kk has become an MMD cadre - gen masheke
By Mutale Kapekele
Sun 03 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
UNIP Revival Forum chairman General Malimba Masheke (r) speaking while Col Henry Muyoba listens during the party card renewal exercise in Lusaka yesterday - Picture by Thomas Nsama
UNIP Revival Forum chairperson General Malimba Masheke yesterday charged that Dr Kenneth Kaunda has become an MMD cadre. Addressing the press at the UNIP membership renewal exercise yesterday in Lusaka, Gen Masheke said it was disappointing that Dr Kaunda seemed to have joined the MMD that took him out of power.
“It is very disappointing that KK, the man who made Zambia, can condemn former defence minister George Mpombo on an MMD intra-party issue as if he has joined the ruling party,” Masheke said.
“I was KK’s right handman just after he was voted out of government and he used to call the MMD the Movement for Mandrax Dealers. So why is he supporting them now? It will not be surprising if he has become an MMD cadre. This is shameful! How can he go to them (MMD).”
Gen Masheke said Dr Kaunda should not talk about Christianity when he had allowed his son to mismanage UNIP’s assets.
“He (KK) was even advising Mpombo to be a Christian and to show love. What about him?” Gen Masheke asked.
“What about the UNIP property that has been taken by his son TJ (UNIP president Tilyenji Kaunda)? In fact TJ is just a curtain on the window. It is him (KK) who is leading UNIP. So where is his Christianity when he can allow theft? Where is the love that he preaches?”
Gen Masheke charged that Tilyenji had sold off UNIP assets to the Kaunda family and their business associates.
“Part of EW Tarry’s is gone, Duly Motors is gone, CODECO, Super Knack, United Quarries, Namayamba Farms and we don’t even know if we still have Freedom House because it has been concessioned to TJ’s cooperative,” Masheke said.
“None of these companies is less than a billion. So they have actually stolen billions of kwacha. Most of these properties have gone to Paza which is owned by TJ. So how can KK talk about love? Is this love? The property that UNIP owns was not acquired by KK alone.”
Gen Masheke said it was not too late for Dr Kaunda to make amends and get back to his former glory as the father of the nation.
“I would like to request KK to go back to his former self, to be the father of the nation that I and many Zambians adore. It is not too late,” Gen Masheke said. “No one took arms against the other during his time as president. Now he has withdrawn, now he is selfish, he has really changed. We want him to be the KK we all knew. I personally will continue to adore him, but I will not support what he is doing.”
Gen Masheke said in the past, Dr Kaunda would have fought for his colleagues like former UNIP secretary general Grey Zulu to get pension from the government.
“KK is the only one from the UNIP government and former freedom fighters who is getting a pension,” Gen Masheke said.
“What about Grey Zulu, Azwell Mwale, didn’t these people fight? In the past, KK would have refused his allowance until the others are also given. Now he is selfish and all he cares about is his family.”
And Gen Masheke said poverty had worsened in President Rupiah Banda’s rule.
“Our women are suffering and our men can’t even leave their homes because they are ashamed by their poverty,” he said.
“How can you run a country with no industries? ...We are not seeing progress and the government is breaking laws. So who do they expect to follow the law when they don’t respect it? That is why we want to revive UNIP so that we make things right in this nation.”
Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, MMD, TILYENJI KAUNDA, UNIP, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
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Chiluba has been acquitted by govt, not court – Nyirenda
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Saturday, October 03, 2009 5:40:56 PM
FORMER Kasenengwa UNIP member of parliament Timothy Nyirenda has said the government wants to regulate the media to punish newspapers that are critical on issues. And Nyirenda said former president Frederick Chiluba was acquitted by the government and not the court.
Nyirenda, who is also UNIP Revival Forum vice national chairperson, said the media should not be regulated.
“You cannot regulate the media. Let them prepare their own regulation and give them enough time because if you do… knowing well how the government works, they will prepare regulation in such a way to suit them to punish newspapers that are very critical about issues. Tomorrow when they will be going to opposition, they will be the same people who will start fighting for unregulated media," Nyirenda said.
He said the government wanted to regulate the media because they were not happy with the private media.
“Even television stations very soon they will be cracking on them just because they just want to protect themselves before 2011 so that they put rules and regulation on how the media can operate… so that it suits them for campaign. But I’m hoping that Zambians will not allow that to happen, including those who think well in the ruling party,” Nyirenda said. “They should not forget some of these things they pass. Honourable Michael Sata was in the forefront of passing a law so that when people steal motor vehicles they are not bailed. He was one of the first victims, I’m sure now he has learnt that you cannot pass a law to punish the people. Now these who are in power, they have a lot of power. They can do what they want but they should know that tomorrow they will not be there. The same law they are passing now, it will be the same law that will haunt them tomorrow.
“So they should not pass the law to punish others. They should pass the law to protect and serve the society. They should not pass a law to protect themselves. For how long are they going to pass such laws? Chances are 99.9 per cent that in 2011 come June, because now elections have to be held early because of the change in the budget cycle, they will be leaving so they should not regulate the media. They should allow the media to regulate themselves.”
He urged the media not to be selective in their coverage.
And Nyirenda said it was unfortunate that Chiluba's case had been surrounded by politics.
"If the politicians were quiet and the acquittal happens genuinely, one would have said okay they would appeal. But they have refused to appeal. Now one has it that the government actually are the ones that acquitted Chiluba, not the courts. The courts just rubberstamped and it’s unfortunate that if we stop trusting in the courts there will be chaos in this country because right now no politician will trust the court. So the court has got to clean itself. …It’s unfortunate and now this has tainted the whole Judiciary because the Judiciary has got to be really very clean," said Nyirenda. "I will tell you a typical example where the Judiciary went wrong. They had allowed UDA [United Democratic Alliance] at one point, the Chief Justice confirmed that UDA is an illegal organisation but ‘we will allow them to participate in an election’. The Chief Justice allowed that, then later on UDA disintegrated the same Chief Justice allowed the MPs under UDA to sit in Parliament. Clearly all those were terrible mistakes by the Judiciary because there are no MPs for UPND, UNIP or FDD, all MPs are UDA. But the Chief Justice has kept quiet knowing well enough that the same organisation was illegal, was bad and now he has made another one. UDA is not there but the MPs are still there.
“All these are mistakes that even the Chief Justice can’t be trusted. I don't know whether there are a lot of people who trust him. I, personally, I don't think I trust them. So they really have to clean themselves."
Labels: CHILUBA, TIMOTHY NYIRENDA, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
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UNIP Revival Forum backs UPND-PF pact in Chitambo
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Friday, July 10, 2009 4:36:07 PM
THE UNIP Revival Forum has urged its members in Chitambo to rally behind the UPND-PF pact candidate Chanda Mutale in next month’s parliamentary by-election.
Forum national vice chairperson Timothy Nyirenda said his team supported PF during last year’s presidential elections and that it would be ideal for its members to support the PF/UPND pact because UNIP’s revival forum had not fielded any candidate.
“In as far as we are concerned, the true UNIP has not fielded any candidate, that candidate that had been fielded there is for Tilyenji Kaunda and his team and not for us. I think the fielding of that candidate is only meant at embezzling funds,” Nyirenda said.
Earlier, Nyirenda said it would be good for the opposition to win the Chitambo seat.
“It will bring a lot of confidence to the UPND-PF pact if they win this election…it will be a good start for them, but as the opposition, we will be very happy if this seat is won by the opposition and not MMD,” said Nyirenda.
Four candidates last Wednesday successfully filed in nomination papers in readiness for the Chitambo by-election. The four candidates are from the UPND-PF pact, UNIP, FDD and MMD.
The Chitambo parliamentary seat fell vacant after the death MMD’s Nassim Hamir early this year.
Labels: CHANDA MUTALE, PF-UPND, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
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There's something wrong with Masheke's mind - KK
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Tuesday October 21, 2008 [04:00]
THERE is something wrong with General Malimba Masheke's mind, Dr Kenneth Kaunda has said. And Dr Kaunda has urged Zambians to accept whoever is elected in the October 30 presidential election.
Commenting on UNIP Revival Forum chairperson Gen Masheke's comments that Dr Kaunda was behind all the UNIP wrangles, Dr Kaunda who first laughed said he felt sorry for Gen Masheke.
"There is something wrong with the young man's mind. That's all I can say, I am sorry for him," he said.
When asked to comment on the allegations that he wanted to change the name of the party to the United National Integrated Party so that they could not be held accountable for the assets for UNIP since the party would have ceased to exist, Dr Kaunda said he did not want to waste time commenting on such things.
"No I don't think I should waste time on Zambians who are commenting on such things. I feel sorry for him, I feel sorry for him," Dr Kaunda said.
But when contacted for comment, Gen Masheke said if Dr Kaunda was saying he was sorry for him, then he was also sorry for Dr Kaunda.
Last week, Gen Masheke accused Dr Kaunda of being behind all UNIP wrangles and that party president Tilyenji Kaunda was a mere messenger and the rest of his followers were defenseless victims of circumstances.
Masheke said Dr Kaunda was busy destroying what he and other founding leaders built on.
But UNIP national council chairperson Joseph Kenani said the suggestion to change the name was a resolution of the national council, which met, and all resolutions had to pass through the congress for ratification.
"Nothing gets implemented without the congress' approval. So Gen Malimba Masheke should not draw the old man into the UNIP national council," he said.
He also denied suggestions that Dr Kaunda was behind the wrangles of UNIP as he was a founding father of UNIP.
"So until such a time of the congress, we will be using the name United National Independence Party," said Kenani.
And Dr Kaunda urged Zambians to continue being peaceful during the election period.
"Let the voice of the people speak. Whoever is elected, we must accept him, there is no her in that team, there are only hims. Whoever they give us Zambians, we must go by their decision," said Dr Kaunda.
Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, MALIMBA MASHEKE, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
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Nyirenda opposes bid to change UNIP name
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Tuesday October 14, 2008 [04:00]
UNIP National Revival Forum vice-chairperson Timothy Nyirenda yesterday said it would be illegal to change the name of the party because UNIP has no central committee. And Nyirenda said the forum would put up an injunction against the current UNIP leadership to stop them from changing the name.
Commenting on the suggestion by Dr Kenneth Kaunda that UNIP should change its name to United National Integrated Party for it to suit current politics, Nyirenda said the Forum was created because the party had no central committee.
He accused Dr Kaunda and party president Tilyenji Kaunda of personalising the party.
"But what they want to do is change the name but not the initials. When they change the name, it will mean that UNIP is finished and they have been trying to do this for a long time so that they are not held accountable for the assets of UNIP since the party would have ceased to be," he said.
Nyirenda said people did not want to associate themselves with UNIP as long as Tilyenji's name was attached to it.
Nyirenda challenged Dr Kaunda and Tilyenji to disclose what they discussed with Vice-President Banda before they came up with the position to support the MMD.
He said the Forum had been trying to meet Vice-President Banda with no success and threatened to revisit their support for MMD and support another candidate.
Dr Kaunda on Sunday told UNIP members who were attending a national leadership meeting of the 34th national council that the oldest party would in 2011 stand to integrate Zambia, as it was a sovereign nation.
And the delegations endorsed the proposal to change the party's name to move with the changes in local politics.
Vice-President Njekwa Anamela said changing the name of the party would give it a new image and vision and make it stronger.
The resolution was subject to ratification by the national congress.
Tilyenji said time had come to make decisions and chart a new direction for the party.
Labels: TIMOTHY NYIRENDA, UNIP, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM, UNITED NATIONAL INTEGRATED PARTY
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UNIP to field Tilyenji in presidential by-election
By Lambwe Kachali and Jack Zimba
Tuesday August 26, 2008 [04:00]
UNIP deputy secretary general Reverend Alfred Banda yesterday said the party will participate in the forth-coming presidential by-elections with Tilyenji Kaunda as its candidate. In an interview, Rev Banda urged UNIP members not to listen to Copperbelt Provincial party information and publicity secretary Brian Chishimba who said UNIP was not ready for a presidential by-election.
Rev Banda said UNIP was ready to offer an alternative to the ruling MMD government. He said the party would again meet soon to look at campaign strategies and how to defeat other political parties participating in the race.
Rev Banda said Zambians were aware that only UNIP was the answer to the numerous problems they were currently facing
"You know this is a matter of urgency, considering the time factor. As you know the objectives of any political party is to form government, and therefore our chances of forming the next government are as good as other parties. But I can assure you that UNIP under the presidency of Comrade Tilyenji Kaunda will participate in the coming presidential by-elections," Rev Banda said. "Comrade Tilyenji is already in the country."
Asked on Chishimba's statement that UNIP would not participate in the by-election because of the unresolved leadership differences in the party, Rev Banda said Chishimba was representing a much lower organ of the party and that only the central committee had the final authority.
But UNIP National Revival Forum (NRF) chairman, General Malimba Masheke said his group would not support Tilyenji as the party's candidate.
He expressed disappointment that his group was not consulted in coming up with a candidate for UNIP.
"If they can decide without consulting us, then they don't need us. If they can decide without talking to us, then they don't need us. If they don't need us in decisions, then they don't need us in support," he said.
He said if the Tilyenji-led group considered the forum as part of UNIP, they would have invited them to the meeting that endorsed Tilyenji as the presidential candidate in the forth-coming elections.
Gen Masheke said the forum would soon meet to discuss the way forward.
The Revival Forum has been challenging the leadership of Tilyenji, accusing him of destroying the former ruling party's political muscle.
Labels: TILYENJI KAUNDA, UNIP, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
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UNIP Revival Forum commends KK for his consistency in guiding leadersh
By Jack Zimba and Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday August 19, 2008 [04:00]
THE UNIP Revival Forum has commended former president Dr Kenneth Kaunda for his consistency in guiding the leadership of the former ruling party. But UNIP vice-president Njekwa Anamela and deputy secretary general Reverend Alfred Banda said Dr Kaunda's position was a family position and they would not comment on the matter.
Commenting on the Kaunda family's decision to ask UNIP president Tilyenji Kaunda yesterday to step down, revival forum chairperson General Malimba Masheke said Dr Kaunda had always stood upright concerning the leadership of UNIP.
"Dr Kaunda has been consistent regardless of whether people are friends or members of his family. When Kebby's Musokotwane leadership was in doubt, he intervened and when Francis Nkoma's leadership was in doubt, he intervened, and this time it is his own son. We uphold the consistency of the father," he said.
Masheke said Dr Kaunda, whom he said was his mentor, intimated earlier in March this year that the leadership in the former ruling party was poor and that it needed to be upgraded.
Masheke called on all members in the party to prepare for congress this year to elect new leaders.
But Anamela said the discussion was within the family.
"That is within the family. What I am saying is that I would not react to any family matter in the paper. If there is need for us to communicate, we will communicate not in the media. I have declined to comment on the matter," said Anamela.
And Rev Banda said the party did not want to be dragged into a family issue.
"We respect Dr Kaunda, we respect him so much. We respect him, he is our member but anything or any discussion to do with the family, we reserve the right not to make any comments because UNIP is an institution," Rev Banda said.
"That is a matter to do with the family; we don't want to be dragged into the family issue. In the meantime, president Tilyenji Kaunda is still our elected president, he was elected during the previous congress and he is president until the next congress...this is the official position of the party but with regards to what is in the paper I should think that is a family matter of which I cannot comment on."
He said UNIP was preparing for the congress, which would be held next year together with the celebrations to mark the party's 50th anniversary.
"We are preparing for a congress and I am in the committee which is preparing for the same congress and we resolved to have our congress jointly with the 50th anniversary of the founding of UNIP.
UNIP will be 50 years old next year and we hope to hold a joint congress and silver jubilee," said Rev Banda. "UNIP is still strong and the membership is intact; we are working with him Tilyenji. He has managed to keep the party together up to where we are now, you know we have passed through so many trials and tribulations. So many people wanted to kill UNIP but we have managed to survive those trials and we are still strong and it's under his leadership."
According to sources close to the Kaunda family, Dr Kaunda recently called a family meeting at his Kabulonga residence where he advised his son to relinquish the UNIP presidency and submit to the UNIP membership's call for a national congress to elect new leaders.
Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
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The Kaunda family and UNIP leadership
By Editor
Monday August 18, 2008 [04:00]
One should occupy a leadership position of any organisation, of any political party, only if they are necessary. Otherwise, they have no reason to be in leadership and shouldn’t be there – not a minute less, or a second more.
It is clear to everyone who has eyes to see that the Tilyenji Kaunda leadership has decimated everything that remained of UNIP after its very difficult decade of Frederick Chiluba’s rule.
We say this not out of hatred for Tilyenji who we have fellow feelings for. Tilyenji, like any other human being, may have his strengths, talent in other things but certainly not in politics. And there is absolutely no need to cling on to the UNIP leadership when it is very clear that he is taking the party nowhere.
We have known for some time that the Kaunda family had not been happy with Tilyenji’s continued leadership of the party and had advised him to step aside and let a more competent, more able comrade take over. We also know that many people have blamed Tilyenji’s continued leadership of UNIP on Dr Kaunda. They think that Tilyenji has his support and that of his family.
But now that it is publicly known that Tilyenji does not have the support of Dr Kaunda and his family, he should step down and let another comrade take over.
By asking Tilyenji to step down as UNIP leader, Dr Kaunda and his family have demonstrated that obligations to the people, to the party takes precedence over loyalty to an individual, to a family member, to a son or a brother.
A leader of a party with such a progressive history as UNIP’s should have largeness of mind and should be staunch and active, looking upon the interests of the party and the people as his very life and subordinating his personal interests to those of the party and the people; always and everywhere he should adhere to principle and wage a tireless struggle against all incorrect ideas and actions, so as to consolidate the collective life of the party and strengthen the ties between the party and the masses; he should be more concerned about the party than about any individual, including himself, and more concerned about others than himself. Only thus can he be considered a leader.
Every member of the party must be brought to understand that the supreme test of the words and deeds of a party leader is whether they conform to the highest interests and enjoy overwhelming support of the people, including those who are not party members. We say this because it is not only party members who vote in elections. Actually, no political party can win an election purely on the basis of the votes cast for it by its members.
At no time and in no circumstances should a leader of a party like UNIP place his personal interests first; he should subordinate them to the interests of the party, of the nation and of the masses. Hence, selfishness, slacking and so on, are most contemptible, while selflessness, working with all one’s energy, whole-hearted devotion to public duty, and quiet hard work will command respect.
A leader of a party like UNIP – a progressive party, a socialist-oriented party - must be ready at all times to stand up for the truth, because truth is in the interest of the people; party leaders must be ready at all times to correct their mistakes, because mistakes are against the interests of the people.
They must always go into the whys and wherefores of anything, use their own heads and carefully think whether or not it corresponds to reality and is really well founded; on no account should they follow blindly.
We should encourage comrades to take the interests of the whole party into account. Every party member, every branch of work, every statement and every action must proceed from the interests of the whole party; it is absolutely impermissible to violate this principle.
Progressive party leaders should set an example in being practical as well as far-sighted. For only by being practical can they fulfil the appointed tasks, and only far-sightedness can prevent them from losing their bearings in the march forward.
They should be the most far-sighted, the most self-sacrificing, the most resolute, and the least prejudiced in sizing up situations, and they must rely on the majority of the masses and win their support. They should set an example in being willing to learn; at all times they should be pupils of the masses as well as their teachers.
They should be indefatigable teachers and not bureaucratic politicians. They must never separate themselves from the majority of the people by leading only a few comrades in an isolated way, but must take care to forge close links between those they are working closely with and the broad masses.
This is what is meant by thinking in terms of majority. They should be like seeds and the people like the soil. Wherever the go, they must unite with the people, take root and blossom among them. They must be able to integrate themselves with the masses in all things.
If party leaders spend all their lives sitting indoors on computers and drinking tea and never going out to face the world and brave the storm, of what good will they be to UNIP and the Zambian people? None at all, and we do not need such people as party leaders. They ought to face the world and brave the storm, the great world of mass struggle and the mighty storm of mass struggle.
The exemplary role of good party leaders is of vital importance. They should set an example in bravery, doing political work and fostering internal unity and solidarity.
Party leaders must never be opinionated or domineering, thinking that they are good in everything while others are good in nothing; they must never shut themselves up in their little rooms.
They must listen attentively to the views of people outside the party and let them have their say. If what they say is right, they ought to welcome it, and they should learn from their strong points; if it is wrong, they should let them finish what they are saying and patiently explain things to them.
Only people who are known for their ability, honesty, dedication and concern for the welfare of all should be considered to lead UNIP. Again, it shouldn’t be forgotten that politics is an area of great importance for promoting justice, peace, development and community among all our people – it is a way of building up society for the common good. Therefore, every period and every political party will need increasingly well-prepared, increasingly able leaders.
We therefore hope that even those championing the revival, rejuvenation of UNIP are not doing so, so that they themselves can personally replace Tilyenji and take over the leadership of the party. UNIP may need a much more able, much more competent leader than themselves, than they are capable of offering.
If this is the case, they shouldn’t hesitate to step aside, to cage their ambitions and support such an individual. What is important is not the positions they personally occupy in the party but the general performance of the party. We would like to see UNIP being different from other political parties in the way it chooses its leaders.
We hope the General Masheke-led group that is trying to bring about a reversal of fortunes in UNIP will look at things in this way and not see themselves as necessarily the ones to replace Tilyenji. Actually, UNIP needs a deep search for a new leader who is different in many respects from the lot that is currently vying for the presidency of our country.
It will not be easy for UNIP to come up with such a leader but if they search carefully, they can find one. Again, the participation of all UNIP generations, including the party’s heroic independence fighters, will be very important.
We hope Tilyenji will take the advice of his father, mother and other members of his family and start to organise a party congress that will usher in a new and more able UNIP leadership. And it is his duty to ensure that he is succeeded by more able comrades and not characters worse than him.
Labels: TILYENJI KAUNDA, UNIP, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
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UNIP's intra-party violence
By Editor
Tuesday August 12, 2008 [04:00]
The violence that UNIP cadres continue to unleash against each other is sad and embarrassing. For the last fifteen years or so, UNIP cadres have spent more of their time fighting among themselves than trying to promote their party to the electorate. We hope UNIP cadres will reach a stage when they realise that the use of violence against each other to settle political scores is something that puts them next to animals.
Criminal acts can in no way be justified as a way of doing politics. Violence is an attack on life. We must stress that when a political party appeals to violence, it thereby admits its own weakness and inadequacy. To guarantee unity in UNIP, all are called to maturity, tolerance and responsibility.
What is happening in UNIP is sad and embarrassing, but inevitable. As we have stated before, this is what happens in a political party when it its identity is lost. This is what happens to a political party when its values are lost. This is what happens to a political party when its reason to exist ceases.
In saying this, we are not in any way asking UNIP not to change, to remain static. They have the right to change because parties that do not change die. And UNIP should be a living movement and not an historical monument. If UNIP doesn’t change, then it will be of no use to the country because Zambia has changed a lot over the last sixteen years or so.
If UNIP doesn’t change, its principles will cease to be principles and will just ossify into a dogma. We are also not saying UNIP should change to forget its principles. UNIP shouldn’t change to forget its principles. It should instead change to fulfil those principles. It should change not to lose its identity but to keep its relevance.
We say this because change is an important part of gaining the nation’s trust. It should change to reach out and touch the people, to show them that politics is not a dirty game where cadres fight each other every day but a real, noble and meaningful part of their life.
It should show them that it wants to build a peaceful, dignified and respectful nation with pride in itself; a thriving community, reaching economic prosperity, secure in social justice, confident in the future; a land in which their children can bring up their own children with a future to look forward to.
UNIP should show that this is its hope, not just to promise change – but to achieve it. The way they relate to each other in their party, their daily deeds as a party must produce an actual Zambian reality that will reinforce our people’s belief in justice, strengthen their confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all their hopes for a glorious life for all our people.
How can one explain what is going on in UNIP today – the infighting, the violence and the apparent loss of direction, ethics and integrity?
We wonder how the UNIP leadership hopes to win the next elections with such a divided, violent and disorganised party. And with such divisions and chaos in the party, how do they hope to unite Zambia and organise the nation for the even greater and more complex challenges it faces?
Which sensible person can today render his or her support and vote for UNIP given the party’s current disorientation? It is no wonder UNIP has been doing very badly in elections.
And UNIP will only start winning elections if it succeeds in implanting hope in the breasts of the millions of our people and take away their despair.
If UNIP does not take measures to resolve its internal problems, it will never win any election and may soon go into total oblivion.
We know very well that leading UNIP is not an easy undertaking, but those who offer themselves or accept this duty should try to live up to the expectations.
Sometimes one wonders if UNIP can really be saved from its impending extinction. There are times when no effort can save something whose time to die has come. Probably this is UNIP’s time to die.
It is very difficult to believe things can turn out this way for UNIP. Sometimes one would like to believe it is a question of it getting dark but the morning will come.
But again, as we have advised the leadership of UNIP before, experience has repeatedly shown that a party divided into hostile groups loses its militancy. Protracted intra-party strife inevitably results in party leaders and cadres’ concentration on discords. The party becomes distracted from political struggle and day-to-day work among the masses and loses its influence.
UNIP leaders and cadres must be extremely careful and vigilant not to allow their differences on various issues concerning the running of their party to become factionally divisive within the party.
And the members should be allowed to actively advance perspectives of the kind of leadership collective that they believe is required to take UNIP forward. There is no need for violence. Those with superior, fair and just ideas have no reason to resort to violence in their defence or advancement.
It is said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Who can be attracted to join UNIP with all this violence going on within the party? Why should someone risk his or her life to join violent UNIP?
This is an incredible case of self-destruction. What the MMD of Chiluba failed to achieve over ten years – the total annihilation of UNIP - the leaders and cadres of UNIP are accomplishing in no time and with much ease. Why?
What are they fighting for when theirs was supposed to be a struggle for service and not for survival? Is it the little money that comes from UNIP’s properties and other investments?
Labels: CADRES, UNIP, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
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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
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UNIP factions team up to unseat Tilyenji
By Mutuna Chanda and Kelvin Tembo
Monday July 07, 2008 [04:00]
THREE UNIP factions have teamed up to unseat the Tilyenji Kaunda-led executive.
But Tilyenji yesterday said the faction was not part of UNIP. The factions previously led by General Malimba Masheke, former Kasenengwa member of parliament, Timothy Nyirenda and Dr Kamoyo Mwale met last Thursday and dissolved themselves to form the UNIP National Revival Forum.
The meeting elected the forum’s management committee comprising Gen Masheke as chairman, Dr Mwale, Nyirenda, Mulenga Mwiche, Queen Kapembwa, Captain Charles Mbilika and Lt Col Henry Muyoba.
Dr Sketchley Sachika was also appointed as advisor. In a statement jointly signed by Gen Masheke and Mwiche, the meeting resolved that the party congress be held soon to elect a new central committee.
“Noting that the Tilyenji-led central committee’s mandate expired in 2005 and that Mr Tilyenji and his group are holding office illegally and unconstitutionally, the UNIP National Revival Forum resolved that, a party congress be held as soon as possible to elect a new central committee to replace the Tilyenji-led central committee which was elected in 2000,” stated the duo. “The UNIP National Revival Forum undertakes to carry out a comprehensive re-organisation of all the party organs in preparation for party congress.”
They invited people including those in the Tilyenji camp to join the forum.
But Tilyenji said he was open to criticism, which came from credible people.
Tilyenji also accused The Post of supporting groups that were trying to discredit the party. He said The Post knew who was UNIP and they could not allow factions that were against the leadership of the party.
“It is not a secret that you (The Post) have an interest in the party and have been supporting people who want to destroy our party. You have not been kind to us” said Tilyenji.
Labels: THE POST, TILYENJI KAUNDA, UNIP, UNIP NATIONAL REVIVAL FORUM
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