LETTERS

PF MPs’ stance on Chiluba
By Godwin Yoram Mumba
Friday June 29, 2007 [04:00]

I am writing to you to express my disappointment with Patriotic Front members of parliament who have shocked me with their myopic stance on former Republican president of Zambia Fredrick Chiluba’s ‘fraud case.” From their outbursts in support of Chiluba, one can safely conclude that these MPs are but a bunch of ignorant and amateurish historians anchored in quicksand of deceit and arrogance. They should realise that Chiluba stole, period! And let him face the music like anybody found stealing.

Assuming that President Mwanawasa also has made mistakes such as in stripping Chiluba of his presidential immunity without giving him an opportunity to defend himself before Parliament, overlooking Zambian sovereignty by taking Chiluba’s fraud case before the English court; I contend these mistakes, if at all they are mistakes, are totally outweighed by Chiluba’s misdeeds as in the following:- US 58 million dollars stolen by Chiluba.

How many people died in hospitals, UTH in particular, as a result of Chiluba’s stubbornness. We still remember doctors’ standoff with Chiluba just before Mwanawasa took over?

The sale of parastatal companies at supersonic speed leaving many Zambian workers in limbo led to many others lose their lives in the process.

One may ask what happened to Memaco? Who has been selling our copper and cobalt and where are the proceeds from these sales.

PF Bemba MPs are trying to tell us that the late Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe is synonymous with Fredrick Chiluba by trying to canonise the latter by associating him with our clean Kapwepwe. This is an insult not only to late Kapwepwe but also to the Bemba-speaking people as well.

Incidentally, Chiluba’s confession statement of political dribbling and engineering evokes memories as to what killed Kapwepwe.

Perhaps God has preserved me all these years specifically to tell the story that the death of Kapwepwe points to the political dribbling and engineering so much glorified by the PF Bemba MPs.

What sort of political leaders are these PF members of parliament who have already forgotten that this country has not experienced clandestine deaths since 2001? Let them research and tell us why and how the following innocent citizens died between 1991 and 2001:
Ronald Penza, Wezi Kaunda, my brilliant lawyer and friend Edgar Chellah and many others too numerous to mention.



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=28425

Sata's temporary pullout of ZCID
By Mulenga
Friday June 29, 2007 [04:00]

PF's Michael Sata's "temporary pullout of the Zambia Center for Inter-party Dialogue meeting demonstrates how irrelevant he has become to the constitution-making process.

I find it extremely extraordinary for Sata to always show dissenting views.
He similarly pulled out of a part alliance prior to the September elections last year on flimsy circumstances because he felt his party was strong enough to go solo. Sata must learn to work with others and be democratic and supportive to collective issues. If he is against the idea of a
Constitution Conference, leave him out and let us forge ahead.

We are not going to make any progress by bickering over trivial issues. Those who want freinds must first be friendly themselves. Similary, those who want democracy must demonstrate the attributes of democratic people.



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=28427

Behaviour of some members of parliament
By Viva The Post! Given
Friday June 29, 2007 [04:00]

I wish to comment on the behaviour and the integrity of some PF MPs. I would love to categorically talk about Dr Chishimba, the MP for Kasama. I was shocked to see him on the MUVI TV morning show where he was busy mascarading himself as a true Zambian by defending former Republican president Frederick Chiluba.

I personally doubt his integrity. What he has to know is that what Chiluba stole was not from Northen Province alone but belonged to our country, Zambia. I’m happy with the majority Zambians who have decided to remain quiet over Chiluba’s judgement. Truly, my fellow Zambians, should we allow tribalism to continue misleading innocent Zambians? Of course not!

I have come to understand that PF as a party is using tribalism where they are able to defend thieves openly on tribal lines. Thank God that PF could not make it in last year’s elections.
This is because we were going to see all plunderers coming back in our country. One thing I can remind Dr Chishimba is that Chiluba is the same man who was preaching about rule of law.

Let him and others face the law because we need our money back. What he stole does not belong to Bembas but to Zambians. I’m now convinced beyond doubt that true Zambians have seen what true political parties are. Defending Chiluba? I’m therefore delighted with the Post newspaper’s fight against corruption. Please continue until the war is won. I’m looking forward to the day when the Zambian judgment will be delivered. How can you associate Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula and Kapwepwe to this criminality. What a shame! I don’t think I can waste time to cast my vote for these MPs defending a wrong cause.









http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=28423

Farewell to Blair
By Isaac Makashini, USA
Friday June 29, 2007 [04:00]

Finally, the British people and the world of politics have bade farewell to Tony Blair, leader of the Labour Party for thirteen years, and Britain's Prime Minister for a decade.

Blair stepped down on Thursday, June 27th, nine months after he first announced his intentions to leave office.

What a way to go for the young, vibrant, articulate and charismatic Tony, who ten years ago, at the age of 43, became Britain's youngest Prime Minister in nearly two centuries!

I am not a political analyst by vocation, but I have followed Tony's leadership with keen interest, and intrigue.
To his credit, he has been perhaps one of the most successful leaders the Labour Party has ever had.

He led his party to three successive elections, the British economy recorded significant gains, he demonstrated great leadership, patience and perseverance in securing peace in Northern Ireland, and his interventionist policy in Sierra Leone helped bring an end to the brutal civil war in that country.

He was also a very strong ally of Africa in poverty eradication as can be seen in his initiative to push for a substantial aid increase for Africa at G8 Summit in 2005.
But Blair leaves at a time when his popularity has been severely battered. Approval ratings were at their lowest, and the relationship with his successor, Chancellor Gordon Brown, was becoming increasingly acrimonious.

Blair's undoing was his support of the Iraq war at a time when 75 per cent of the British people and most European leaders opposed the war.

As Michael Brown, a former conservative member of parliament has correctly noted, "Iraq will be engraved on Tony Blair's political tombstone when the history books of his premiership are written."
As Blair leaves Number 10 Downing Street, I believe that his departure provides several lessons to our politicians in Zambia:
1. The skills and charisma needed to win an election are not the same skills that it takes to run the government. There is no doubt that Blair was abundantly endowed with the former, but increasingly exhibited poverty in the latter, especially during the last few years.
2. It is politically suicidal to ignore public opinion on any major policy issue.

Our present government has sadly been treading this path on the issue of the constitution.

3. Politicians must not have a bloated estimation of their personal abilities and political strengths. Such an attitude leads to pride, arrogance and spurning the ideas of others.

4. Democracy is about people. People's ideas and aspirations must not be buried by politicians' personal beliefs, opinions and agendas.
This easily results into disillusionment in the people and nose-diving unpopularity, even among those who once deeply admired your leadership.
I wish Tony Blair all the best as he takes up the new role as the Middle East peace envoy.