UNIP Revival Forum commends KK for his consistency in guiding leadersh

UNIP Revival Forum commends KK for his consistency in guiding leadersh
By Jack Zimba and Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday August 19, 2008 [04:00]

THE UNIP Revival Forum has commended former president Dr Kenneth Kaunda for his consistency in guiding the leadership of the former ruling party. But UNIP vice-president Njekwa Anamela and deputy secretary general Reverend Alfred Banda said Dr Kaunda's position was a family position and they would not comment on the matter.

Commenting on the Kaunda family's decision to ask UNIP president Tilyenji Kaunda yesterday to step down, revival forum chairperson General Malimba Masheke said Dr Kaunda had always stood upright concerning the leadership of UNIP.

"Dr Kaunda has been consistent regardless of whether people are friends or members of his family. When Kebby's Musokotwane leadership was in doubt, he intervened and when Francis Nkoma's leadership was in doubt, he intervened, and this time it is his own son. We uphold the consistency of the father," he said.

Masheke said Dr Kaunda, whom he said was his mentor, intimated earlier in March this year that the leadership in the former ruling party was poor and that it needed to be upgraded.

Masheke called on all members in the party to prepare for congress this year to elect new leaders.

But Anamela said the discussion was within the family.

"That is within the family. What I am saying is that I would not react to any family matter in the paper. If there is need for us to communicate, we will communicate not in the media. I have declined to comment on the matter," said Anamela.

And Rev Banda said the party did not want to be dragged into a family issue.

"We respect Dr Kaunda, we respect him so much. We respect him, he is our member but anything or any discussion to do with the family, we reserve the right not to make any comments because UNIP is an institution," Rev Banda said.

"That is a matter to do with the family; we don't want to be dragged into the family issue. In the meantime, president Tilyenji Kaunda is still our elected president, he was elected during the previous congress and he is president until the next congress...this is the official position of the party but with regards to what is in the paper I should think that is a family matter of which I cannot comment on."

He said UNIP was preparing for the congress, which would be held next year together with the celebrations to mark the party's 50th anniversary.

"We are preparing for a congress and I am in the committee which is preparing for the same congress and we resolved to have our congress jointly with the 50th anniversary of the founding of UNIP.

UNIP will be 50 years old next year and we hope to hold a joint congress and silver jubilee," said Rev Banda. "UNIP is still strong and the membership is intact; we are working with him Tilyenji. He has managed to keep the party together up to where we are now, you know we have passed through so many trials and tribulations. So many people wanted to kill UNIP but we have managed to survive those trials and we are still strong and it's under his leadership."

According to sources close to the Kaunda family, Dr Kaunda recently called a family meeting at his Kabulonga residence where he advised his son to relinquish the UNIP presidency and submit to the UNIP membership's call for a national congress to elect new leaders.