, MMD was rejected in the northern parts of the country.

May we set the tone by considering the example our founding President Kenneth Kaunda set for us. KK, as he was fondly referred to, always ensured that his appointments to public offices reflected the ethnic diversity of our country – Lundas, Tongas, Bembas, Chewas, Kaondes and Luvales always found space in his administration. He never abused this privilege by roping-in every Jim and Jack as long as they traced their roots with him back to Chinsali! For instance, he would bring on board the likes of Professor Lameck Goma, a prolific scholar and excellent researcher and also Frederick Chomba, a brilliant legal mind. Others who cut theb list of nominees between 1988-1991 include distinguished military officers such as Malimba Masheke and Benjamin Mibenge and illustrious sons of the soil such as Fwanga Mulikita, Alex Shapi and Lazarus Tembo, a differently abled person.

Following the 1991 revolutionary elections that ushered MMD into power, the party failed to secure any seats in Kumawa – Eastern province! As it were, the region had overwhelmingly voted for UNIP. Did Frederick Chiluba give them a cold-shoulder, henceforth? Of course, not! Of his 8 nominees, 4 were from Eastern province. The list somehow looked like this – William Harrington, Katele Kalumba, Kabunda Kayongo, Mwami Maunga, Godfrey Miyanda, Zilole Mumba and Hosea Soko.

As respected scholar and historian, Sishuwa Sishuwa, put it in his article, “Leadership matters; Remembering Mwanawasa,” the former lawyer turned politician didn’t only ensure that every tribe was catered for, but also went after the finest brains! When the northern provinces denied him parliamentary seats, he co-opted in Lupando Mwape and also brought in brilliant fellows such as Ng’andu Magande, Mundia Sikatana, George Kunda, Kalombo Mwansa, Patricia Mulasikwanda, Ben Kapita and Daniel Munkombwe – ignore his politics of benefits rhetoric!

At a time when some of us ‘suspected’ akulu mpuno, Rupiah Banda would disappoint us by reinforcing the “Umodzi Kumawa” syndrome by giving them jobs, he surprised many of us by casting the net wider! While still maintaining some of his predecessor’s nominees, his choice of candidates wasn’t disappointing. The following were his nominated MPs: Vernon Mwanga, Kalombo Mwansa, Situmbeko Musokotwane, Chileshe Kapwepwe, Boniface Kawimbe, Daniel Munkombwe and George Kunda.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! The Michael Sata led PF takes over power and everything goes haywire! Sata would literally throw caution and dignity to the wind by arrogantly or ignorantly neglecting to enhance national unity by exclusively nominating his Kith and Kin as MPs just as he would do with his cabinet! This was indeed a national scandal. Here was his choice of nominated MPs: Alexander Chikwanda, Panji Kaunda, Joseph Kasonde, Solomon Mbuzi, John Phiri, Robert Sichinga, Ngosa Simbyakula and Sebastian Zulu. Not a single representation from the Zambezi provinces! Nangula tapaswosa, sure?

After a barrage of criticism and scrutiny from some of us, Sata’s successor, Edgar Lungu would break with the ranks and try to normalise things although he’d still fail in other places. He came up with the following team: Davies Chama, Edify Hamukale, Richard Kapita, Nathaniel Mubukwanu, Felix Mutati, Joyce Nonde, Godfridah Sumaili and Catherine Namugala.

We now come to the man that his many opponents and detractors want to smear with a tag of tribalism no matter how hard he tries to balance his appointments in government. When touring the northern circuit recently for instance, he reiterated that if he didn’t believe in KKs philosophy of national unity, he wouldn’t have appointed cabinet ministers from the same region. Here’s a complete picture of his nominated MPs: Doreen Mwamba, Peter Kapala, Felix Mutati, Elias Mubanga, Likando Mufalali, Elisha Matambo, Mrs Mazoka and Elisha Matambo. The northern regions have claimed a Lion’s share of 5O%! What more should a man do?

Please, let’s give credit where it’s due! Mulekutika?

Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst

Excerpts from my book, One Zambia One Nation; how Presidents have navigated around the issue

If KK thought he had enough problems on his plate to deal with especially with the rise of the Frederick Chiluba led MMD which was already breathing heavily on his neck, then he was in for rude awakening. Mid-1980s, a reformist leader, Mikhail Gorbachev had taken over in the Soviet Union. He introduced sweeping reforms which entailed openness (glasnost) – allowing for enhanced freedom of speech and press while at the same time embarking on decentralising economic decision-making (perestroika) to move the country from its stagnation.

Perhaps buoyed up by events panning out in the birth place of UNIPs ideologies, some youthful members of the party’s central committee approached their peer, Enock Kavindele, and asked him to consider challenging KK for the party’s leadership position at the next convention. Kavindele was a renowned wealthy businessman, having started his business career in the 1970s when he established Woodgate Holdings Ltd; a company with a vast portfolio of services that included agriculture, real estate, tourism, mining and transportation. However, before he could come to any conclusion, he sought to have audience with the President.

“The way I see things your Excellency, UNIP does not stand any chance of winning the elections,” he calmly said to him, not sure whether the man would immediately explode and show him the door.

Prior to that, a fatigued KK had hinted to his close colleagues he was retiring from active politics. As a person who introduced one party politics, he wasn’t keen on being at helm as the country reverted back to multiparty politics. However, some old-timers in the central committee, who weren’t quite certain about the future, prevailed on him to rescind his decision. They were literally in tears as they pleaded with him not to throw-in the towel considering that the new government might withhold their retirement packages.

During this period of uncertainty when KK didn’t know who to trust, central committee meetings had to be held outside the Cabinet room in the garden just in case it was bugged to avoid any unauthorised information leaking out to the public. Unknown to them, one of the ministers who was also a member of the central committee was a Judas Iscariot. He would pass-on whatever was discussed during meetings to the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD). Clement Mwananshiku would actually be rewarded with an appointment as Ambassador to Germany after the change of government.

Kavindele wasn’t bothered to square it off with KK after all, he didn’t have any running contract with government, his books were equally clean while he was upto date with his taxes. But wait a minute? Who in their right frame of mind would take on mighty Kaunda? To his hardcore supporters, Kaunda was a demigod. One would actually often hear the chants of, “Kumulu ni Lesa, panshi ni Kaunda (roughly translated, in heaven it’s Kaunda, on earth it’s Kaunda). Kavindele had dared stray into the Lion’s den fully aware he risked being mauled. He was yet to pay the price.

During the party convention held at the Mulungushi Rock of Authority in Kabwe in 1991, he had to endure all sorts of insults and threats from fellow delegates. Although he was provided with state security, some elderly women somehow managed to find their way to his challet half-naked and burst into songs punctuated with graphic language. It was a tense atmosphere; the notorious vigilantes were baying for his blood. Before the day of reckoning though, Kavindele chickened-out of the race and left for Lusaka!

He would resign from UNIP and form his own political party – the United Democratic Party which he bankrolled single-handedly. In the ensuing elections, the party would win a good number of local government seats. Nevertheless, he would later disband his party and join ruling MMD.

“I would rather be near the King than being the King himself,” he would say.

Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst

Israeli police raided a Jerusalem hotel room used by Al Jazeera as its de facto office on Sunday following a government decision to shut down the Qatari-owned TV station’s local operations, an Israeli official and an Al Jazeera source told Reuters.
Video circulated online showed plainclothes officers dismantling camera equipment in a hotel room. The Al Jazeera source said the hotel was in East Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet shut down the network for as long as the war in Gaza continues, on the grounds the Qatari television network threatens national security.
Al Jazeera called the move a “criminal action” and rejected the accusation the network threatened Israeli security as a “dangerous and ridiculous lie” that puts its journalists at risk.
It said that it reserved the right to “pursue every legal step”.

The network has been critical of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, from where it has reported around the clock throughout the war.
“The incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel,” Netanyahu posted on social media following the unanimous cabinet vote.
A government statement said Israel’s communications minister signed orders to “act immediately”, but at least one lawmaker who supported the closure said Al Jazeera could still try to block it in court.
The measure, the statement said, will include closing Al Jazeera’s offices in Israel, confiscating broadcast equipment, cutting off the channel from cable and satellite companies and blocking its websites. It did not mention Al Jazeera’s Gaza operations.
There was no official comment from the Qatari government, which deferred to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera previously called Israeli efforts to curtail its operations an “escalation” and said in a statement in early April that it “comes as part of a series of systematic Israeli attacks to silence Al Jazeera”.

It said that Israeli authorities have deliberately targeted and killed several of its journalists including Samer Abu Daqqa and Hamza AlDahdooh, both killed in Gaza during the conflict. Israel has said it does not target journalists.
Qatar established Al Jazeera in 1996 and views the network as a way to bolster its global profile.
“Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act that violates human rights and the basic right to access of information,” the network said in a statement. “Al Jazeera affirms its right to continue to provide news and information to its global audiences.”

The UN Human Rights Office also criticised the closure.
“We regret cabinet decision to close Al Jazeera in Israel,” it said on X. “A free & independent media is essential to ensuring transparency & accountability. Now, even more so given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza. Freedom of expression is a key human right. We urge govt to overturn ban.”
Israel’s parliament last month ratified a law allowing the temporary closure in Israel of foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to national security.

The law allows Netanyahu and his security cabinet to shut the network’s offices in Israel for 45 days, a period that can be renewed, so it could stay in force until the end of July or until the end of major military operations in Gaza.
Qatar, where several Hamas political leaders are based, is trying to mediate a ceasefire and hostage release deal that could halt the Gaza war.

Source: Reuters