Zambians decide how long a party rules, says Anamela
By Namatama Mundia
Mon 16 Jan. 2012, 13:56 CAT
THE power to determine how long a political party should continue ruling the country remains with Zambians, says UNIP vice president Njekwa Anamela.
Reacting to Vice-President Dr Guy Scott's statement that 10 years would be enough for the PF to be in government, Anamela said how long a political party stayed in power should not be limited by any law as doing so infringed on the right of choice to competing ideas, principles and systems which those political parties embodied.
He said that Dr Scott's argument on how long a political party should stay in power was defective because parties represented aggregate interests as opposed to individual self-interest, which he suggested.
"The argument is also defective in that it is biased against the young generation of members of political parties who are dedicated, committed to promoting the continuation of the ideas, values, principles and systems that personify the existence of political parties," he said.
Anamela said that if it was Dr Scott's wish that PF dies in 10 years, that could not be a prescription for other political parties that compete for power for the sustenance of democratic development.
"His argument should be rejected and seen to be antiquated, undemocratic and limiting to the growth of the nation's democratic development," Anamela stated.
"In fact, even in the more developed democracies either in Europe or North America, such a political experiment as Dr Scott wants to do in Zambia does not exist nor can it be entertained as it has instability elements written all over it."
Anamela added that it was support from citizens and its popularity which determined how long a party stayed in power.
And UNIP archives research officer Elina Nyirenda has said that UNIP had in existence a well-established party archives which was digitalised.
"This archives also holds ANC historical material as the two parties merged. The UNIP archives in terms of political material is one of the biggest in the country and follows only the national museum in this respect," she said.
Nyirenda said that even as an opposition party, they had worked to preserve and professionalise the archives especially in the last 10 years in addition to upgrading its holdings.
Nyirenda said that the party learnt with interest PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba's interest in documenting UNIP history apart from the PF desire to archive its own history.
"The PF's intention to adhere to the Constitution by complete delinkage from use of government infrastructure is as it should be and most welcome," stated Nyirenda.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, NJEKWE ANAMELA, PF, UNIP
Read more...
UNIP hails Zamtel repossession
UNIP has supported the impending repossession of Zamtel from Libya’s Lap Green Networks. The opposition party’s president, Tilyenji Kaunda said the Government should go ahead and repossess the company whose 75 per cent shares were allegedly controversially sold to the Libyan company.
Mr Kaunda also said some issues the MMD leadership was complaining about were a product of their own making. Speaking at a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Kaunda commended the PF Government for the impending reversal of the Zamtel sale.
He said the PF Government was in tandem with the former ruling party’s position of only privatising firms for the benefit of citizens without compromising the sovereignty of the country.
At the same function, UNIP received several party members who re-joined the party from MMD and the PF.
Prominent among them were former women’s deputy national secretary, Cynthia Nyondo and former acting secretary general, Alfred Banda.
"We want to take this opportunity to commend Government for its stance on retaking Zamtel. This is in line with our thinking. The position Government has taken in this matter is the correct one because it is important that the privatisation process should not disadvantage Zambia nor compromise the sovereign will.
"All matters related to this transaction should be resolved in the best interest of the nation. Diplomacy and dialogue should be there in the best interest of the nation," he said.
Mr Kaunda said dialogue and diplomacy should be employed in dealing with the Libyan Government which was the owner of Lap Green Networks.
And Mr Kaunda said the MMD leadership should not complain about the fight against corruption because ‘the past was haunting them.’
Reacting to former vice-president, George Kunda’s complaints that former government leaders were being harassed, Mr Kaunda said MMD was ‘reaping rewards of the seeds it planted.’
He said it was the MMD that amended the Constitution in 1996 on parentage for presidential candidates in order to bar his father, Dr Kenneth Kaunda from contesting the polls.
He said despite advice, the MMD went ahead to amend the parentage clause and came up with an "Apartheid Constitution."
UNIP vice-president, Njekwa Anamela, said MMD was to blame for the "mischievous clause."
On calls to lift former Republican president, Rupiah Banda’s immunity, he said there was need to follow the due process of the law, adding that people should desist from handling the matter emotionally.
Meanwhile, Mr Kaunda said UNIP has with effect from January 1, 2012, embarked on a countrywide membership recruitment drive.
By Times Reporter
Labels: CORRUPTION, MMD, NJEKWE ANAMELA, TILYENJI KAUNDA, UNIP, ZAMTEL
Read more...
Rupiah has blood on his hands - Masheke
By Chibaula Silwamba, Agness Changala in Lusaka and Speedwel
Sun 16 Jan. 2011, 04:01 CAT
POLICE killing of people in Mongu can burn Zambia into irreparable political chaos, says former defence minister George Mpombo. And General Malimba Masheke says President Rupiah Banda has blood on his hands following the killing of two people in Mongu.
Commenting on the killing of two people during the Mongu riot over the Barotseland Agreement of 1964 on Friday, Mpombo yesterday said killing people had a tendency of hardening the hardcore feelings of radical individuals in society.
“I am a solid supporter of Zambia as a unitary state but at the same time government must be cautious not to embark on reckless measures that can plunge this country into a serious political crisis,” Mpombo said.
“It’s a sad situation that there is loss of lives which can burn this country into irreparable political chaos. I think it is sad that we can choose to resort to using firearms in a situation that we should handle properly through dialogue.”
Mpombo advised President Banda and his government not to approach the Barotse impasse with strong-arm tactics to show that he was in control by using excessive force. He said the government must refrain from using firearms to counter violence.
“Dialogue is very important but I have seen that the government is acting in a desperate manner. Instead of engaging these people in constructive engagement and ensuring that their views, whether radical or unacceptable are given a chance to be heard, they are using strong-man-tactics,” Mpombo said.
“If irrational views command some following, it is important to sit down and sift through and find a solution.”
During a press briefing in Lusaka on Friday, home affairs minister Mkhondo Lungu said police had no option but to shoot dead a man who allegedly attempted to set ablaze a filling station, while a child died after being stoned during the riot.
And Gen Masheke, a former prime minister in the Kaunda regime and former Zambia Army Commander, said the MMD government had murdered its children in Western Province who were complaining of a matter which was in the government’s hands.
“I am very disappointed with what has happened. They (Western Province youths) were complaining about (dishonouring) the Barotseland Agreement. Instead of telling them what they (government) are doing about it, they send armed police to fire and kill innocent unarmed people!” Gen Masheke said.
“No government should engage in a situation like this in this manner. The complaint which people in Western Province are putting forward is because of poverty and neglect of the province. There are no factories, no jobs. When people leave schools, they have nothing to do. Mr. Rupiah Banda and his ministers that come from Western Province have blood on their hands and they have to do something to wash off this blood.”
Gen Masheke wondered how MMD Parliamentarians from the province would face the people whose children were being killed. He said it was not a question of cessation of Western Province, but people were expressing anger at the situation in the area.
“Barotseland Agreement does not talk of cessation. People in Western Province have been the most humble since independence. Whenever there had been riots (elsewhere), there has not been any in Western Province. When you see such (violent reactions) from the youths, you must understand why.
The government of Rupiah Banda must take responsibility for every person that has been killed, and they must remove police from there,” Gen Masheke said. “The whole area from here (Lusaka) to Mongu, people going through road blocks as if there is a state of emergency. They have passed a State of Emergency in the province without passing a law. There is no law that refuses people to assemble, all they do is notify the police. What has caused the anger is to stop them.”
Gen Masheke said the youths using Barotseland Agreement to cause problems in Western Province were doing so because of poverty, neglect and starvation, which were in every province, except that there were no agreements in the other provinces.
“The whole country is in turmoil. They are claiming to have US$2 billion in reserves and they are claiming to have given trillions of money in maize purchase. But how much of those trillions have gone to Western Province? Nothing! Where there is no justice, there will never be peace,” Gen Masheke said, adding that the issue in Western Province required attendance and not bullets.
And National Movement for Progress secretary Logan Shemena blamed the government for the situation in Western Province. He said the government through police should have allowed the youths to have their planned public meeting on the Barotse issue under very tight security so as to listen to their message.
“The young person who lost his life was not even armed but the police were in numbers. They could have overpowered the young man and arrested him. Our police are even trained to disarm an armed person, so why fire live bullets on a person who is not armed?” Shemena asked.
“The violence has been caused by government. Government could have prevented that. We can’t play politics that will endanger the lives of our people.”
And UNIP vice-president Njekwa Anamela said the government must accept responsibility for the deteriorating security situation in Western Province. He said no one needed to die or be killed for exercising their human rights.
Anamela said restricting freedom of speech, movement, stopping of meetings and shooting people was a crime against humanity.
“Our multiparty democracy is about building an open, transparent, participative plural society in which all citizens should exercise their freedoms of assembly and expression without undue hindrance,” he said.
Anamela said UNIP condemned all acts of violence in any form and that it was the duty of the police to protect everybody and establish a ‘healthy’ environment for debate and dialogue on all national matters. He said the exercise of leadership was to serve everyone, including those who have a different opinion.
Anamela said unleashing instruments of violence on fellow Zambians merely hardened attitudes and backfired in the long term.
Labels: BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT, GEORGE MPOMBO, MALIMBA MASHEKE, MKHONDO LUNGU, NJEKWE ANAMELA, RUPIAH BANDA
Read more...
Banda accuses Tilyenji, Anamela of victimising party members
Written by Margaret Habbuno
Tuesday, September 01, 2009 4:19:48 PM
FORMER UNIP secretary general Reverend Alfred Banda has accused Tilyenji Kaunda and Njekwa Anamela of intimidating and victimising members who are calling for the congress to be held.
In an interview yesterday, Rev Banda, who in the past had been an ardent supporter of Tilyenji and Anamela, said the duo had failed to run the affairs of the party and resorted to intimidating and expelling members.
“I have been patient for a long time as secretary general, watching the deceitful, personal gains and wrong leadership of Tilyenji and Anamela,” he said. “The current leadership in UNIP is a wrong one and it is time for me to say no to this vice.”
Rev Banda said Tilyenji and Anamela were not following the party constitution on any matters affecting the party.
“The constitution is not being followed by Tilyenji and Anamela because they strongly feel UNIP is a company. I cannot continue keeping quiet when Anamela and Tilyenji are busy using party money for personal matters. Only the two of them are benefiting and they don’t even consult with the party leadership. This explains why UNIP has a skeleton leadership because these two people have been harassing and victimising people,” he said.
He said Tilyenji and Anamela were individuals who did not know what dialogue was.
“Tilyenji and Anamela are people who are full of themselves and if their leadership is not challenged, UNIP is going to suffer irreparable damage and people will continue being victimised by two selfish individuals,” he said.
Rev Banda challenged Tilyenji and Anamela to tell the nation where they have taken the shares for the property that UNIP owned.
“As secretary general and the members of UNIP, we want to be told where the money is for the Commonwealth Development Company and many others. We don’t know who bought the shares. Tilyenji and Anamela have no good intentions for the UNIP party,” he said.
Rev Banda warned Tilyenji and Anamela not to expel him from the party as he would fight them with no violence.
“I know that the moment they read this article, they will have secret meetings aimed at expelling me. I would like to warn them that they should not dare to expel me or charge me with anything because I will fight back without fear. I am tired of being quiet each and everything has a limit,” said Rev Banda.
Efforts to get comments from Tilyenji Kaunda and Anamela failed by press time as they were both not responding to phone calls.
Labels: ALFRED BANDA, NJEKWE ANAMELA, TILYENJI KAUNDA, UNIP
Read more...
Tilyenji faction's continued fighting is threatening democracy, says M
By Lambwe Kachali
Tuesday August 12, 2008 [04:00]
THE continued fighting and squabbles by the Tilyenji Kaunda faction against me is threatening Zambia's democracy, UNIP National Revival Forum (NRF) chairperson General Malimba Masheke has said. And Gen Masheke said no amount of threat or intimidation will stop NRF from holding the UNIP congress. Meanwhile, police had a tough time quelling the violence by Tilyenji's supporters who were led by party national secretary for women affairs Beatrice Kayuni.
During the Newsmakers Forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee (PFC) of The Post on Sunday themed 'Can UNIP form the next government?, Gen Masheke wondered why the Tilyenji group was against him when all he wanted was to make UNIP become politically active as it were before.
Gen Masheke said he had known UNIP for its activism in politics and that it had never failed to hold party congresses since its inception.
He said UNIP's failure to hold the congress and its poor performance in elections was enough to show that the party was politically dead.
"The challenge posed by the demise of UNIP has generated anger and swift response from the ordinary members of the party. Soon after our expose of 18 May this year, many concerned members and various groups and factions came together and formed a united front UNIP National Revival Forum to stop the rot that is posing a danger to the life and survival of UNIP," Gen Masheke said.
"Party members must know that UNIP belongs to them and not the illegal and failed Tilyenji leadership. Therefore, they should not allow these selfish and greedy leaders to hijack their party or plunder the resources or the party."
Responding to a question from UNIP deputy secretary general Reverend Alfred Banda who wanted to know if Gen Masheke was holding duo membership since he was still a member of the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and that his Revival Forum was illegal, Gen Masheke said he resigned from FDD sometime back and was re-admitted in UNIP by one of the district committees that he could not disclose for fear of victimisation.
He said Rev Banda was entitled to his opinion but that would not stop him from reviving UNIP, the party which he said had contributed to the liberation struggle of many countries both in central and southern Africa.
"Reverend Banda is just an impostor, masquerading as UNIP secretary general. There is nobody who elected Banda as UNIP SG; the problem with Banda is that he is masquerading both as party SG and as reverend in church because even in his church, no one knows who ordained him as reverend," he said.
Gen Masheke said it was unacceptable that the current UNIP leadership had plundered most party assets without considering the interest of the general membership.
"We cannot criticise the government in power of corruption when we are also corrupt," he said.
And responding to Antonio Mwanza who advised UNIP leadership to resolve their problems as currently the party did not command support and trust from the voters, Gen Masheke said there was need for the general membership to choose genuine leadership at the congress.
"Those who cause violence for fear of our forum fear their own shadows. What is paining the members is its inactiveness on the political scene, and now all we need is to call for a congress so that leaders can seek new mandate from the general membership, and that will make UNIP a better and more active party," said Gen Masheke.
Prior to the Newsmakers Forum, police picked up four female UNIP members for allegedly attempting to disrupt the meeting.
The four wanted to confront Gen Masheke whose forum, according to them was illegal.
When the fight started, police quickly moved in and picked up four ring leaders among them, Kayuni.
UNIP member of the central committee Enos Hangoma accused PFC chairperson Sheikh Chifuwe of causing chaos by giving NRF a platform to talk about UNIP affairs.
Hangoma said PFC was to blame for whatever chaos would happen between the Gen Masheke and Tilyenji factions.
But Chifuwe said PFC had the right to invite Gen Masheke because the committee promoted freedom of speech and expression in the country.
Chifuwe said no amount of intimidation would stop PFC from promoting freedom of information, expression and speech in society.
NRF was represented by members from all the nine provinces of Zambia.
On Saturday, PFC hosted UNIP vice-president Njekwa Anamela and members of Gen Masheke attended the meeting but did not cause any violence.
Labels: MALIMBA MASHEKE, NJEKWE ANAMELA, PFC, TILYENJI KAUNDA, UNIP, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
Read more...
Statutory control of the media is unacceptable, says Anamela
By Lambwe Kachali
Monday August 11, 2008 [04:00]
THE future of UNIP should be invested in young people, party vice-president Njekwa Anamela said on Saturday. And Anamela said statutory control of journalists is unacceptable as it will undermine the role of the media in Zambia. Meanwhile, Anamela said people should not demonise UNIP president Tilyenji Kaunda on the basis of being the son of the first Republican president.
During the Newsmakers Forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post in Lusaka themed ‘Can UNIP form the next government’, Anamela said the party was mindful of the important role young people played in the political system of the country.
Anamela was responding to a question from former University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) president Antonio Mwanza who wanted to know what UNIP was doing to attract young people to join the party as it prepares for the next general elections.
Anamela said unlike other political parties, UNIP had ensured that young people were embraced and given positions of responsibility because they were future leaders.
“It is a pity that young people are now victims of plunder and corruption by the MMD government. There are many young people in the party now than before because we understand that the future of UNIP should be invested in young people, we are very mindful about this especially that the majority in Zambia are young people,” Anamela said. “It is a shame that other political parties have neglected youths. That is why you will understand that even the youth empowerment fund is actually next to nothing because certain people, other than youths, benefit from it.”
He said UNIP had embarked on a programme to ensure that more young people joined the party to increase the number of its voters in the 2011 elections.
And Anamela said any introduction of regulatory measures outside the control of media should be rejected.
He said UNIP, which would be 49 years old this October, had enough experience and urged the media in Zambia to continue upholding and protecting press freedom by maintaining their independence from various interest groups in society.
“The challenge is to have a functioning code that will dissuade the renewed efforts of some certain sections of society that would like to impose statutory control over the conduct of journalists. Statutory control of journalists is undesirable in whatever form, whatever the arguments.
It is very risky in Africa and has great potential to compromise press freedom and further undermine the role of the media as a watchdog in the democratic society that we all want to build in Zambia. Such regulatory measures outside the control of the media itself should be rejected,” he said.
Anamela said the party was hopeful that Zambians were ready to bounce the party back to power in 2011.
He said the party had accepted its challenges and had since succeeded in resolving them by recognising the importance of planning.
On agriculture, Anamela said since the MMD came to power in 1991, the agriculture sector’s contribution to the Growth Domestic Product (GDP) had been around 18 per cent due to government policy failure and plunder of resources.
He said the MMD had seriously failed to succeed in improving the health sector as evidenced by the high levels of child mortality and maternal mortality rates as well as the drop in life expectancy of the Zambian population.
Anamela also said it was unfair for the Revival Forum to be against the UNIP leadership which had remained united despite difficult circumstances.
“Sometimes, we suffer undue criticism but we accept it because it is building us. We have people who have targeted comrade Tilyenji not because he is bad but because he is the child of a former Republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda. It is not right to demonise somebody on that basis, by using lies or propaganda,” he said.
And responding to a question from William Musonda, a participant, who sought to know what UNIP would do with Chinese investors that were exploiting Zambian workers by paying them as low as K240,000 per month, Anamela said UNIP did not hate investors but would demand them to respect workers and ensure that they were paid decent wages.
Labels: MEDIA, NJEKWE ANAMELA, REGULATION, THE POST, UNIP
Read more...
UDA is a dead issue - Ng’uni
By Noel Sichalwe
Monday July 30, 2007 [04:02]
UNITED Democratic Alliance (UDA) is a dead issue, Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) general secretary Newton Ng’uni said yesterday. And UNIP vice-president Njekwa Anamela has said UDA has outlived its usefulness after the 2006 tripartite elections.
Commenting on United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema's call to pull out of UDA, Ng'uni said his party had made a position on the matter.
"We have talked about this matter. As far as this issue is concerned, UDA is a dead issue," Ng'uni said.
Anamela said UDA was meant for the 2006 elections and that the party had now concentrated on strengthening its structures to prepare for the 2011 elections.
He said after conducting a post-mortem for the 2006 elections, the performance of the alliance and the challenges ahead, UNIP had decided to concentrate on strengthening its structure rather than concentrating on UDA.
Anamela said UNIP was now ready to participate in any elections as a party whenever they would arise.
He said his party had made a deliberate political position to distance itself from the alliance.
He said it was good that UPND had also made its position on the matter.
"The UDA arrangement was relevant to the 2006 elections and it has since come and gone," he said.
"We have made a deliberate position to strengthen the party structures and when elections come, UNIP will contest on itself."
Addressing a public gathering at Nkonje Community School in Chibombo district on Saturday, Hichilema said UPND would have done better in the last elections if it participated as a single party.
He urged his members to go flat out and campaign for the party and pleaded with them to forget about UDA. Hichilema said UDA was just an alliance and that it was no longer binding.
Hichilema said his party was now positioning itself for the 2011 elections and urged people to continue campaigning for the party. The UDA was formed early last year comprising UPND, FDD and UNIP. The alliance featured candidates from its individual political parties on its ticket.
Labels: FDD, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, NEWTON NG'UNI, NJEKWE ANAMELA, UDA, UNIP, UPND
Read more...
