HH accuses MMD of making assumptions
By Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday September 02, 2008 [04:00]
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said it is wrong for the MMD to assume that whoever they pick as their presidential candidate will become Republican president. Commenting on the wrangles in the ruling MMD over who should be adopted as its presidential candidate in the forthcoming presidential by-election, Hichilema said there was a wrong perception in MMD about the person who would succeed the late President Levy Mwanawasa.
“They are assuming that whoever becomes MMD presidential candidate becomes the president of Zambia. That is not true. It does not mean that the MMD presidential candidate will be automatically the Republican president.” Hichilema said.
“The people of Zambia under the Constitution of Zambia will choose a president they want, a president who will be able to take the country to a better level.”
Hichilema said it was sad that while opposition political parties like UPND were calm and mourning the late President Mwanawasa, MMD members were busy fighting for the presidency.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MMD
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UPND fields HH for presidential by-election
By Chibaula Silwamba
Saturday August 23, 2008 [04:00]
THE opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) yesterday announced that its leader Hakainde Hichilema will be the party's presidential candidate in the forthcoming by-election. UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma announced Hichilema's candidature in a media statement issued in Lusaka.
"Following the assurance by the justice minister Honourable George Kunda that there would be a presidential by-election in accordance with the Constitution, the UPND
wishes to announce that it will be participating in this by-election," Kakoma stated. "UPND will field Mr Hakainde Hichilema as the presidential candidate."
He urged all UPND members, civil society organisations and all citizens to rally behind Hichilema whom he said offered a ray of hope for real change.
"He is an economic manager who will change the lives of Zambians for the better," Kakoma stated.
He stated that the UPND called upon all well-meaning Zambians to remain calm and peaceful as they mourned President Mwanawasa with dignity and respect.
The announcement of Hichilema's candidature brings to an end speculation that the UPND leader and opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata were planning to form an electoral pact ahead of the presidential by-election.
Justice minister George Kunda on Thursday assured that a presidential by-election would be held within 90 days after the death of President Mwanawasa.
Labels: CHARLES KAKOMA, GEORGE KUNDA, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, UPND
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PF, UPND to go for electoral pact
By Patson Chilemba and Lambwe Kachali
Tuesday August 19, 2008 [04:00]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) is pushing for an electoral pact with UPND in the event of a presidential by-election, informed PF sources have revealed. But UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said they had just began the process of working together with PF. And UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has said he, and PF leader Michael Sata, would de-campaign the MMD government around the country if salary and allowance increments for constitutional office holders and senior government officials were not reversed. According to PF sources, UPND and PF leaders have also agreed to hold public rallies on the Copperbelt and Southern provinces.
“It is actually being dealt with at the top level. We want our co-operation through these meetings to culminate into an alliance or electoral pact because it seems likely that we are headed for a presidential by-election,” said the source.
But when contacted for comment, Kakoma said: “We have not yet reached that stage. But a pact or an alliance takes so many forms. I think we are just beginning the process of working together and we shall cross the bridge when we get there.”
Asked if Sata would be the appropriate person to politically groom Hichilema, Kakoma responded: “As an elderly person, he is a veteran politician. Certainly, there are things we can learn from him. When we agree with him, we shall take his advice. On some other things, we shall disagree with him. But we will value his advice.”
Kakoma said it was important for the opposition to work together and be united on some issues. He said there was a general feeling that the younger generation should take over the leadership of the country.
“And what Sata is saying, I think he supports HH as one of the young leaders in this country,” said Kakoma.
Meanwhile, UPND vice-president Richard Kapita said although there were speculations that Sata would lead the pact as president with Hichilema serving as his vice, they had not yet reached that stage of discussions.
“What we want to do now is first to work together to sustain pressure on this government so that they can withdraw the salary increments,” Kapita said.
“If that is achieved, then that will be the right time to look at the next step forward. After all, even before I became vice-president of this party and Dr Scott as vice-president of PF, first and foremost we are Zambians and we should work for the common good of this country. For now, we want to concentrate on this national issue.”
And when contacted for comment over their imminent alliance with UPND, PF vice-president Dr Guy Scott responded: “I think don't rush it. We rushed the ULP (Sakwiba Sikota's United Liberal Party) pact because the elections caught us wrongly. I don't think we need to rush this one. We want to know each other.”
Dr Scott also said Hichilema was the most appropriate person for Sata to groom because he had a strong standing. He said he was not insecure and was ready to serve in any leadership position.
PF spokesperson Given Lubinda said only politicians who lacked self-confidence would be scared over Sata's statement that he would groom Hichilema before he died. Lubinda said naturally, Sata was already grooming PF leaders through their interactions with him. He said Sata would not sit in a classroom to teach people leadership.
However, PF Kasama Central member of parliament Saviour Chishimba said Sata was not God to groom other people. He said Sata was a man of U-turns who recently said there was no grooming in politics.
“He is just an inconsequential being in the eyes of God and the moment he realises that probably his existence will become more meaningful. If it's grooming, it is grooming to become a political opportunist,” said Chishimba. “If it is grooming in the evil cobra spirit, I'll understand because he believes in the cobra spirit. Not grooming in the name of Jesus.”
And in an interview after the rally at Mpamba Basic School in Chilanga constituency on Sunday, Hichilema said he was ready to do anything to serve the country from MMD's extreme plunder of national resources.
He said the step that Sata and himself had taken over what he called irresponsible increments was irreversible. He said he would, jointly with Sata, embark on countrywide campaigns against the MMD's ills.
"The activities you saw yesterday (Saturday) are only one in many to come. We shall sustain these activities until this irresponsible behaviour by the MMD government is reversed,” Hichilema said.
He said it was nonsensical for MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba to accuse him and Sata of seeking political mileage by holding rallies against ministers' salary increments. Hichilema said ministers were jittery because they knew that their time in government was shrinking.
“In fact, if they are clever, they should act quickly and reverse that decision. They must be interested in the people of Zambia not themselves. For me, if I went into public office, I don't need to steal from the people of Zambia. What I need to do is to give the people of Zambia a better life, better agriculture, health and schools. Doctors and nurses are not being paid, a policeman is underpaid, why should a minister pay himself responsibility allowance?
Personally, I call it irresponsibility allowance,” Hichilema said. “If they gave that money to the people of Zambia, that school pointing at Mpamba Basic would be a good school today. But because it has been denied that, the school is in a bad school state.”
On Sata's statement that he would groom him politically, Hichilema said he would not comment because that would dilute their friendship. Hichilema said Sata was a good and experienced politician whose advice was always required in the country's politics.
And addressing a rally earlier, Hichilema urged people to trust the opposition and vote out the MMD government which had failed them for almost the past two decades.
Hichilema said UPND believed in the servant-type of leadership as opposed to master leadership currently being practised by MMD government.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PF, SATA, UPND
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Brace for mass action against MMD, Sata tells Zambians
By Mwala Kalaluka
Monday August 18, 2008 [04:00]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has said Zambians must brace for more mass action against the MMD leadership which he described as being full of greedy individuals. And United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has said those who thought Zambians could never unite to fight evil leadership should think again.
During a joint public rally held by PF, UPND and some civil society organisations in Lusaka on Saturday in protest against the decision by the government to increase perks for constitutional office bearers and other leaders, Sata said the hour had come for the MMD government to go.
Sata said the current situation was similar to what transpired in 1991 when Zambians joined hands to remove Dr Kenneth Kaunda and UNIP from the corridors of power.
“Comrade Hakainde, Zambians only get united when there is a problem. When there is no problem, Zambians do not get united. Now, I want to tell you something,” Sata said. “A crisis arose in 1991, just like what is happening now. Rupiah Banda was in UNIP; mealie-meal went up, fuel went up, Mwamba Luchembe became mad, my boys at Soweto went beserk, and Mandevu went beserk. What is happening now is what happened in 1991. Kaunda was more arrogant than Rupiah Banda and Mulongoti.”
He said the MMD leadership should count itself lucky, in view of its move to award itself hefty salaries, that he reconciled with President Levy Mwanawasa on May 14, this year.
“This government is very lucky, because I am a Roman Catholic. Once I say something I stick to it. If on May 14, this year, I would have not met Mwanawasa, we would not be holding this meeting,” Sata said amidst applause. “What type of human beings are these? Umunabo nalwalwa (their friend is ill)…Even in a home can you hold a celebration if the husband or wife is ill? If Mwanawasa would not have been in hospital, on Monday (today) I would have declared a general strike.”
Sata said he would wait to get President Mwanawasa’s latest health condition before he and Hichilema can decide the next course of action over the issue of salary increments for constitutional office bearers.
“I am just requesting all of you to be prepared, because I communicate with people in Paris every day. I will inform you. After that we will rise because we are the ones that sleep on an empty stomach and it is us who deliver under trees,” Sata urged.
He said even if government officials decided to further their selfish and greedy ends by hiding in Parliament, people power would stop them from getting a single ngwee of the monies they intend to award themselves at the expense of other pressing social needs.
“We have to be very united. There are wars in most parts of the world; there is a war in Georgia; there is a war in Iraq; there is a war in Afghanistan, there is a war in Zimbabwe and in South Africa there is xenophobia. Now, what the hell do they think they are?” Sata asked. “They have disqualified themselves and there is nobody from MMD who can take over this country, because once they take over this country, they will loot the funds, they will even grab our women. They are all greedy individuals.
Sata dared any government leader to append their signature to transform the three bills into law.
“The fight is not between me and Hakainde; the fight is to fight for you,” he said “Today we have started the journey, even if they say they will go to Parliament and think themselves clever, wait. We want to see the one who will sign.”
Sata urged Hichilema to be strong and avoid being faint-hearted.
“In 1991, the people of Zambia came and said the hour has come and now the hour has come for this gong’a (fake) government,” said Sata.
And Hichilema said he was thankful to Zambians who had demonstrated that they could be united around a theme and purpose.
“I want to say that today is a great day for Zambia, because there are many people who have been thinking that Zambians will never be united to defeat that which is evil,” Hichilema said. “The people of Zambia are one, the MMD have been trying to create differences so that they can continue stealing from you. We are here united under a sense of purpose of national obligation to protect the people of Zambia from those that are using public office to steal from the poor, who are less privileged to award themselves hefty salary increments.”
Hichilema, who kept referring to Sata as bashikulu (grandpa), said the hefty allowances that government leaders had awarded themselves were an irresponsibility of the highest order.
“One minister was heard saying they are underpaid; he is a government minister and he says he is underpaid. So he wants to be paid so much money from you. I say to this minister that if you want more money, you do what we have done, we go in business and make money,” said Hichilema.
Meanwhile, UPND vice-president Richard Kapita said some ministers called on him on Friday to tell him that he was wasting time opposing the issue of the salary increment for constitutional office bearers.
“They told me that ‘Kapita, you are just jealous of us’,” he claimed.
PF vice-president Guy Scott said it was time to change the government, while Kabwata PF member of parliament Given Lubinda, who described the rally as historical, said he was embarrassed to be a parliamentarian.
Zambezi West UPND member of parliament Charles Kakoma said it was disheartening that parliamentarians had been used to rubber-stamp an immoral act.
In a short address, Federation for Free Trade Unions in Zambia (FFTUZ) vice-president Charles Phiri said the people had delivered a clear message to the leadership that wrong acts would not be tolerated.
Some of the speakers called on Zambians to press for the holding of elections in the next 100 days.
Most of the civil society organisations, who had pledged to join in the public protest rally, did not turn up but sent a solidarity message that was read by Lubinda.
They urged the government to emulate their colleagues in the Ivory Coast who recently slashed their salaries and reduced prices of fuel in response to the common man’s cry.
The organisations promised to fight the unjustified salary increments to the bitter end, just as they fought former president Frederick Chiluba’s Third Term bid.
Those that appended their signatures to the statement which was read on their behalf by Lubinda during the rally are Transparency International Zambia, Women for Change, Anti-Voter Apathy, Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, Southern Africa Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes, Caritas Zambia, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction, Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council, Foundation for Democratic Process, Council of Churches in Zambia and Zambia Youth Association Against Corruption. These organisations did not attend the rally but sent a solidarity statement.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MMD, OPPOSITION, PF, SATA, UPND
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There's strength in unity
By Editor
Sunday August 17, 2008 [04:00]
It is said that there is strength in unity. And Hakainde Hichilema is right when he says that: “If we have to serve the people, we need to be united.” But as we have always pointed out, unity is not a principle, it is an expediency in the quest for power. However, if the decision by Michael Sata and Hakainde to co-operate, to work together is properly managed, it will definitely propel them collectively to a better performance in their campaigns and elections than they would achieve all by themselves.
Those who are ready to join hands can overcome the greatest challenges.
But no meaningful co-operation can be achieved on the shifting sands of evasions, illusions and opportunism.
And the mark of great leaders is the ability to understand the context in which they are operating and act accordingly.
Experience has shown that a fragmented opposition, an opposition divided into hostile political parties loses its militancy. Protracted fights among opposition political parties inevitably result in them concentrating on weakening each other and collectively lowering their capacity in the political contest with the ruling party.
They also individually and collectively become distracted from their day-to-day political struggles and campaigns against the ruling party. And consequently, they lose their influence among the masses.
We hope that this co-operation between Sata and Hakainde will mean that they will not oppose or criticise each other when things are wrong. Criticising each other in a multi-party political system does not mean personal enmity.
In a multi-party system, opponents are not enemies, they are mere competitors in a competition to serve.
Truly, political competitors in a multi-party political system don’t necessarily have to like each other, but they must tolerate one another and acknowledge that each has a legitimate and important role to play.
They must also agree to co-operate in solving common problems of the society. Those in the opposition should co-operate among themselves with the knowledge that their role is essential – and needs to be strengthened – in any democracy worth the name.
Meaningful co-operation among our opposition political parties should be the fruit of honesty, truth and solidarity and it must be actualised by people thirsting after an ever more perfect reign of justice. To make intra-opposition co-operation meaningful, all are called to maturity, tolerance and responsibility.
And for such co-operation to be meaningful, it is important to maintain and strengthen democratic principles and party structures; it shouldn’t rely totally on the goodwill of two individuals who may not have even properly consulted and involved their parties.
And we hope that this co-operation between Sata and Hakainde does not lead to political insulation and complacency. Therefore, it must be looked at in the context of advancing democracy, strengthening checks and balances in the governance of our country.
Democracy is a much more important human ideal to strive for than political co-operation between two leading opposition politicians of the moment.
Unity is not a human ideal, it is a matter of political expedience in the struggle for political power. Co-operation must never be seen to be more important than democracy because doing so will be tantamount to making a historical conversion that alters the cause and purpose of our multi-party democracy.
Co-operation or accommodation between two leading opposition politicians of the moment is a political phenomenon without inherent virtues.
The substantive meaning of the co-operation Sata and Hakainde should be seen against the background of the quest for democracy. Without this context, it becomes misleading to suggest that there is something inherently sacrosanct about this co-operation between Sata and Hakainde.
Political co-operation and accommodation must be a dialectical result of their competition under common broad-based democratic constitutional rules.
We say this because the political and other interests of the Zambian people are too complex and by far larger than the similar and combined interests of Sata and Hakainde to form the next government or enter State House.
Therefore, the purpose of their co-operation should be underpinned by uplifting the most trodden sections of our population and all-round transformation of our society. But there is always a danger of being easily enticed to read co-operation as meaning no criticism against each other.
If criticism is justified, it must be made. Co-operation that takes away an individual’s right to make just and honest criticism doesn’t seem to be right because it is not in the interest of our people to do so.
Meaningful co-operation also requires that all parties respect each other. If this is the case, then the question of Sata trying to groom Hakainde seems to be a patronising one. Sata has got his own party, with his own leadership and members who need to be groomed. How can he go about claiming to be grooming a leader of another political party? Unless there is a merger of their political parties, this doesn’t seem feasible and it’s merely empty words from Sata. Co-operation should not remain just mere words; it has to be visible in concrete actions.
The coming together of opposition political parties, together with civil society, to challenge Cabinet’s decision to increase the salaries of politicians if implemented well will save as a warning to those in government that gone are the days when public resources were shared without opposition.
We would all like our politicians to earn good salaries. But this should be in line with the general performance of our economy and other things happening in the country.
Looked at in this way, it’s clear that these increased salaries were ill-conceived and ill-timed. And those in government should blame themselves for the embarrassing opposition they are facing over this issue.
It will be impossible for them to marshal public support in their favour. They will give themselves this salary increment at the back of serious national opposition. It may seem too late for them to withdraw the bill. But it will be fatal for Acting President Rupiah Banda to sign the bill.
The best advice we can give them is that they should mull over things and consider the feelings of the people. This will be the wrong time for them to face nation-wide strikes and campaigns against their increased salaries. This is the wrong time for them to be made to appear so greedy and selfish. Timing is important in everything.
Labels: CABINET, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PF, SATA, UPND
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HH slams proposed salary hike for ministers
Posted on August 7th, 2008
The United Party for National Development (UPND) has received the proposed salary increments for cabinet ministers and top government officials with a deep sense of shock and dismay. Party President Hakainde Hichilema said at a press briefing today that the proposed increments are a disgrace on the part of government in as far as the management of public resources is concerned.
Mr. Hichilema said the correct thing for government would have been to increase the salaries of the lowly paid civil servants such as teachers, nurses and police officers. He explained that increasing the salary of a lowly paid civil servant by 15 percent does not justify increasing the salary of an already well paid Minister by the same 15 percent saying the move is an indication of not understanding the principle of fairness and equity in the distribution the country’s income.
He wondered why cabinet has decided to approve hefty salary increments for themselves when they have not implemented various developmental projects under the pretext of not having adequate funds. Mr. Hichilema noted that government’s statement that parliament will make the final decision on the proposed increments is unacceptable saying under the current parliamentary procedure MPs are not allowed to debate matters which affect them.
He cited government’s refusal to increase the meal allowances and Salaries for University of Zambia students and lecturers respectively as an example of government’s unfair approach to the distribution of Zambia’s resources. He described the proposed increments which include Ministers’ fuel allowance, vehicle sale, President and Speakers’ pension and gratuity as unacceptable and unjustifiable.
Mr. Hichilema alleged that government did not spend almost K1 trillion from last year’s budget in order to award themselves huge amounts of allowances at the expense of developing the country’s education, health and agricultures sectors among others.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hichilema says government should recapitalize the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) at a commercially viable level. Mr. Hichilema told journalists at a press briefing today that the current National Agricultural policy is dismal hence the problems being faced at NCZ. He said there is need for a more explicit and viable policy to improve agriculture in the country.
ZANIS/BK/AM/ENDS
Labels: CABINET, CORRUPTION, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA
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Hichilema’s anger and frustration
By Editor
Monday July 28, 2008 [04:00]
Opposition UPND president Hakainde Hichilema is accusing us of harbouring colossal hatred against him and that we are bent on destroying his political career and his party. He says we are intimidating him because our preferred candidate is not doing well politically and for that we are using the newspaper to hammer Hakainde who is just doing a noble community service.
He asks who told us that we run UPND. He says we are trying to limit his freedom just because we own a newspaper. Mr Hichilema also says we are using the newspaper to insult him.
Mr Hichilema’s anger against us emanates from the editorial comment we carried last Wednesday headlined “Appointing a medical board for Levy” and some other editorials we have carried in the past. In the recent editorial, we pointed out that the last two general elections have produced phenomenal results, which have to be examined. We said two political parties in the name of Michael Sata’s PF and Hichilema’s UPND have emerged with significant wins in some key parts of our country but remain virtually redundant and irrelevant to our national politics.
And then we asked why? We asked why should politicians and political parties that win landslide victories in Lusaka, the Copperbelt and the Southern Province be moribund and irrelevant in solving serious national issues? We said the behaviour that these politicians are showing over the illness of President Levy Mwanawasa probably explains their irrelevance.
We said they are very steeped in meaningless and cheap politics. We also said their vulture behaviour renders them of little use to society and that we need to raise our political rhetoric to a level where it becomes a tool for political good and not just a means of getting to State House.
In the editorial complained of, we also said and we quote: “Sata and Hichilema control huge parts of our country politically but how have they used the influence they have? How can a political party that controls the Lusaka City Council and all the councils on the Copperbelt be irrelevant? Without insulting anyone, we have to say it’s because of pettiness, opportunistic behaviour and a failure to rise above demagogue and narrow personal interest.
A blind ambition for State House has robbed some of our politicians of the ability to appreciate the position they should hold in their country. Hichilema controls the whole of Southern Province; what is he doing to engage the government in a meaningful, productive and respectful way in order to extract benefits for the area his party seems to represent? The single-minded focus on the Republican presidency is emasculating our young multi-party democracy. When people fail to make it to State House, they fail to find any other meaningful role to play and quickly become irrelevant and sometimes destructive.”
These are some of the issues we raised in our editorial among others. Mr Hichilema says he was surprised that our comment of Wednesday, which was against the formation of a medical board to look into President Mwanawasa’s illness, attacked him for what he did not say, for no apparent reasons. Hichilema describes this editorial comment as nonsensical and that it was meant to destroy him and his party UPND.
This is what Hichilema is angry about. These are the words that he says are meant to destroy his political career and that of his party UPND. To him, we should not write about him and his party because we are talking of the subject of a medical board, which he himself is against. We find this to be shallow thinking for a person of his state.
We do realise the problems he faces, as he says that it is not easy to run a political party. And we really do sympathise with him over that.
We would advise Hichilema to direct his energy towards revamping his party so that it can have a purpose to the people of the Southern Province who gave him a landslide victory in the previous elections. The people of Southern Province did not give him and his party the landslide victory for nothing. They expected that vote to help in bettering their lives. They expected him to make a meaningful contribution towards the governing of this country. The people of Southern Province will not wait for that vote to be meaningful to them only when Hichilema becomes president. What if he never becomes president?
Hichilema should just admit that his presidency of the UPND has been problematic from the start. His problems in the UPND are like those of a child born with an incurable disease and the effects of that disease have become full blown. We talked against the way Hichilema rose to the presidency of UPND. We wrote against what motivated that. The problems we wrote against have become full blown. This is just the beginning of Hichilema’s problems and many more are yet to come.
Hichilema accuses us of intimidating him because our preferred candidate is not doing well. We challenge Hichilema to tell the nation who this preferred candidate is. We expect him to tell the truth. We find this worrying because we do not expect Hichilema, a man aspiring for the presidency of our country, such a high and noble office, to join the kind of discourse and rumour mongering that is prevalent among cadres and people of low literacy. It is meant for bars and tarvens. Mr Hichilema should know that we are not in the business of endorsing candidates. Our practice has been not to do so. We will endorse a candidate only in extraordinary circumstances. And we feel we are not yet in such a situation.
Who is this preferred candidate he is referring to? Is it All People’s Congress Party president Ken Ngondo? Is it FDD president Edith Nawakwi, United Liberal Party president Sakwiba Sikota or is it Patriotic Front president Michael Sata? We rule out President Mwanawasa because he will not be aspiring for office in 2011. Then who? And he should show the nation our bias towards that candidate. Hichilema has in the past accused us of being compromised and biased towards ULP president Sikota and we found that laughable.
Is it Sata? If it is Sata let him show us which other media institution criticised Sata on a number of issues, days before the previous presidential and general elections. Is it not PF cadres who wanted to kill us, accusing us of being biased against their candidate? Anyway we are used to these kinds of accusations. We find these kinds of accusations when people are going through a rough patch in their various careers. Even some clergymen have accused us of being biased. And the story has quickly died out the moment they sail through.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, THE POST, UPND
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HH accuses The Post
By Lambwe Kachali
Monday July 28, 2008 [04:00]
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has accused The Post of harbouring colossal hatred against him. Reacting to last Wednesday's editorial comment, which questioned his failure to engage the government in a meaningful, productive and respectful way in order to extract benefits for people in Southern Province, Hichilema described the comment as nonsensical.
Hichilema said The Post was bent on destroying his political career and the party.
Hichilema said UPND members of parliament and councillors had been engaging the government in various ways but that nothing happened to improve people's lives because of the government's lack of political will.
"We are engaging the government in the council chambers, our councillors are doing that. We are engaging MMD in parliament. You have seen many debates where we moved a motion to amend the NCC Act to allow the churches and other stakeholders to come on board, but this government did not listen. Is that not constructive engagement?" he asked.
Hichilema said even if the opposition spoke on top of their voices, there would be no development in the country without a listening government.
"The problem is that the MMD government doesn't know how to run local government. It has not been providing sufficient developmental resources to the councils. That's why you need to change the government. If we get into government, you will see how we’ll run the local government. We will allocate sufficient resources to every constituency, because a member of parliament cannot use his personal resources for development, it is a responsibility of government to allocate enough developmental resources to each constituency," Hichilema said.
He said like any other opposition political party, UPND was not responsible for the country's underdevelopment and poor standards of living for the majority of citizens.
"The issue is that, it is the government, the party in government to put enough money into constituencies and wards and members of parliament or councilors irrespective of which party they come from will be able to use that for development. And you can see that actually, your comment was bent on hatred of Hakainde," he said.
Hichilema also said The Post had no authority to question his party campaigns for the 2011 general elections. He said UPND had been campaigning since the 2006 general elections and would continue until the next polls.
"You have been asking why are we campaigning for 2011, but what is the job of a political party? The job of a political party is to go to the public and present its policies. What is wrong with that? When did The Post start to decide who should campaign and when? Who gave The Post those powers? That's nonsensical! We said to ourselves that during last elections, we only had 45 days and now we have more time, we should be on the road. Two months ago, you wrote an editorial asking why we are campaigning, that was before President Levy Mwanawasa fell ill. And now you angle President Mwanawasa's illness to the campaign we have been running. But who told you that you run UPND?" Hichilema asked. "You just have a colossal hatred against Hakainde."
Hichilema said as far as he was concerned, he had done nothing wrong to The Post to deserve such discrimination.
"I have not done anything wrong against you guys, I respect you guys a lot. I am not going to be discriminated in my own country. Where do you want me to go? I am not leaving this country for you. Yes, you shall not put limits on my freedom just because you own a newspaper," the seemingly angry Hichilema said.
"It is not easy to run a political party. There is no funding to political parties. Those who are trying to run political parties must actually be acknowledged. We don't need to be praised. No! I don't seek to be praised myself, but it is not good for you to use your newspaper to insult Hakainde. That is nonsense, utter nonsense."
He claimed that The Post was intimidating him because their preferred candidate was not doing well politically. Hichilema said The Post should tell their candidate to also start campaigning.
"I know you will not run my story because your favoured candidate is not doing well. That's why you are now using your paper to hammer Hakainde who is just doing a noble community service. Tell your candidate to start campaigning, as simple as that," he said.
Hichilema said he was surprised that he was mentioned in the editorial comment and yet it was against the formation of a medical board to look into President Mwanawasa's illness.
"Over the medical board, I simply said I disagree with that person who talked about a medical board and two days later, you ran an editorial hammering on the medical board and you hammered me as well. I didn't support the medical board and I came out clear. Again I issued a statement; it is in your paper there, where we ran an advert for our vision for Zambia and instead, you used words to say I am pretending to be campaigning for 2011. Where is the pretence because the advert is an open one? Who told you that you issue instructions on who should campaign? You don't have those powers over me, you will never have it. You can say what you want, but you will never have it, that's my right, that's my basic right and you will never take it away. All I am asking is fairness and professionalism. You shouldn't be using your paper to victimise other people on the basis of God's creation, because I didn't decide to be born in Southern Province. What crime did I commit?" asked Hichilema.
Last Wednesday's editorial comment, based on Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda's analysis on the procedure for a medical board, questioned why political parties that won landslide victories in Lusaka, Copperbelt and Southern provinces were moribund and irrelevant in resolving serious national issues. The editorial comment also called for the need to raise the political rhetoric to a level where it becomes a tool for political good and not just a means of getting to State House.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THE POST, UPND
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There would be a vacuum in PF without me - Sata
By Patson Chilemba
Saturday July 19, 2008 [04:00]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said there would be a leadership vacuum in the party without him. In an interview, Sata said the illness of President Levy Mwanawasa had exposed the leadership vacuum in the MMD and that PF was no exception.
“PF is no exception. Any other organisation is no exception. But it is up to people of Zambia...leaders through these organisations. If today Hichilema Hakainde was not in UPND, Tilyenji Kaunda in UNIP and all other leaders....or if Mr Sata was not in PF. People should not rely on Sata as a voice of the voiceless. People in PF should speak for the voiceless," Sata said.
"Everybody in PF should not be scared of going to prison for speaking the truth and should not look for greener pastures like NCC National Constitutional Conference.
"When asked what he was doing to ensure that there was no leadership vacuum without him in his party, Sata responded: "You can take a horse to a river but you can't force it to drink water."
Sata said the vacuum in the MMD could apply to other organisations. Sata said just like in other organisations, PF members should be aggressive and sacrificial enough to assume higher offices such as the presidency of the party.
Sata said true leaders should mould themselves and not wait to be moulded.
"So you find in every field, anything trusted upon you which you have not worked for becomes very difficult. I have told my colleagues, first of all, they must know why they are leaders whether in the Parliament or outside Parliament," Sata said.
"When I started talking to Levy, people were saying the voice has gone. Where are the other voices? Why can't they fill the vacuum? Let them be aggressive."
Sata said the PF and the nation in general would not be the same if leaders learnt to be selfless and sacrificed enough. He urged party members of parliament to do more for the nation than what they were currently doing. He said if PF parliamentarians were as aggressive as member of parliament for Munali, Mumbi Phiri, checks and balances could be much more effective.
"Some people are more educated than Mumbi Phiri but she is very aggressive. She is always with the people. People of Munali have no shortage of representation," Sata said.
"Because it's not a question of if you are representing a rural constituency to go in a boma and stay in a guest house and say 'I have been to a constituency'. Go and see, what type of water do your people drink?"
On UPND president Hichilema's statement that he was an opportunist following his proposal that President Mwanawasa be subjected to a medical board examination to ascertain his fitness to remain Republican President, Sata said he was honest when he urged government to either allow doctors attending to President Mwanawasa to brief the nation or set up a medical board to ascertain his health.
Sata said people were speculating over the President's condition.
He said Hichilema had misunderstood the whole issue.
Sata said he loved President Mwanawasa more than Hichilema and his wish was for the President to return home safely.
He said the problem with Hichilema was that he was petty and had little understanding of politics.
"When we are trying to teach Hichilema governance, but the boy is twisting the story like as if he is privatising Zambezi Sun," he said.
Sata also said MMD national secretary, Katele Kalumba, should be given a benefit of doubt because he was innocent until proven guilty.
"You can't judge him. He is innocent until proved guilty," said Sata.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, LEADERSHIP, PF, POLITICS, PRESIDENCY, SATA, UPND
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Sata is an opportunist vulture, charges HH
By Chibaula Silwamba
Friday July 18, 2008 [04:00]
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema yesterday described Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata as an opportunist vulture following his proposal that President Mwanawasa be subjected to a medical board examination to ascertain his fitness as Republican President. And Hichilema said Cabinet had to some extent failed to run the country, leading to a perception that there was a crisis.
Addressing a media briefing at the UPND secretariat in Lusaka's Rhodes Park area, Hichilema expressed surprise that Sata, who recently reconciled with President Levy Mwanawasa, was in a hurry to have the latter declared unfit to rule the country.
"Only recently, the leader of Patriotic Front Michael Sata called on Cabinet to ask the Chief Justice to constitute a medical board to be flown into Paris to go and enquire into the condition of President Mwanawasa," Hichilema said. "It is our considered view that this call has come too early, is untimely and rather insensitive."
He observed that this was not the first time Sata had called for President Mwanawasa to be subjected to a medical board after a short period of illness.
He said Sata did that just before the 2006 elections when President Mwanawasa was admitted to a hospital in London and had continuously called for a presidential by-election after the elections in the same year.
"As UPND, we feel that for a man who is supposed to have just reconciled with President Mwanawasa, Sata should have waited for a while in order to observe the progress President Mwanawasa makes in hospital.
Why is the newly-crowned friend to the President in a hurry to have President Mwanawasa declared unfit to rule the country?" Hichilema asked. "It is true that every country has its stock of individuals with negative opportunism, those who act like vultures, waiting to consume anything that appears to be ailing even when it may be poisonous."
Hichilema said Zambians were aware of the constitutional requirements for setting up a medical board and the UPND's understanding was that the board constituted under Article 36(1) of the Constitution was not for patients who were still receiving treatment in hospital but for those reasonably suspected to be incapable of ruling after receiving treatment beyond a reasonable time.
"It is our considered view that those who are in a hurry to invoke the provisions of Articles 36 of the Constitution should hold their fire and wait for a reasonable period of time to allow the treatment to have its full course," he said. "The nation will need to be satisfied that the treatment has failed after which the relevant constitutional provisions shall be rightly and genuinely invoked."
Hichilema called on all Zambians to remain calm, prayerful but continue to meet the challenges facing the country.
However, Hichilema said Cabinet should provide some kind of leadership and resolve the various serious problems in the absence of President Mwanawasa.
"Anyone who has been observing what has been going on in the country can agree with us that Cabinet has to some extent failed to provide leadership and, therefore, deepening the preserved crisis," Hichilema said.
He condemned the government for posting the updates on President Mwanawasa's condition on the State House web site.
"Many Zambians have no access to website and TV," he said.
Hichilema also expressed concerned over the looming shortage of fuel in the country and urged the government to resolve the problem.
He also said the proposed increase in electricity tariffs by Zesco against declining service delivery was unacceptable.
Hichilema said the continued power blackouts endangered the country's security and advised Zesco to urgently address the problems.
He further urged government to recapitalise Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) and that all former and current employees of that company should be paid their long delayed salaries.
"NCZ is at the centre of agriculture," he said.
Hichilema observed that the current food price hikes were partly because of government's irresponsible decision to reduce support to small-scale farmers.
Hichilema condemned the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for purchasing Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) maize worth over K20 billion against presidential directive.
"This money was lost against the backdrop of better alternative use in the face of rising poverty in the nation," said Hichilema.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, SATA
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Get down to work, Chirwa urges Govt
By Lambwe Kachali
Monday July 14, 2008 [04:00]
THE government should stop mourning over President Levy Mwanawasa's illness, MMD presidential aspirant Professor Clive Chirwa has said. And UPND president Hakainde Hichilema said the government should not come to a standstill because of President Mwanawasa's absence from the country. In an interview, Prof Chirwa said much as he wished President Mwanawasa a quick recovery, it was necessary for the government to show the nation that they were in control.
He said the depreciation of the kwacha and the inflation jump were a normal occurrence in times of a short-term crisis but that President Mwanawasa's illness could bring out speculators to start selling much of Zambian assets and then move to other profitable grounds.
Prof Chirwa explained that having both the kwacha's depreciation and the inflation jump were a rare occasion but could happen when the economic foundation is not strong to cushion the fluctuations.
"If this was a business, we would have seen loss of share values as the chief executive is taken to hospital. To alleviate the downward trend of the kwacha and rocketing of the inflation, the Cabinet led by the hard working VP Vice-President Rupiah Banda should stop mourning, the President is alive and should double their work rate in order to show the nation that they are in control. Market forces do not like governments with a face that is showing bruises when one member of the group has been temporarily taken out of action...because the result will be high inflation and currency depreciation. So let the Cabinet keep focused and deliver ever more beyond the call of duty," he advised.
Prof Chirwa said President Mwanawasa was a hard working man who worked tirelessly to deliver to Zambians' expectations.
"I have known for some time that the President was doing a lot, even jobs of some ministers. Those ministers and key personnel who were dragging their feet should now start running, not walking, but running so that we meet our national targets and improve our confidence level in the eyes of Zambians. This period should be make or break for those in ministerial powers and for those who influence policies. The train has no driver and hence the lieutenants should keep utmost discipline and appoint one person whom they will listen to in order to deliver on the plans and policies. No in-fighting but teamwork is the way forward under the leadership of the Vice-President R. Banda," he said.
Prof Chirwa wished President Mwanawasa quick recovery. He said he learnt about President Mwanawasa's sickness in China where he had gone to lecture to Chinese engineers.
"I was in China teaching Chinese engineers, which I do every year, when I learnt that the President was taken ill on duty in Egypt and was being transferred to Percy-Clamart Military Hospital in France. I then rang my PA campaign manager to quickly ascertain the facts. I waited a few days to make sure His Excellency was stable, before I requested permission to visit him. Unfortunately I was not allowed to visit his ward when I went to Clamart last weekend. What I did is to send him a "Get Well Soon" card and a bunch of flowers to keep his spirit up. I returned to the UK," Prof Chirwa said.
"I like the man, because he has tirelessly worked to improve the economy and we started seeing results from his policies. I know he is not a diplomat, he says what he thinks and this is how he has made things work. Many Zambians and I will want him to recover quickly so that he bounces back into his cockpit and fly our economic recovery."
And Hichilema said although citizens were devoting much of their time to praying for the President's quick recovery, the government should realise that they had a stronger obligation to work and continue with national programmes.
Hichilema, who gave an example of the rapid depreciation of the kwacha, said it was imperative for ministers and all government officials to work extra hard to avoid economic problems as the country did not know when the President would return.
Hichilema said with or without President Mwanawasa, the government should function and ensure that the country's programmes continued. However, he said the kwacha's depreciation was not a result of President Mwanawasa's illness as there were other factors.
"There are several issues. Most of these issues have an impact on the whole economy. For example, the issue of high fuel prices, which has resulted in an increase in food prices. The reduction in the budgetary allocation to Ministry of Agriculture, which has led to increase in the cost of fertiliser. All these are some of the factors which have negatively impacted on our economy," he said.
Hichilema said even before the President fell ill, the economic problems were predictable.
"This is because of the government's inability to deal with the daily challenges. I can assure you that this situation would obtain because other variables such as removal of subsidies on fuel and this was announced before President Mwanawasa fell ill, so are other variables I have just mentioned. Now all these things that you are seeing are now becoming clearer and I think it's a reflection on the state of the nation," he said.
Hichilema warned that if the situation was not reversed, the country would face a huge economic crisis.
Hichilema said the lower sections of the communities would be heavily affected and that the country's future could be bleak to an extent where the rich would remain rich and the poor, poorer.
President Mwanawasa suffered a stroke on June 29 in Egypt where he had gone to attend an African Union (AU) heads of state summit. President Mwanawasa was admitted to Sharm-el-Sheik International Hospital in the resort city of Sharm-el-Sheik in Egypt and was later evacuated to Percy Military Hospital in France on July 1 where he is still admitted.
Labels: CLIVE CHIRWA, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MMD, PRESIDENCY, SUCCESSION
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Unity is key in every situation, says KK
By Laura Mushaukwa and Mwila Chansa
Tuesday July 08, 2008 [04:06]
UNITY is key in every situation, Dr Kenneth Kaunda has said. In an interview ahead of Unity Day which falls today, Dr Kaunda called for the unity of all Zambians through the forces of genuine love. "Unity is key in every situation and Zambians must continue to stand together all the way, that was why this day was established," Dr Kaunda said. "Love thy neighbour as you love yourself."
And UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema expressed confidence that Zambians would continue demonstrating unity when it was needed most. He said Zambians were good spirited people who always united for a common effort.
"They demonstrated unity when they fought for independence, they demonstrated unity when they fought for multiparty politics.
In President Mwanawasa's illness they have demonstrated unity and I have no doubt at all that they will unite for their
country to be run better," Hichilema said. "They will unite for a viable country that will look after the sick. They may take
long but they do come together for a common effort."
Hichilema underscored the need to work on commonality as a country instead of pulling each other down. He also urged
government leaders to show leadership by exhibiting strength even as President Mwanawasa received treatment in France.
He said in such situations, people tend to be emotional but that there was need for the government leadership to provide
confidence to the people.
Hichilema also urged Zambians to remain calm, prayerful, thoughtful and collected.
"It is important that in this situation, we remain calm. We should not panic or create alarm. We need to be strong and
government leaders should provide calmness and leadership of some kind," Hichilema said.
He reiterated his wish for President Mwanawasa to quickly recover. He said it was important to ensure that even as President
Mwanawasa remained ill, issues that should keep the country running were addressed.
Hichilema cited the pending strike at the University of Zambia (UNZA) as one of the issues that needed to be seriously addressed.
And President Mwanawasa's family friend, Dale Litana, yesterday asked all Zambians to kneel down in prayer for his quick
recovery. Litana, a Kitwe-based businessman, said although God did not answer all prayers, he was hopeful that out of the
so-many prayers said for President Mwanawasa's quick recovery, God would listen and respond accordingly.
"I would like to encourage all my fellow Zambians to kneel down and pray for Levy," Litana said. "I am convinced that God has
something for Levy because he picked him for a purpose. Zambia has done very well under Levy’s leadership. This has to
continue."
And Litana said although the government had accepted an apology from South African President Thabo Mbeki concerning his announcement that President Mwanawasa had died, he personally found it hard to accept the apology because a person in President Mbeki's position had all the instruments at his disposal to quickly verify that information.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, KENNETH KAUNDA, NATIONAL UNITY DAY
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Levy accuses HH of cheap politics
By Chibaula Silwamba in Milanzi and Lambwe Kachali in Lusaka
Friday June 27, 2008 [04:00]
PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa has charged that UPND president Hakainde Hichilema is practising cheap politics. And President Mwanawasa said it must be compulsory for every child to go to school. Addressing a rally at Kagoro Basic School on Wednesday where he was lobbying Milanzi electorates to vote for MMD parliamentary candidate in yesterday's by-election, Reuben Chisanga Banda, President said he was unhappy with the behaviour of an opposition political party leader - in reference to Hichilema - who paid medical bills for two students of University of Zambia (UNZA) who were shot at by police during a demonstration.
"My colleagues in the opposition political parties, you should be truthful, you should be frank, and you should exhibit high levels of integrity. Don't cheat," President Mwanawasa said. "The students at the university are injured, a few of them are admitted to the hospital, you go there and you offer to pay hospital fees and say you have done something which deserves the people to vote for you. That is very cheap politics. You take television cameras to the ward and begin insulting...yes it is insulting. What we saw recently by a political leader Hichilema did not impress me and it did not impress all reasonable thinking members of society. That was cheap campaigning, cheap politicking."
President Mwanawasa said there were so many problems in Zambia which Hichilema should help out on quietly instead of publicising them to gain political mileage.
"We have so many orphans who cannot go to school, and we have so many people who are going hungry. Why don't you contribute money so that you can alleviate their suffering without even talking about it?" President Mwanawasa asked.
"You Hichilema urge them students to demand more allowances, you don't even stop to think where the money is going to come from. You are an educated man with a good job and good income, why don't you pick 10 students from the University of Zambia and sponsor them 100 per cent."
President Mwanawasa advised Hichilema not to make noise about the help he offered to the needy in society.
"If you help because you want to get a simple vote, it's very unfortunate," he said. "There are many things which we are doing for this country beyond paying medical fees for three or four students. We are building schools, health centres, hospitals, we are buying materials and equipment for all these institutions, and they cost a lot of money."
President Mwanawasa said it was not deliberate that his government had failed to achieve everything that people need.
"It simply means we can only do so much," President Mwanawasa said. "Otherwise the performance of this administration over the past seven years is beyond comparison."
Last month, Hichilema paid medical bills at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) for two UNZA students that were shot at by police when they and other students protested, demanding increased meal and book allowances.
Hichilema was prompted to pay the bills after he visited the students and was told that they had not been treated because government had not paid their medical bills.
But Hichilema said President Mwanawasa should be ashamed and embarrassed for having failed to help the students. He said he paid for the students not to gain political mileage but to save life.
"Is President Mwanawasa telling Zambians that if a politician finds someone in an accident or someone dying, he should not help that person for fear of political mileage? I think a sound mentally person, especially the President himself cannot utter such a statement. When I was helping those students, journalists found me and it was the media that reported the matter not me. So, what is President Mwanawasa talking about? His ministers (Mike Mulongoti and Geoffrey Lungwangwa) failed to render any help. I think Levy should be a shameless President," Hichilema charged, adding that Zambians should judge who was practising cheap politics between President Mwanawasa and himself.
He further said President Mwanawasa should not brag of any development because people's lives had not improved despite the fact that MMD has been in power for a long time.
Hichilema said UPND would not treat President Mwanawasa with kid's gloves the way Patriotic Front president Michael Sata was doing. He described Sata as President Mwanawasa's mail messenger.
"Imagine the whole of Sata has now been turned into Levy's mail messenger, mail man where he is delivering letters to him all the time. What type of an opposition is President Sata trying to lead? This is a sad political development for Zambia," said Hichilema.
And President Mwanawasa said at the same rally that he would like Zambia to have plenty schools.
"Mr. Minister of Education, you and I are very educated and I want these children to receive the same if not better education than we have gone through," he said. "This is why I get particularly concerned when I find institutions of learning unimproved. We must ensure that as soon as possible all the children...in fact it must be compulsory for children to go to school. I want the schools to be plenty. As we say in Lamba, fililelele as you say here vilimbwembwembwe, vilivinandi, plenty."
President Mwanawasa said this after he discovered that Kagoro Basic School had not been renovated even after he had recommended in 2006 that it should be rehabilitated at a cost of K19 billion. He said the time he went to Kagoro, he was told that the school was built in 1943 but he was disappointed that nobody seemed to care to preserve such an important institution.
"I announced that the government was going to spend K19 billion to rehabilitate the school and I used the opportunity to attack the Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) who want to insist on a feasibility study being taken at a place where a school has been since 1943 and you find that they charge exorbitant amounts of money. Instead of that money being used for purposes of construction, it goes into some other useless Environmental Council of Zambia. No!" President Mwanawasa said.
He directed education minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa to ensure that the rehabilitation works at the school were completed soonest.
"At least when I come back I would like to spend an hour giving a lecture to pupils here," President Mwanawasa pledged.
Meanwhile, President Mwanawasa publicly 'cross-examined' the MMD parliamentary on his campaigns, performance of the government and what he intended to do for the people of Milanzi once elected.
"I have deliberately decided to ask these questions in the presence of the people here so that when I give you instructions on what you must do for the people of Milanzi, I don't want you to swear to me that it's too much. I expect you to work hard for the people of Milanzi," said President Mwanawasa.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MWANAWASA
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Sakwiba is bitter for nothing, says HH
By Lambwe Kachali and Agness Changala
Saturday June 21, 2008 [04:00]
OPPOSITION UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has said he does not want to engage in politics of hatred with United Liberal Party (ULP) leader Sakwiba Sikota. In an interview on Thursday from Milanzi Constituency where he had gone to drum up support for UPND candidate Chimwala Phiri, Hichilema said he had insisted on inviting Sikota to his party because he harboured no grudge against him. Hichilema said Sikota's statement was malicious and misleading because he (Hichilema) had met him on several occasions over the need to reconcile.
"I think, as leaders, we need to be honest and sincere. Before the 2006 convention, I met Hon Sikota at Pamodzi Hotel and this meeting was presided by Hon David Matongo Pemba member of parliament in which we discussed that each of us should accept the outcome of the convention. And after the convention, I met him at Dr Kenneth
Kaunda's residence and we discussed many issues.
There have been many emissaries used between these two years to have us come together so that we deliver this country forward," Hichilema said.
"So, it is clear that my brother Saky is bitter for nothing. You know, I believe in honesty and sincerity and it will be important that Hon Sikota accept that. We cannot be perpetrating enmity for two years. That's not constructive politics."
Hichilema said UPND's invitation to Sikota was genuine and that he had never issued tribal sentiments as alleged.
He said people promoting issues of tribalism lacked important issues to talk about because UPND believed in unity regardless of people's affiliations.
"This is not the first time Sikota has issued such derogatory tribal statements against me. He has been circulating many statements which I have not reacted to because I believe they are not worth reacting to," Hichilema said. "As politicians who seek public office, we should not promote hatred the way Sikota does. Anyway, Zambians will judge at the end of the day."
He said if Sikota was against the idea of reconciliation, he should not use lies.
"Even if Sikota is trying to insult me, I will not insult back because we have been vindicated since the majority of ULP members have come back to their original party, UPND. So there is no need to argue with such a person," he said.
And Hichilema complained that The Post editorial comment, which was carried in the Thursday edition was discriminatory and injurious to his party.
Hichilema said The Post had no authority to question UPND's campaigns because they were at liberty to do so across the country.
He said newspapers should not be used as tools of oppression against other political parties.
"If there is something wrong I have done against you The Post, please call me and we can resolve," said Hichilema.
And former ULP chairperson for elections Lawrence Nyambe said Hichilema's olive branch to ULP members to rejoin UPND was genuine.
Nyambe, who recently resigned from ULP to rejoin UPND, said the call for Sikota to rejoin the party was based on Hichilema's strong desire to unite Zambians to work together and achieve social and economic development and reduce poverty in the country.
Nyambe said tribal sentiments at the UPND convention were uttered by Ngande Mwanajiti and Syacheye Madyenkuku and it was unfair to ask Hichilema to apologise over the sentiments.
On Tuesday, Hichilema asked Sikota to join UPND in the spirit of national unity and development but on Wednesday Sikota said the UPND leader's invitation was not genuine.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, SAKWIBA SIKOTA, SATA, ULP, UPND
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Nevers unhappy with HH, Saki arguments
By Speedwell Mupuchi
Friday June 20, 2008 [04:00]
Former Republican vice-president pastor Nevers Mumba has described as extremely distressing Hakainde Hichilema and Sakwiba Sikota’s political arguments over reconciliation. In an interview, pastor Mumba said the option UPND leader Hichilema and ULP president Sikota chose to tackle the issue of reconciliation was undesirable and discouraged Zambians who had been telling young political leaders to take responsibility of the country’s future.
He said he was hopeful the new breed of political leaders in the country would introduce the long sought for politics of self-respect, dialogue and dignity.
Pastor Mumba, who is also Reform Party president, said it was inappropriate for Hichilema to invite Sikota in such a mocking way saying, “looking at how ULP members are coming to my party, so come to join me”.
“Sikota has responded but going to the media to resolve such issues is not in the best interest of those on the political scene,” Pastor Mumba said. “The two leaders Hichilema and Sikota represent the new set of leadership that Zambia is looking for and together we must show the politics we are doing is a departure from yesterday’s politics of insults, name calling and confrontation.”
Pastor Mumba said he was confident, and based on the relationship he had with both Hichilema and Sikota, that they would find common ground in their efforts to give Zambia the deserved leadership. On Tuesday, Hichilema during a press conference invited Sikota to rejoin the UPND in the spirit of national unity and development.
However, Sikota the following day said Hichilema was not honest in his offer of reconciliation because he had failed to deal with tribalism in the party.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, NEVERS MUMBA, SAKWIBA SIKOTA
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HH’s invitation to Saki
By Editor
Thursday June 19, 2008 [04:00]
Hakainde Hichilema’s invitation to Sakwiba Sikota to rejoin the UPND is very interesting and needs to be analysed. It needs to be analysed because over the last eight years or so, UPND has emerged as an important opposition party. Opposition politics in any country is difficult. It is even more difficult in a developing democracy.
Those who want to be politicians should bear in mind that it is not always that they will find themselves serving on a ruling party ticket. Today’s ruling party may be tomorrow’s opposition. If one wants to serve as a politician, they must be very clear why they want to do so. They need to articulate for themselves a principled basis upon which they stand.
We say this because we have noticed that in our country and other places, there are quite a lot of people who enter politics with very wrong motives. They go into it believing that they are going to make a name and become instant heroes. This is true for some people. But it is very rare. It is risky to go into politics with this kind of expectation.
What happens if you don’t achieve instant celebrity and popularity? You will end up very frustrated and disillusioned. Politics in a poor country like ours should be about service, sacrificial service. If you are not prepared to sacrifice, don’t go into it.
We know a lot of politicians who joined politics because they wanted to become presidents and others MPs. Some of these people don’t have any history or experience in public service. They come in with the sole intention of becoming this or that. This lack of principle has denied the Zambian people meaningful representation from those who claim to be their public servants.
There is an attitude amongst our politicians that unless they win the presidency, there is nothing to fight for. Indeed, we have seen political parties winning the popular vote in huge parts of our country but having no impact on the ground. Why? It is because they think that the only time they can serve the people is when they win the presidency. By this kind of thinking, otherwise powerful opposition parties have rendered themselves ineffective and of no consequence in the politics of our country.
The political culture in our country is a winner-takes-all culture, a mentality which is not accommodating to divergent views. The problem will be big but not so big if only the ruling party thought like this. But unfortunately, even the opposition behaves the same way. We need to develop a culture of give and take. Politics is about balancing different interests.
Against this background, it is good that Hichilema is inviting Sikota back to UPND. But for what reason? Why should Sikota go back to the UPND?
Political union must be about principles. In other words, people who are serious about serving the country should agree on a basic minimum of principles on which they are going to co-operate. If Sikota was to go back to UPND, what are those basic minimum principles going to be?
To answer this question, we must look at what led to them parting company in the first place. There were allegations of electoral malpractice at the UPND convention and blatant sentiments of tribalism within the UPND. These were unfortunate and very serious anomalies that require deep reflection and honest efforts to address.
This is where Hichilema’s offer appears strange and unfortunate. If he was serious about unity in the opposition, common decency and humility suggests that he could have gone about this in a different way. To stand on a platform and invite Sikota back to the UPND in the public fashion that Hichilema did is condescending and a failure to understand politics.
Who would ever take Sikota seriously if upon such an invitation, he came out and said: “I am going back to the UPND”. If Sikota was prepared to do this, why did he leave in the first place? Hichilema, if he is serious about unity, needs to change his approach. There is a way in which things are done. The approach Hichilema has adopted is wrong.
He is adopting, maybe not intentionally, a triumphant posture that seeks to humiliate Sikota. If he is serious about working with others, he needs to take a humble approach and use his business acumen to do political ‘deals’ quietly. You can’t settle the kind of rift that met in UPND after the passing of Anderson Mazoka by mere posturing. More will need to be done.
If the UPND has to regain its relevance, they need to understand that the presidency is just one of the elements in a complex mesh of political levers.
They need to learn to use what they have more effectively and develop a culture of tolerance. UPND has almost exclusively controlled the Southern Province for the last eight years. What have they done to utilise their dominance in that area to deliver service to the people?
Of course, they will say : “ we don’t control the resources, the central government does”. But what have they done to engage the government in negotiated settlements for the benefit of the people they represent?
They need to acquire humility that enables them to strike ‘deals’ and allows them to function as an opposition party. The way Hichilema is dealing with Sikota demonstrates a clear lack of this understanding.
A failure to use their strengths, blind-sighted by a single-minded interest in the presidency should not be encouraged. Why else would somebody kick off 2011 campaigns in 2008? When is he going to deliver for his constituency? Unless of course he has decided that he has no work until he becomes president.
We do not think the offer to Sikota is sincere. It is all part of the early onset of the 2011 campaign. If Hichilema is serious about working with those who left UPND, he should address their concerns.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, SAKWIBA SIKOTA
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Saki refuses to rejoin UPND
By Lambwe Kachali
Thursday June 19, 2008 [04:00]
UNITED Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota yesterday said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema is not honest in his offer of reconciliation because he has failed to deal with tribalism in the party. Responding to Hichilema who on Tuesday invited him to rejoin UPND in the spirit of national unity and development, Sikota said Hichilema's offer to the leadership and membership of ULP to rejoin UPND was not genuine and was laced with thorny issues.
Sikota accused Hichilema of playing to the gallery by using the press without apologising to the people that suffered at the 2006 UPND convention and those who were still affected by the alleged tribalism in the party. He said if Hichilema really wanted him to re-join UPND, he should have raised the matter with him privately without using the press. Sikota charged that Hichilema wanted to use ULP to cheat Zambians.
"Mr Hichilema is not being honest in his offer of reconciliation because he has failed to acknowledge and deal with many serious issues of tribalism, intimidation, bribery and violence that made us leave UPND to form the United Liberal Party. We have met with Mr Hichilema at several public events, at no time has he ever shown any remorse or apologised for the blatant tribalism, violence, corruption and bribery that characterised his campaign before, during and after the UPND convention of 2006," Sikota said.
He wondered what message he would send to Zambians if he rejoined UPND. "Wouldn't we be telling the people of Zambia that it is okay for Mr Hichilema to harbour serious tribal sentiments and still aspire to run for public office?" Sikota asked. "We have a moral responsibility to ensure that those that use tribalism, intimidation, bribery and corruption to gain favour in public office are exposed for what they are."
Sikota said even those who gave Hichilema a benefit of doubt after the UPND convention indicated that tribalism and intimidation was rife by the top leadership. He cited Patrick Chisanga, then UPND vice-president and Frank Tayali, then national youth chairperson, who resigned because of alleged tribalism and intimidation from the top leadership.
"In case Mr Hichilema has forgotten, we would like to remind him and the nation of his tribalism. Before the UPND convention in July 2006 at a meeting attended by Honourable Jack Mwiimbu, MP for Monze, Honourable Eileen Imbwae, MP for Lukulu West and Mr Wynter Kabimba, Patriotic Front (PF) chairperson for local government, Mr Hichilema was asked on why he wanted to become UPND leader and as to why Honourable Sikota would not be the right person? His response was purely tribal and we quote; 'I have decided to go for the UPND presidency because a Lozi person can never win the presidency of the Republic of Zambia'," Sikota said.
"Another sad incidence which was also reported in The Post Newspaper that confirmed Mr Hichilema's tribalism was at a public rally he addressed in Kaoma during campaigns in 2006 elections. In reference to our pact with PF in the 2006 elections, he (Hichilema) said, 'Don't vote for ULP because Sakwiba Sikota has sold you to the Bembas'. It is also tribal on the part of Mr Hichilema to ask the people of Western Province not to vote for ULP because of the Bemba people."
Sikota said that if Hichilema was serious about abandoning his tribal sentiments and reconciling with ULP, he should have approached him in person rather than rushing to the press for window dressing.
"If he is truly interested in working with the leadership of the United Liberal party, he should apologise to the people of Zambia for the tribalism and then come to join the ULP," said Sikota.
And ULP Lusaka provincial leadership stated that they would not accept to rejoin UPND.
In a statement signed by provincial treasurer Charles Kalimba, Lusaka district chairperson Roseline Chipasha and constituency trustee Rex Mataa stated that Hichilema's offer was fake and covered with a dark cloud of desperation.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, SAKWIBA SIKOTA, ULP, UPND
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