Maravi

KK counsels UNIP leadership

KK counsels UNIP leadership
By Brighton Phiri
Friday February 29, 2008 [03:00]

DR Kenneth Kaunda has castigated the Tilyenji-led UNIP leadership for its failure to organise the former ruling party into a formidable force in the country. Commenting on UNIP cadres' attacks on The Post journalists earlier in the week, Dr Kaunda asked the party leadership to begin reorganising UNIP instead of resorting to violence and attacking innocent journalists.

"I can only ask the UNIP leadership to go all out and organise the party's supporters according to the party's constitution because UNIP is currently not properly organised," Dr Kaunda said. "They are required to do that. Zambia is a very big country...if only the UNIP leadership could follow the example of the founding leaders."

Dr Kaunda reminded UNIP leaders that the party was founded on non-violent practices. "That is the more reason why we carry the picture of that great son of the world Mahatma Gandhi because he guided us in Southern Africa and India on how to fight for our liberation using non-violent methods.

But his idea failed in South Africa because the white settlers were violent and our black comrades from South Africa had no choice but to pick up arms," Dr Kaunda said. "But remember, Zambia under UNIP leadership helped in the liberation struggle using non-violent methods by bringing the white settlers to talk to our colleagues from the ANC. We condemned the white settlers' violence and following our condemnation, they stopped."

Dr Kaunda advised UNIP cadres to engage their leaders peacefully if they found that something was going wrong instead of resorting to violence because violence would not resolve any of their problems.

Dr Kaunda also asked the UNIP leadership to read The Post's recent editorial comments on their party, which he said contained good guidance for them.

"This is now the second time we have seen The Post write guiding editorial comments on UNIP. Let them read these editorial comments with seriousness in order for them to do the right things," said Dr Kaunda.

The Post editorial of February 27 stated: "If UNIP does not move quickly to sort out its leadership crisis, it runs the risk of being extinct. The problems UNIP is facing today are not necessarily as a result of its membership, it's because of its poor leadership. It is the party leadership that has failed and not its membership.

“Of course leaders lead, but in the end the membership determine the future of the party. There is a lot of work UNIP need to do to bounce back to power, to see a reversal of fortunes."

Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, LEADERSHIP, TILYENJI KAUNDA, UNIP

posted by MrK @ 3:47 AM