Today the President of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) party Nevers Mumba distributed an extended Christmas greeting, the full text of which follows.
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
I and my wife, on behalf of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy family nationwide, wish you a merry Christmas and prosperous new year.
INTRODUCTION
As we celebrate Christmas, I wish to bring into focus, the central message of this holy occasion. Scripture testifies that, “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” The life of God is a life of giving and sharing. God has demonstrated his love for us, not only by stating it in words, but demonstrating it in the action of giving his ONLY begotten Son. This is the meaning of Christmas. It is this spirit which has revolutionalised the world – the spirit of giving the best in order for someone else to enjoy a better life. This is why the Gospel is called “good news.”
I wish to use this opportunity to thank all our members across the nation for the resilience and amazing commitment you have shown to your party over the past one year. When our survival as a party was threatened, you all stood up to defend the cause of democracy. I also wish to express my personal gratitude to you all for the support you gave to me as President. I do not take your support for granted. May the Lord keep you and your families in perfect peace.
I also wish to thank all Zambians who have consistently supported the MMD as we swam across troubled waters. You prayed for us, you gave of your time and finances and made it possible for us to survive the storm. By supporting MMD, you have supported democracy and the rule of law. By supporting MMD, you have contributed to making Zambia better. MMD as the main opposition party will continue to provide checks and balances to government to curtail any excesses by the PF government. A lack of support to MMD and the opposition is the fastest way of destroying democracy and the liberties we enjoy. Our strength as a party ensures that we remain capable of stopping the ruling party from abusing people’s rights. I look forward to your increased support in the next year.
THE MANDELA LEGACY – SACRIFICE FOR OTHERS
Our nation needs to reflect on how we can change our fortunes by embracing the Godly values of love, forgiveness and sharing.
No one can be deemed great, except the one who gives his life for others. The world over the last few days has been celebrating a life of an ordinary man from a small village called Qunu. Nelson Mandela’s greatness did not come from the presidency, but from a life of sacrifice for others. He cared, loved, and then sacrificed 27 years of his life for others. This is what greatness is all about. Martin L. King Jnr. insisted that at his death, his eulogy should not be long. “No one should talk about the house he lived in, the degrees he accumulated, or the car he drove, as that did not mean anything. He said, I want to be remembered as a drum major for justice. A spokesperson for the oppressed and the nobodies.” This is what greatness is all about. To all my fellow leaders both in our party and country, our greatness does not lie in the votes we garner or the money we accumulate but in the people we help. Zambia shall only be great if it has great leaders. A great leader is the one who understands, that the position he holds is held in trust on behalf of others. A great leader understands that to lead well, you have to fall in love with the people you are leading, regardless of their colour, tribe or gender.
NEW LEADERSHIP OF MORALITY AND INTEGRITY
Over a year ago, I offered myself to run for the position of president of my party because of my firm belief that, “the equitable delivery of goods and services to any people depends on the morality and integrity of its leaders.” The danger to Zambia’s prosperity and development is not necessarily bad policies but a lack of morality and integrity in a lot of us leaders. As we face the future, let us turn our attention to the characters of those who seek the high offices of our land.
My reason for joining the political process has been to start a new order of politics which believes that morality and integrity of a leader is the greatest asset any nation can ever have. The naïve myth which seeks to separate personal character of a politician and his public duties is the greatest danger which has contracted african economies and compromised the quality of politics.
The problem Zambia faces today is a moral problem. When leaders make a promise and fail to address it when they assume power is a moral problem. An insantiable appetite for personal gain is a moral problem. Zambia must invest in a new breed of leaders. Selfless, giving, forgiving and ready to work for the well being of all citizens.
As we celebrate Christmas, it is vital that we reflect on attitudes and decisions made by all of us. Decisions that have brought us to this very desperate point as a nation.
It is true that although the PF did not win with a majority, it did come with amazing fan-fare. It rolled on promises for more jobs, more money, a completed constitutional project among many other promises. As we celebrate the third Christmas under the PF, it becomes imperative for all of us to review our gains and losses. When Zambia prospers we all prosper, both the supporters of PF and the opposition. When Zambia faces a crisis, we all feel the weight and pain of such a crisis. We share in our joys and our pain as a nation. We therefore ask for a pragmatic approach in resolving our problems as a nation. We should not be partisan in dealing with national problems.
THE NEW MMD
We do have some mischievous opponents who preach that MMD should not come back because they have governed before, and committed several sins which cost them 2011 elections. They are being mischievous for three reasons, firstly, our two years out of government have helped us to do a soul search of why Zambians set us aside for a while. We have brutally analysed the perceptions we had created which enraged the Zambians people and have learnt our lesson, never to repeat those mistakes. Secondly, we have also learnt from the glaring mistakes of the PF and have resolved never ever to take Zambians for granted.
Thirdly, MMD has a new President. All past Presidents had their own leadership styles and brought a unique flavour to the Party. Our first President Dr. Chiluba opened up Multipartism and free market economy, our second President Dr. Levy Mwanawasa insisted on the rule of law, while our third President undertook one of the most aggressive infrastructure programmes ever.
The fourth President Nevers Mumba is determined to build on the three pillars while introducing his life ethos that, “the equitable delivery of goods and services to any people depends on the morality and integrity of its leaders. I believe that great projects and policies are bound to fail if the leaders are immoral and lack integrity.
It would be unfair to blame the style of President Chiluba on President Mwanawasa and it will be wrong to blame the style of President Mwanawasa on President Banda. It is therefore important to accept that Nevers Mumba will bring a new style and Zambians have to judge him on his own merit.
The life blood of MMD has always hinged on two pillars:
(a) A full democratic culture
(b) A private driven economy
I have dared to add the third leg on the stool of our values:
(c) Morality and integrity.
So, the MMD which shall return to government shall be a new, rebranded one with new energy to pursue the people’s agenda.
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
As we face the future, let us resolve that as a people, we respect people’s choices. When a citizen decides to support the opposition, the government must respect that. When a citizen supports the ruling party, we in the opposition must accept that.
MMD back in government under my leadership will make an undertaking never to victimize, disadvantage any citizen who is in the opposition or associated with someone in the opposition. We condemn the victimization of businessmen who choose to support democracy by supporting the opposition. We condemn the victimization of businessmen who choose to support democracy by supporting the opposition. We condemn the victimization of family members of those in the opposition. This trend must come to an end. We must exorcise the fear that has paralysed citizens who disagree with the ruling party. Our view is that a government must never be feared, but it must be respected. The intimidation of citizens by a government should never be tolerated in today’s world. Freedoms are God given and no individual or government has any authority to interfere with such freedoms.
THE SPIRIT OF THE NATION
Every nation has a dominant spirit or culture.
Late President Nelson Mandela re-framed the culture of South Africa from being a segregated society to an integrated society. This was achieved by great sacrifice. Today South Africa is called a rainbow nation. Nelson Mandela’s funeral demonstrated the place he holds not only in South-Africa but the world over. The whole world needs to experience harmony amongst its peoples. There are lessons for Zambia to learn from the South African example. To unite the nation, we must do things that will promote unity.
In-fact Zambia already has a good foundation of this unity through the motto “one Zambia one nation” taught to us by our founding fathers.
As we face the new year, I wish to submit that the honour and respect of former leaders is significant in keeping the unity of the nation. The disrespectful treatment of former presidents, has divided the nation. In South-Africa, instead of arresting the former apartheid leaders, they opted for truth and reconciliation. Mr. De Klerk is a respected former president, just as Mr. Mandela was respected after he left office. We must aspire as a people to break the divisive, and retrogressive tradition of hate and revenge. We must seek to unite the country by respecting those who have gone before us. The government in power should also avoid respecting one former head of state above another.
I have dedicated my life as a minister of the Gospel and now political leader to the search for unity and reconciliation. In 1994 at the height of a huge standoff between former President Kenneth Kaunda and incumbent President Chiluba, I shuttled between the two leaders to advance a view I hold dearly, that the respect of former leaders contributes to a more stable and unified nation. I finally managed to bring President Kaunda and the new government together at our Victory Conference to pray for unity and reconciliation.
Again at the height of controversy between the late Presidents Mwanawasa and Chiluba, holding the position of Vice-President, I shuttled between the two presidents in the hope of bringing reconciliation. President Mwanawasa allowed me to proceed with efforts to bring reconciliation. I left office at the place where President Mwanawasa had agreed to reconcile on condition that President Chiluba returned a certain percentage of what was perceived to be misappropriated. On the other hand, President Chiluba told me that his preference was to let the Courts decide his fate. I wish to humbly submit that as a people we must choose the road to reconciliation rather than vindictiveness. This is good for both our posterity and prosperity as a nation.
CIVIL SERVANTS
As we approach Christmas many families shall spend this festive season with no gifts and food for their children because government has failed to dialogue with the nurses and hundreds of families across the country will have no money to celebrate Christmas, because they are out of their jobs.
As we approach Christmas, many of our families will spend time burying loved ones who are dying in record numbers in our hospitals because government has decided to fire all nurses indiscriminately. It shall be a black Christmas for many. My heart goes out to these families. We demand for the immediate re-instatement of all nurses countrywide.
As we approach Christmas, many of our people shall not afford to buy a bag of mealie meal which now costs K90.00 because government has removed the subsidy which helps to cushion the poorest of the poor amongst us. We demand for the immediate re-instatement of government subsidy on mealie meal.
As we approach Christmas, most Zambians who like to travel to be with family during the festive season will have to do without families because the PF government has removed the fuel subsidy from fuel, making it expensive for people to travel.
FOREIGN POLICY
The image of any nation is critical in attracting foreign investment and tourism which in turn creates jobs and through increased taxes the government benefits. Zambia over the years has created for herself an enviable international image. It is known as the lead front line state in the liberation of central, southern Africa. The price Zambia paid in hosting liberation movements in the region gave her a reputable place in history. Dr. Kenneth Kaunda almost single handedly negotiated for the release of many freedom fighters in the region including Nelson Mandela. The peace we have enjoyed for the past fifty years makes Zambia an example of civility. The democratic transfers of power from one regime to the other makes us unique on a continent known for conflict.
As we face the third Christmas under the PF, we have experienced a dangerous reversal of fortunes gained over the past fifty years in relation to the international image of our country. We have witnessed no single state visit of a foreign head of state. We have read of several diplomatic glitches each time our head of state travels. These diplomatic breaches will cost us a lot as a nation both economically and politically. The latest diplomatic glitch is when our President chose not to attend President Nelson Mandela’s funeral in preference to going to Malambo and Vubwi to campaign during the period of mourning which he himself had earlier declared.
Zambia was supposed to be the main player during President Mandela’s funeral. There is no country on the continent even the world that sacrificed as much for the independence of South Africa and the release of Nelson Mandela as Zambia. Our economy was greatly weakened as we chose to stand with our colleagues to attain self-rule. As K.K used to say, “Zambia is not free until all neighbours are free.”
To honour Zambia, President Mandela decided to make Zambia his first international destination after being released from prison. We should also have reciprocated by being the first to get to South Africa when we heard of his passing. Zambia’s absence at presidential level robbed us of an opportunity to tell heroic story, of our role in the liberation of not only South Africa but the entire sub-region. Everyone who listened to President Kikwete’s speech will agree that the statement he gave would also have been a perfect fit of what Zambia did for South-Africa. We lost an opportunity, while Tanzania rose to the occasion. To send Vice President Scott who just a while ago insulted South Africans was a mockery of unacceptable proportions. This lack of sensitivity has injured our international image. MMD back in government will ensure that we repair the broken image by exercising high levels of diplomatic etiquette. MMD is of the view that the PF should have advised President Sata on the significance of Mr. Mandela’s funeral in World history.
FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
As we approach Christmas, we must ensure that justice for all is guaranteed. MMD back in government and under my administration shall wage the war against corruption in a holistic manner. We shall not target individuals and pursue them to make political capital.
Our goal is to create a robust system which detects early warnings of acts of corruption. This will be done by independent and authorized agencies and not State House. Public servants and leaders will have to equate the levels of their wealth to their legitimate earnings. Through such measures the fight against corruption will target everyone without targeting any selected individuals. The current fight against corruption mainly limits itself to political opponents and former presidents. This trend shall be stopped immediately we get back into government.
GENERAL GOVERNANCE
The responsibility of any government is to ensure that they deliver on the promises they made prior to forming government. This is the only way a government can be assessed. If a government promises oranges, they must deliver oranges and not peanuts. This is critical in keeping the integrity of such a government.
It remains a fair statement that almost all the 90 day promises made by the PF remain unfulfilled after 720 days.
I however, wish to submit on a promise the PF never made and yet has enjoyed great levels of delivery. The PF did not promise the Zambian people that they were going to move money from the agricultural sector to fund unbudgeted for by-elections. Rebased millions of kwacha has been moved from subsidizing mealie meal and fuel and applied to by-elections. Money has also been moved from the payroll of Civil Servants including the nurses to fund by-elections. There is an insantiable appetite for by-elections by the PF government to the extent that the President is willing to miss international events like the funeral for the late Mr. Mandela and go on a campaign trail in Vubwi.
In the ongoing fight to deplete the opposition numbers in parliament. The PF has induced six resignations from the MMD. They have poached six MPs now serving as deputy ministers and they have nullified eight of our seats and we still have thirteen pending in the Supreme Court. Our assumption is that they are also expected to suffer the same fate. This brings the total number of targeted MPs by PF to 33 from MMD alone.
This development is the first of its kind since independence, where a government recklessly destroys democratic institutions and spends money we don’t have to support a programme that destroys democracy and reduces the effectiveness of the government in power. A one party state of government has been tried before and did not yield positive results. This attack on the legislature must be resisted and stopped by all of us. I wish to put all our structures nationwide on alert as we seek to announce what we consider a permanent solution to this blatant attack on democracy and parliament.
It is inconceivable to have the PF denounce the 2011 election and call it fraudulent and yet it is the election which brought them into government. If more than thirty constituencies used corruption to win the elections, then the presidency was also won fraudulently. The president should not hold on to power if he believes that so many constituencies were involved in malpractices. A bold decision by the President to institute investigations in the PF held constituencies will prove that all of them in one way or the other could have entertained some corrupt element in their campaigns. This is why we are demanding for an independent electoral commission. The PF in all the past by-elections has been dishing out money to churches and Chiefs in huge sums. These reports are with the conflict resolution committee of the ECZ. Nothing has happened. In Livingstone, Vice President Scott publicly donated K30 million.
In Mpongwe and Luangwa the PF gave money to churches. Just recently the President went to Vubwi and Malambo to campaign outside electoral regulations. There is no seat PF has won without breaking electoral regulations.
In view of the unbudgeted for by-elections going on:
We demand that the President immediately calls for a general election in order to resolve this very expensive exercise. We pledge to do whatever is in our power to force the PF government to call for an early election.
Secondly, we demand that mealie-meal prices be slashed to affordable levels for all Zambian. To achieve this, we demand for the re-instatement of the subsidy on this staple food. The threat by government to introduce price control on mealie-meal is an abrogation of responsibility, as this will have to imply that the millers will have to cover the subsidy gap on behalf of government. The PF promised to be pro-poor and have U-turned and become anti-poor.
Thirdly, we demand that the Constitution making process be completed, the referendum be held and the electoral Commission be made independent.
The process of Constitution making is not a project of any individual party but the Zambian people. For the President to back track on this project he will be back tracking against the will of 13 million Zambians. This will be mortally injurious to the PF and the President.
The PF and the President have missed a great opportunity they can never fix.
Time has now come for political action to ensure that we hold the PF accountable to the promises they made. Time for Press Statement is behind us. It is now time to demand that democracy, the rule of law and justice be upheld in the nation. We must initiate a resistance campaign against any action that threatens our progress as a people.
MMD has been pushed as far as it can be by the nullification of our seats, the poaching of our MPs and the petitioning of all our seats.
Newton’s law of motion states, “For every action there is an equal and positive re-action” This is a natural principle.
The Zambian people have been pushed to the limits.
The nurses have been pushed to the limits.
The Royal establishment have been pushed to the limits.
The taxi and minibus drivers have been pushed to the limits.
The University Students have been pushed to the limits.
The churches have been pushed to the limits.
Newton’s law means, “that for every force there is a re-action force that is equal in size, but opposite in direction.
Zambia is ready to resist any injustice in 2014.
I wish to call on Civil Society, the Church and my colleagues in the opposition to stand together as we have done in the past and preserve the hard earned freedom. 2014 cannot be business as usual. We must together cast away our differences and work hand in hand to preserve our land.
I thank you
God bless you
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