Maravi

Break UPND's tribal barriers, Kabimba urges S/Province

Break UPND's tribal barriers, Kabimba urges S/Province
By Moses Kuwema and Cynthia Phiri in Choma
Mon 17 Dec. 2012, 14:00 CAT

WYNTER Kabimba has called on the people of Southern Province to break the artificial tribal barriers that the UPND is trying to erect around them.

And Kabimba, who is PF secretary general, says his priority is not to become PF president but to serve the people of Zambia.

Speaking when he officially opened the PF provincial consultative meeting at Crystal Lodge in Choma on Saturday, Kabimba called on the people of Southern Province to reject political parties that wanted to restrict them to a political boundary based on ethnicity.

"Stop segmenting yourselves into tribal enclaves and break these artificial barriers that UPND is trying to erect around you. You have a right to choose which party to belong to," he said.

He said the people of Southern Province were not tribalist but it was the leaders in UPND that were.

And Kabimba said contrary to public perception that he wanted to eliminate some senior members of the party so that he could take over the party presidency, his priority was to serve the interests of the party and the country.

"There is this talk that I want to eliminate people and remain alone to take over the PF presidency. Now let me make this clear, becoming president of the PF is not a priority for me but to serve the people of Zambia.

People are eliminating themselves by committing offences which are against the party. I am innocent. Let us learn to bear the consequences of our own actions, so stop the blame game," Kabimba said.

He said he had the duty to protect the PF on behalf of the central committee and the general membership.

He said the party would not be placed into the hands of greedy individuals and would flush out all those who were internally working against the party.

During the same meeting, Kabimba said all MMD members were welcome to join the PF except for party president Nevers Mumba and his vice Michael Kaingu.
And Kabimba observed that the West had realised that they could control Africans by dwelling on their ignorance.

He said western countries had found a fertile ground in some NGOs.
Kabimba said the government would only deal with NGOs that were progressive.
"Outsiders are coming to confuse us because we don't know the history of our country. ... It is for this reason that as a party, we want to equip you our members with knowledge. We are tired and fed up of these lectures. Stop lecturing to us, we know what we want to do for the people of Zambia.

The people of Zambia will tell us how to govern and not any other person," he said.

Meanwhile, speaking when he addressed party members upon arrival in Livingstone at Courtyard Hotel, Kabimba emphasised the need for party members to be loyal, saying people like former Southern Province minister Alice Simango would have been ministers today if they had been consistent with their political careers.

"I am not gossiping about her, she is there. That is the reason why Alice Simango does not have a position in the PF because today she is MMD, tomorrow she is UPND then she comes back to PF. She would have been a minister today in the PF government. Mr Siacheye Madyenkuku, he was with Mrs Simango.

Just a few months before elections he crossed over to MMD. We have a country to run now and we are looking for serious, consistent strong leaders, that's what we are looking for. The challenge is yours," he said.
Kabimba further told the members to be united as a party and respect decisions that are made by the central committee.

He also said every Zambian had a right to work in any part of the country and advised people to desist from preferring certain tribes to work in a particular area.

Labels: SOUTHERN PROVINCE, TRIBALISM, UPND, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 2:50 PM