Mutinta Mazoka urges UPND to pull out of UDA
Mutinta Mazoka urges UPND to pull out of UDABy Nomusa Michelo
Monday May 14, 2007 [04:00]
Anderson Mazoka’s widow Mutinta has advised the UPND to pull out of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) because it has done nothing for the party. In an interview, Mutinta observed the UPND was better off without UNIP and FDD in the alliance, saying the initiative was not working.
"It is not working. I don't see it working. If I had my own way, they should get out. The other parties didn't bring anything into the alliance at all," Mutinta said. "If you look at the results, there were three presidents in the alliance, one from Eastern Province, one from Northern Province and one from Southern Province, but Northern Province didn't get anything at all.
In Eastern Province you can count on one hand. The majority of seats came from the Southern Province. The alliance really didn't bring anything of substance to the UPND. If I was at the helm of the UPND I would get out of UDA."
Mutinta said she had no plans of going into politics at the moment but was still thinking about it. She said she had no desire to take over the leadership of the UPND after her husband's death last year as had been suggested, as she was still grieving her loss.
"I didn't have any desire to take over the helms of the party after my husband passed on last year, I was not ready. And getting involved in politics, I am still thinking about it, but right now I have no plans," she said.
Mutinta said she was confident that the leadership of UPND president Hakainde Hichilema would see the party's vision of 'Zambia Forward' brought to fruition. "I would like to see that his vision of 'Zambia Forward' is carried on by the party.
Mr Mazoka worked hard for the party and I hope and wish that those that are at the top leadership of the party now will carry on and I know they will. I have confidence in them," she said. "They (UPND) are doing fine. I haven't really followed closely what is going on in the party but from what I hear, they are doing fine."
Mutinta said Mazoka was a very hardworking and truthful man whose death robbed the country of a great president. "To me I really believe that the death of Mr Mazoka was a great loss to the Zambian people because he would have made a great president," Mutinta said. "I would like those at the top to emulate the way he led the party in order for his dream to be realised in future."
Mutinta also said the UPND performed well during last year's tripartite elections despite not having enough time to campaign and sell their new presidential candidate, Hichilema. "Given the circumstance that he had no time to campaign, he did very well. The party did well, they didn't have time to campaign but they did well even beating those who were on the field for much longer," she said.
And Mutinta said life had changed since the death of Mazoka. "Life has changed drastically, but by the grace of God we have managed to pull through. People have been gracious to us and in general we have been alright," said Mutinta. "You know when the head of the family dies, it is always devastating. My family life is good because my children are here with me now.
I have my little Kambela (her grandson) who makes noise all the time and knocking things down. My faith in God has brought me much consolation. Of course, I miss my husband terribly but life has to go on. I have to anchored my faith in God and that is how I have kept going."
Labels: MUTINTA MAZOKA, UDA, UPND
posted by MrK @ 4:52 AM
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