Maravi

Dangerous regional politics

Dangerous regional politics
By Editor
Sunday June 17, 2007 [04:00]

It is said that unity is so powerful that it can illuminate the whole earth. But it is also true that unity without verity is no better than conspiracy. When people or groups of people who aspire for national leadership come together, they should do so in the interests of the nation and in the name of the national good.

But when people start congregating in regional or tribal camps, the bell should ring in our ears that the purpose for unity is false; it is not in the interest of achieving national unity; it is founded on clay soil and it has the capacity to collapse the nation.

We are somehow disturbed that it would appear that the search for Republican presidency is now taking a regional accent when in fact what is being sought is a leader for the nation called Zambia. It is strange, is it not, that some people from Western Province of Zambia think it is now the right time for a Lozi to take over the presidency of Zambia at the end of President Levy Mwanawasa's tenure. We wonder how many times it should be stated that our politics must be based on sound moral values which serve to bind our people and not divisive regional or tribal tendencies.

The regional and tribal approach that some people who hail from Western Province want to introduce in the search for our nation's next president has very bad connotations for the ideals of national unity. It is this same kind of politics which we condemned in the UPND as well as in the Patriotic Front prior to last year's elections. And we still condemn any form of regionalism and tribalism in our politics, not least in any of our national endeavours.

People who aspire for national leadership should be judged not on the basis of their heritage but on the qualities they offer. So we beg to differ with the group of people from Western Province that it is now opportune for a president from Western Province. Instead, when Levy is gone, it will be an opportune time for Zambians to choose another capable leader from any part of this country of more than 11 million who live within a boundary of 752,000 square kilometers. It is also wrong for anyone to suggest that some regions or tribes of Zambia supported Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba and Levy more than others. The results and statistics are still there to show how the voting patterns have been over the last few years. In fact, it is embarrassing that in most cases the voting pattern has been regional or tribal. And it is for this very reason that we will not encourage anyone or any group of people to start campaigning on regional or tribal lines.

Furthermore, there is no region or tribe which can claim to have had more input or contribution to the independence struggle of this nation than other regions or tribes. When we look at the great names of our liberation heroes, it is very clear that the struggle was a national one and it did not matter where one hailed from because the common enemy was the subjugating colonialists. The same can be said about the process towards the reintroduction of multiparty politics.

There is no single tribe or region which can claim to have contributed more than others in the struggle for a return to multiparty democracy. The return to multiparty politics was a national struggle in which the majority of Zambians, regardless of their tribe or heritage, participated. It is therefore a complete illusion for anyone or any group of people to suggest that one particular group or tribe is now entitled to the presidency because of its role in the many political struggles of this nation.

On the other hand, nobody will discourage groups of people to come together and brainstorm ideas about development in their communities. However, even that should be done not on the basis of tribe or regional connections. The challenges which our nation faces are to a larger extent similar and any form of unity formed for the purpose of finding solutions should not be determined by individuals' heritage. Today, there are many Zambians who are part and parcel of the development process in provinces where they do not necessarily hail from. They are doing so because they are Zambians and their inclusion or exclusion from the development process of the provinces in which they operate can never be determined by the factor of tribal or regional heritage.

In short, what we are saying is that what we should continue striving for is national unity in whatever we do as a people. As we search for national leaders, let us focus our attention on the questions of morals, principles and the capabilities of individuals to run the affairs of state, as opposed to being blinded by divisive factors such as tribe. What we should be looking for in leadership are virtuous men who, although human and fallible, will put the interests of our nation first and lead us to greater heights of prosperity and progress.

Let us always remember the wise counsel from Mahatma Gandhi that for unity to be real, it must stand the severest strain without breaking. Unity will not be achieved by breaking into regional or provincial blocks and Zambia cannot endure as a nation if we start to stand in groups of regions or tribes.

Labels: EDITORIAL, TRIBALISM

posted by MrK @ 5:13 AM