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Zambians should learn from Zuma's victory, says Hichilema

Zambians should learn from Zuma's victory, says Hichilema
By Mutuna Chanda
Monday December 24, 2007 [03:00]

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has said Jacob Zuma’s win at the ANC conference should teach Zambians not to manipulate results when people choose who they want. And Patriotic Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda said the Zuma victory should teach African leaders not to cling on to power when their time to go had come.

Commenting on Zuma’s defeat of South African President Thabo Mbeki as African National Congress (ANC) leader, Hichilema said it would be interesting to watch the developments in South Africa after the ANC party conference in Polokwane.

“Our national elections should let Zambians choose who they want and not for the votes to be manipulated,” Hichilema said.

Hichilema said South Africa’s stability leading to the country’s national elections in 2009 was important for Africa.

“It’ll be interesting for Africa to watch how relations between Zuma and President Mbeki stand out leading to the elections in 2009,” Hichilema said. “South Africa is important to Africa. Its stability is critical to business and in Zambia as you know our trade with South Africa is the biggest in Africa and even surpasses our trade with the UK (United Kingdom).”

Hichilema, however, said Zambia needed to do more to balance trade with South Africa.
“Zambia has not fully utilised the historic relationship it has with South Africa and other countries that it helped to liberate in the region.

If we were in public office (UPND) we’d have a strong regional economic policy that would exploit the people-to-people relations that we have with the leaders in South Africa so that we export more to that country.

Many of the leaders in South Africa today during the liberation struggle lived in Zambia and we as a country invested quite a lot in helping to fight apartheid,” Hichilema said.

Hichilema praised Mbeki for having the led the transition of South Africa from Nelson Mandela to the strong economic position that it was in.

And Lubinda said it would be interesting to watch whether President Mbeki would let Zuma fulfill his presidential ambitions without using state machinery to frustrate him.

Lubinda also said the impending corruption charges against Zuma should teach African politicians to clear themselves of any involvement in alleged malpractices before aspiring for public office.

Acting head of South Africa’s National Prosecuting Agency (NPA) Mokotedi Mpshe last Thursday indicated that there was enough evidence to charge Zuma with corruption.
This came barely two days after Zuma beat President Mbeki to the top post of the ANC at the party’s conference in Polokwane.

Zuma polled 2,329 against President Mbeki’s 1,505 votes.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, JACOB ZUMA

posted by MrK @ 4:33 AM