The political scenario has continued to amuse and stun Zambians since the former President Dr Fredrick Chiluba rushed to choke Michael Sata‘s throat a long term friend they shared the same platform and confided in each other.

Today they are political foes in the boxing ring and ready to drag each other to court for the wounds that Dr Chiluba inflicted on King Cobra Sata.

King Cobra’s venom was not strong enough to clean Dr Chiluba’s wild allegation on his alleged polygamous affair and opted to pull him to court where he would spill it all. And Chiluba is ready for the dossier and to reveal more.

Away from the Chiluba and Sata saga is a young man who has emerged on a political scene with the formation of the National Restoration Party (NAREP) to set a new tone and to give Zambians a chance to fresh ideas.

Lusaka Times recently reported on Elias Chipimo Junior, a little known figure in Zambian politics but a successful and hardworking businessman and his team that have formed NAREP.

While his political foes have not yet bruised Chipimo and his team as they are still plotting for the right disparaging words to throw in his political arena, he has to convince some Zambians who are skeptical to change or adapt to anything new.

Chipimo has outlined his NAREP’s vision as one based on equitable and prosperous Zambia playing its role as an alternative energy superpower, continental breadbasket, regional inland infrastructure and logistics hub, a centre of technological, and innovative excellence.

Who Chipimo Junior is

Chipimo Junior is the founder and managing partner of Corpus Legal Practitioners, Zambia’s largest law firm, established in 1995 and is a graduate from the University of Zambia and Oxford University in 1990-92.

He is the Managing Partner and senior partner, responsible for corporate advisory work, mergers, acquisitions, investments and privitisations.

Chipimo’s main area of work is corporate law, principally advisory work on mergers and acquisitions, privatisation and capital markets related work in Zambia as well as within the Southern African region.

He handled acquisitions of numerous companies and undertakings being sold as part of the Zambian government privatisation programme acting on behalf of large multinationals, many entering Zambia for the first time.

Chipimo acted on numerous acquisitions of mining assets which are responsible for the bulk of Zambia’s foreign exchange earnings.

He was born on 3 September 1965, is a father of two boys, and he is Bemba by tribe.

Chipimo Joined the Law Firm in 1995 and dealt in areas of ,capital Markets, commercial Law, competition, contract Law ,corporate Advisory Service, corporate and business, foreign Investment, mining Privatization, project Financing, projects, and utilities.

He has accomplished the establishment of Zambia’s law practice and leading commercial services firm, professional Associations, international Bar Association, member of Rhodes scholarship selection committee (Zambia), member of the Law Association of Zambia.

He also holds various board memberships representing interests of multinational shareholders in Zambian subsidiaries.

The NAREP leader has written articles on the privatisation process and capital markets in Zambia’s largest circulation financial newspaper and a contributor to Rocky Mountain Mineral Law publication setting out information on mining transactions in Zambia.

He was admitted to the bar in 1989, Zambia

He retired from the firm to pursue a long-held desire to set in motion a process that he believes will ultimately see the development of a new national mindset through the assumption of greater personal responsibility by all.

Chipimo says he has been keenly involved in addressing the plight of the vulnerable and in 2000, he established Plan for Giving, a non-governmental organisation set up to identify needs within Lusaka area and to channel direct support to these areas through a unique system of corporate support.

He established “The Least of My People” Trust two years ago as inspired by the responsibility highlighted by Jesus in Matthew 25 (‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.).

Chipimo says the Trust sponsors 12 children through middle basic schooling in various Lusaka schools.

A branch of the Trust is about to be opened in Kaoma where it will support an additional 10 pupils.

Chipimo believes in the importance of family, enjoys spending time with his wife and children.

He also enjoys reading and playing golf in his spare time and could often be found farming his maize crops.

The NAREP leader says he established the Restoration Forum which is an organisation that aims to encourage every Zambian to take more responsibility, to better manage time, and to live up to their commitments.

He is currently writing a book based on his opinion of the leadership in Zambia and the current state of the nation. The book is scheduled for publication later this year. Watch the space.

NAREP’s goal

The NAREP leader Chipimo Junior also noted in his official speech that anybody living in Zambia today knows that while the country is rich , the human index statistics portray a nation that is poor.

While the country is not at war with the neighbouring states, the nation has no peace with itself.

The politicians seem to be at constant war with one another even when the country is declared as a Christian nation, the conduct of leaders reflect a nation that has no love of Christ as its goal.

Chipimu Junior points that while all the shouting is going on, development remains stunted death and disease knock on the door of every household that is unable to afford drugs to treat complicated as well as common ailments.

Poor feeder roads constrain rural development, flooding and diseases such as cholera occur every rainy season in high density areas with no solution in sight, and constant disruptions in energy and fuel supplies have become an accepted part of business and daily living

The employment remains elusive for the many people, the nation’s school leavers, and in the middle of all this, political leaders seem shamelessly proud that they can still convince foreign nations to pay for the problems they have brought upon themselves.

Politician’s failure

Indeed the NAREP party leader has pointed out some of the weakness that has become an accepted norm in our beloved country.

Zambia is so rich but our leaders plans are not working in addressing many issues aimed at improving infrastructure in many towns and districts.

The sight of most towns is poor and pathetic yet we have leaders that could inspire for improved living environment for its citizens.

The country is still having the same buildings that were built in the Kaunda regime and no effort has been made to improve them or build other structures to befit this modern era.

But the Vice President George Kunda’s slogan at every gathering he convenes he feeds people with the notion that Hakainde Hichilema’s entering into a PACT with Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata is a marriage of convenience. The two are different and have different ideologies.

The people need development at every grassroots and have nothing to do with politics of name calling.

However, if one critically looks at the current political parties in the country, they are nothing but an offspring of the MMD and where formed out of frustration when their leaders pulled out of it.

No wonder they hold so much hatred of each other instead of embracing the spirit of unit to forge ahead in developing the nation.

Even when one is talking sense the other party will always find room to oppose for sake of gaining political mileage.

Though the new political party has come to this arena of insults, arena of hatred it should be careful before it disappears like Heritage Party, UNIP, Agenda for Zambia, and Nevers Mumba’s party.

NAREP on the Web

While NAREP has new ideas it should start having grass root support from the entire country rather than just throwing them on the internet through facebook.

This system worked for Barrack Obama, but it cannot work in Zambia were few people have access to the internet because the current political leaders have not made it a priority or as a tool that could speed up development.

The internet is so expensive and Google research show that Zambia has the highest price for surfing on the internet in Southern Africa.

But we can only give credit to our political leaders for being good tourist overseas, trotting around the global but never implement the development that they admire in foreign countries.

One hopes this new party could live to its vision, avoid politics of mudslinging, add new era of imparting a sense of confidence in politics and woo the support of the electorates and convince the skeptics that change may be good after all.

Short of that they will meet King Cobra Sata who will spit venom at them, become shortsighted, and forget their vision for the nation.