Maravi

Masheke vows to continue calling for revival of UNIP

Masheke vows to continue calling for revival of UNIP
By Lambwe Kachali
Wednesday May 21, 2008 [04:00]

VETERAN politician Malimba Masheke has said UNIP should not be destroyed by thugs who never contributed anything during its formation. Reacting to UNIP officials in Lusaka who threatened to beat him up for saying that the party was in a political coma on Sunday, Gen Masheke yesterday said no intimidation would stop him from calling for the revival of UNIP.

Gen Masheke said Zambia was a democratic state and that he was free to express his opinion whenever things were wrong, especially in his mother political party.
He said the truth was always painful to wrongdoers.

Gen Masheke said he had sacrificed a lot to build UNIP and that he would not rest until the party was back to life.

He said every meaningful UNIP member was free to help revive the party and should not be afraid of what he called ‘thugs’ who had illegally dominated some party positions.
“All those threatening my life are just thugs who have no value to the party. We can’t allow a party that was so vibrant to collapse like that. We can’t allow thugs to rule. Zambia is a society which can only be governed by the rule of law and not unruly thugs,” he said.

Gen Masheke said it pained him to see UNIP, which helped to liberate countries like Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa, die such a disastrous political death.

He said the only way to revive the party was by immediately holding the party congress to usher in a new and legal leadership.

Gen Masheke said the mechanism for the implementation of the reorganisation programme of UNIP should involve the recalling of everyone who held office at various levels but whose mandate ended in 2005.

He challenged UNIP members to become active participants in formulating a viable strategy for reviving the party without further delays.

Asked if he had any intentions of taking over the presidency of UNIP, Gen Masheke said his passion was to revive the party.

Gen Masheke said every member was free to contest the presidency once the party was revived.

“People should not think that I am fighting for presidency. I have no intentions about that. All I want is to have a vibrant UNIP, which can continue to provide checks and balances in the country. UNIP in its current form is not performing. That is why it has been losing in all the by-elections,” said Gen Masheke.

Efforts to get a comment from party leader Tilyenji Kaunda, vice-president Njekwa Anamela and deputy secretary general Reverend Alfred Banda proved futile by press time.

On Sunday during the Newsmakers Forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post at Lusaka playhouse, some UNIP officials threatened to beat up Gen Masheke for criticising their leadership.
Officials who included Lusaka Province treasurer Judith Mutebi and national secretary for women affairs Beatrice Kayuni said Gen Masheke had no authority to talk about UNIP, as he was not a member of the party.

Labels: MALIMBA MASHEKE, UNIP

posted by MrK @ 3:36 AM