Maravi

LETTERS - Tribalism, The Constitution

Tribal politics
By Muyoyeta Simasiku
Sunday June 17, 2007 [04:00]

What’s this thing about 'tribal politics' in Zambia that gets hidden but yet it’s so filthy and stinking? From the onset, let me state that the headline should have read 'MMD Westerners want a Lozi to succeed Levy' so as to avoid misleading the readers. Notwithstanding the fact that they might have been remnants of people from other walks of life, this meeting or at least this particular agenda item, was purely an MMD issue.

I fail to believe that some of the highest brains we have in the country, people of the calibre of Nelly Muti, Mwangala Zaloumis and Geoffrey Lungwangwa among others would allow themselves to be part of such prejudiced and extremely conservative opinion. I’m inclined to believe that regional developmental and unity causes were more at stake here and must have taken centre stage of these deliberations than the MMD presidency.

Call me a cynic or traitor or something, but I believe and I want people to believe that Zambia's inextricable poverty predicament will never be solved by some guy carrying a big tribal tag across their face. What Zambia needs is someone with brains, passion and the zeal to develop her. We should care less which part of the country that person hails from. We will forever be marching
backwards if we don’t start tuning our mindsets and start thinking outside our tribal shell. The underlining factor should never be tribe. But if that person happens to be Lozi, so be it.

I think that all this talk about a tribal president is nothing but selfish motive agendas of thinking that one would have favours and a lion’s share of the loot of national resources if a fellow tribesman or woman became president.

We have had ministers and high profile rich people what development are they bringing to the ordinary people of Western Province anyway? Probably a lesson we should learn from all this that its time we embarked on decentralisation concept in Zambia.

This will spread power and resources away from the central government to local branches or governments and help reduce this ‘wako-ni-wako’ tribal conservative thinking.



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=27982

Constitution-making process
By Mutale Katuna III
Sunday June 17, 2007 [04:00]

It is really sad and indeed an insult to us Zambians for the current Mwanawasa regime to think that we have no right or say over the mode of adoption of the constitution.

Mwanawasa, you have shown your true colours of political greediness at the expense of the majority Zambians. What you shouldn’t forget is that you will very soon leave State House and the same constitution you don’t want changed will turn against you.

Take a leaf from what Chiluba is passing through.

I don’t agree that the former president made all the decisions alone. He was at times misguided by a bunch of selfish ministers.

If I were you, I would listen to the people crying for a constituent assembly as the mode of adoption of the constitution.This we need from you now. This is not a big matter to even waste resources and time to debate because we the people have spoken.

It is really such an insult to the nation for the president and his selfish team who are just after enriching themselves instead of serving the people who beat the cold just to see them in office, to subject Zambians to wrong and minority decisions.

Zambians forced Kaunda to hold early elections. The same Zambians stopped Chiluba from going for a third term and today, we are saying we need a new constitution now. I believe in Zambians and this will happen very soon.

Axes are under the MMD tree. We will not stop to voice out because we need the constitution adopted through the constituent assembly.
If Mwanawasa thinks Zambians will forget about about the constitution, he is mistaken.

Zambians don’t forget easily after all.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, TRIBALISM

posted by MrK @ 5:15 AM