Learn from Egypt, Inonge urges Rupiah, MMD

Learn from Egypt, Inonge urges Rupiah, MMD
By Chibaula Silwamba and Bright Mukwasa
Sun 13 Feb. 2011, 04:01 CAT

INONGE Wina has warned President Rupiah Banda and the MMD government that what happened to Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak can happen to them if the suppression of Zambians continues.

Commenting on the resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on Friday after an 18-day protest by pro-democracy activists, mostly youths, against his misrule, ending his almost 30-year reign, Wina said there were many lessons to learn from the political happenings in the north African nation.

“It’s a lesson for not only the leaders of Africa in general but for the leadership of the MMD in this country that what has happened in Egypt can also happen in countries like Zambia if the suppression of people is entrenched,” said Wina, who is national chairperson for the opposition Patriotic Front (PF), in an interview yesterday.

“If those who do not agree with the ruling party are suppressed and subjected to harassment and subjected to intimidation; if the general public is subjected to intimidations, I can assure you that what we saw in Egypt and Tunisia can happen here as well.”

Wina said although she did not wish to see violence in Zambia, especially as the country approaches elections, the government should create an enabling environment for all political activists of whatever persuasion to go about their business in a peaceful manner.

She said the events in Egypt showed that people in that country were aware about their rights. Wina said Egyptians were demanding their rights and good governance from the government.

She said governments must never take citizens for granted or risk facing what happened in Egypt.

Wina said Egyptians and Tunisians showed that democracy was taking root in North Africa and the era of dictators and leaders that did not respect the wishes of their citizens was coming to an end.

Wina said youths and women had played key roles in demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia. She, therefore, urged Zambian women and youths to vote in this year’s elections.

“We also saw the role of the police and army that protected the rights of demonstrators,” Wina said.

“This can happen everywhere even in Zambia; not where people that want to march peacefully on the streets are gunned down. Some of them even before demonstrations they are shot at and killed as we saw in Mongu. That is uncalled for.”

Wina said people should be given a leeway to express their views. She observed that pro-democracy demonstrators in Egypt, apart from few incidents where Mubarak’s supporters attacked them, were peaceful.

Pro-democracy demonstrators in Egypt camped at Tahrir or Liberation Square in the capital, Cairo, for 18 days demanding the resignation of 82-year-old Mubarak as President and his government.

Omar Suleiman, whom Mubarak appointed as his Vice-President a fortnight ago, announced on Friday that the President had resigned and transferred power to the Higher Council of the Armed Forces.

Similar protests, a month earlier, in Tunisia led to the resignation of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, who subsequently fled the country.

There are also threats of similar protests in Algeria.

Meanwhile, Egyptians living in Zambia on Friday celebrated Mubarak’s resignation all night long.
And Mark Chona said African leaders should learn to listen to people’s wishes and avoid self centeredness.

In an interview, Mohamed Salama, an Egyptian who is chief executive officer for Flame Construction Company in Lusaka, said he and his compatriots had lived under enduring circumstances during Mubarak’s reign and his resignation marked the end of 30 years of injustice and corruption.

“Yes, from about 18:00 hours we jumped up and down until about 3 o’clock in the morning,” Salama said. “You’ll never understand that oppression unless you live under it. Zambia is very luck I’m telling you.Mubarak ruled us with an iron fist. He was the worst dictator.”

Salama said the revolution in his country must be a lesson for the Arab world to learn from countries that had embraced democracy as their system of governance.

“We’ve created history as Egyptian people and that’s what we do since the times of the Pharaohs,” he said.
Salama said the Arab world had a lot to learn from Southern African countries that had embraced democracy for their governance system.

“I think there is nothing that Africa could learn from Egypt politically because most countries have gone past that moment a long time ago,” Salama said.

He praised the gallantry of Egyptian youths as the real heroes of the current political change. Salama hoped the new leader would not emulate Mubarak’s dictatorship.

And Chona said it was important that African leaders learn to listen to the people.

“What has happened in Egypt is an epoch-making moment anywhere in the world. African leaders must avoid being self-centered and greedy,” Chona said. “Learn to listen to what the people are saying and their desires and wishes, whether it’s economic, human rights, social rights or if they want a new constitution.”