Resignation of Col. Panji Kaunda won’t affect UNIP on the Copperbelt

1. Good riddance of Panji, atleast he has gone on his own.
   Anyway,UNIP is already dead and there are more serious issues to discuss as the secretary has mentioned than talk about Panji.

2. UNIP need repositioning, to let it die because of one person is just weakening the maturity of our political system in Zambia since 1958.Tilyenji has destroyed the party, but the father is always talking about other parties than that one his son runs from his bedroom.Its really a shame,Does UNIP have a manifesto? It would be interesting to get hold of one which makes ‘United National Independence Party’ keep the flame burning ….

3. #2 Kuku, if you analyse the history of the Republicans, Democrats, in USA,the Conservatives, the labour Party in Uk,Labor party in Australia, Aikoku Koto in Japan, India National Congress in India and many others in Europe that they have a strong foundation on which they are formed and a strong vision for the party which is a shared one with the members of the party. Whether they are in power is not a main priority but that to ensure that every citizen of the country is treated fairly and equally.
   Back to UNIP, its formation was mainly on the basis of achieving independence, and a one party system was introduced sometime thereafter meaning no competition no new ideas no thinking and the flame started to cool off.After achieving objectives, people dont plan of what next hence even their founding members abandon their paries like Kavindele,Mumba,KK,AKA etc.
   the repositioning we need is to remove the one man policy and replace with the Party’s policy,not HH vision but UPND vision.

4. The only reason we`re even able to talk about UNIP(Panji Kaunda) is because of the assets the party has,otherwise politically it`s irrelevant.In fact with MMD, it won`t even take a month to become irrelevant once dislodged or voted out of power.This bankrupt party is only in existance because of the levels of theft by the current govt that helps to sustain it.Talk of the 150 stolen vehicles this party has desperately held on to despite the Supreme Court ruling against it.In Zambia we need a BARACK OBAMA type of leader to speak to the very conscious of the electorate in order to lead our country into a new era of economic and political dispensation.

5. #4 Chapi, Is it possible to have Political parties in Zambia that can be there for generations? Is it also possible to have politicians who wont be moving from one party to another at any time of the day etc?
   i think politicians should be fighting for political supporters not for government coffers.

6. Mulyata is very disgusting and need to be removed from his positiion with immediate effect. When we are fighting corruption we can afford to hae such empty tins like Mulyata heading our important province like Sothern Province. Mwanawasa take this man away immediately and make him an example tht the fight against corruption is going toward grass root.

7. #6 HK, what has Mulyata done wrong in Southern Province?

8. “Old women’s engagement in prostitution worries Prof Nkandu Luo”

   Look at this Bemba prostitute shooting herself in the back.She’s better off sticking to her open sessions than embarrassing our tribe.

9. Mulyata harasses RDA officers over GBM’s bus
   By Bivan Saluseki
   Sunday July 15, 2007 [04:00]

   SOUTHERN Province minister Joseph Mulyata on Thursday harassed and insulted Road Development Agency (RDA) officers at Livingstone weighbridge after they impounded an overloaded luxury coach belonging to Lusaka businessman Geoffrey Mwamba popularly known as GBM.

10. HK, Is this the reason for the tiff between GBM and the Post?

11. GBM is annoyed because they exposed the scandal and GBM is threatening the post Editor.
    Mulyata has been exposed for abuse of power. This character has been going around the province bullyin people. At onet time he overstepped his authority to ban Sky news. Certainly such characters do not belong to thise era of decency.

12. #9 HK, Dont rush to conclusions and always read to the fullest. here is the full article from your subtitle.
    Mulyata and GBM’s corrupt connivance
    By Editor
    Sunday July 15, 2007 [04:00]

    It is said that one does not achieve greatness by claiming it. And a man is judged by his actions, not his boasting. President Levy Mwanawasa usually boasts of running a government of laws and not that of men. This Levy’s statement or claim has often been challenged by many people, including ourselves who from time to time have criticised him for being selective in his anti-corruption fight.

    With events such as the one in Livingstone last week where Southern Province minister Joseph Mulyata had to forcibly release a bus impounded for a traffic offence simply because the bus belongs to a cadre from the ruling party, it will be an uphill battle for Levy to convince anyone that his administration is serious about promoting the rule of law.

    In simple terms, governance by the rule of law means that there is no one above the law of the land, not even the President and his ministers. This is the principle that Levy usually propounds. He says there will be no sacred cows in the fight against corruption and that on his part, he will not shield any wrongdoer from prosecution. However, this statement is more said than turned into action.

    Levy has appointed ministers and other government officials as his representatives or agents. Therefore, whatever a minister does is by implication the President’s action or decision because the President’s agents have both express and implied authority to perform duties in his name.

    Indeed, it is funny that a minister who is supposed to be the custodian of the law is the one breaking it.

    The Road Development Agency officers in Livingstone tried to implement the rule of law by impounding an overloaded bus and slapping the appropriate charges as provided for by the law. But minister Mulyata thinks these officers are being uncompromising. How can a minister who swore to defend the Constitution suggest that the provisions of the law should be compromised by enforcement officers?

    Mulyata’s justification of his corrupt activity in Livingstone cannot hold water. He claims that the “chaps”, as he referred to the enforcement officers, slapped over K7 million as a penalty fee against MMD cadre Geoffrey Mwamba’s (GBM) driver and expected the driver to pay the same day. This is cheap justification. That is why it is said that a bribe blinds the eye of the wise one.

    If K7 million is the prescribed fee, what does Mulyata expect the officers to charge? Does he expect them to charge K1 million where the law says they should charge K7 million? And it cannot be said that the officers insisted that the money be paid there and then because the bus was impounded for some days before Mulyata decided to interfere with the administration of the rule of law. In fact, the officers impounded the bus and then asked the driver to find an alternative bus for the passengers.

    And if this is a straightforward transaction, why should GBM say that he is not aware of the incident when Mulyata says it is actually GBM who pleaded with him to help in releasing the impounded bus. This smells of corruption. Sadly, the people involved will get away with it because Levy is running an ‘animal farm’ administration where some animals are more corrupt than others.

    But corruption is corruption. There is nothing like small or big corruption. And Levy always emphasises on being provided with evidence of corruption before he could take appropriate action. We wonder what he will say or do about Mulyata and GBM’s questionable activities.

    If improperly handled, these are the things that hinder or inhibit the fight against corruption. Tomorrow, these hard working officers will have no reason to enforce the law because they would not want to be insulted for doing the right things. Instead of commending the officers for a job-well done, Mulyata decided to insult them and joined hands with his fellow party cadre in mutilating the law.

    This is unacceptable. Clearly, Mulyata is not fit to hold public office because he is making decisions using his heart instead of using his brains. And how many such things has Mulyata done in the privacy of his office if he cannot have the shame to publicly accost honest-hearted and hardworking civil servants?

    We are tired of rhetoric from the new deal government. We need action and not just words if people are to have confidence in the pronouncements about the zero tolerance on corruption.

13. #11 HK, what Mulyata did was morally wrong by hijacking some officer’s duties, but lets not jump to conclusion’s.
    First, it’s only in Zambia where if your vehicle is impounded by law enforcement officers are you requested to leave the vehicle behind.
    In a structured environment, the bus owner should have been issued with a penalty notice in which he is supposed to pay at the local or nearest magistrate’s court and allowed to proceed with his journey.
    Did you expect the driver to drop off some passengers and they become stranded? They are already in a contract and that is to reach them their destination.
    Now with the unstructured system in Zambia, if the driver is let off, it will be difficult to get hold of him again.
    And this is what Mulyata should present in Parliament on making sure that every registered vehicle has a fixed abode and so should be a person.

14. #5 KAYATA.It`s possible to have political parties that could be arround for generations once they are based on principles and IDEOLOGY.A political ideology is defined as a set of ideals,priciples,doctrines or symbols of social movement,institution,class or large group that explains how society should carry itself out and offers political and cultural blueprint for a social order.This usually has 2 dimensions,namely:GOALS(how society should work or be arranged) and METHODS(the most appropriate way to achieve the ideal movement).In the USA for example liberals identify themselves with DEMOCRATS while CONSERVATIVES with the REPUBLICAN PARTY.I can`t rule out anything like that happening in Zambia in the near future when visionaries take the helm of these political parties.

15. “Inconsequential” to borrow Mr Sata’s term

16. Mugabe critic sued for adultery

    Archbishop Ncube says Zimbabweans are desperate
    A prominent critic of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, is being sued for alleged adultery.
    The lawsuit has been filed by the husband of a woman who worked as a secretary in the archbishop’s office.
    Lawyers for Archbishop Ncube called the allegations an orchestrated attempt to discredit him.
    The archbishop, who denies the allegations, has openly denounced Mr Mugabe as a “megalomaniac”.
    Earlier this month in an interview with the BBC, he argued that a case could be made for the overthrow of the president. He has said the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe has reached “life-threatening proportions”, and that regional political intervention was now needed. Zimbabwean state radio said Onesimus Sibanda was demanding 20 billion Zimbabwe dollars (about $160,000, or £80,000 on the country’s black market exchange rate)

17. in damages from the archbishop.
    It said his wife, Rosemary Sibanda, had “admitted the affair to” the state broadcasting company. Attorney Nick Matonzi said it was “some kind of orchestrated attempt to embarrass the archbishop”, who he said would will deny the allegations in court.

    I THOOUGHT SUITS RONNIES REMARKS

18. What is wrong with our ministers. Lastest news says a minister in Argentina has resigned because US$32, 000 was found in his bathroom. However he denies the charges.

19. #13 Imwe baKAYATA, your point is understood but unfortunately thats not what the laws of zambia stipulate. Amafunde mafunde, mwilalandalanda fye iyo.

20. Panji Kaunda’s resignation has rekindled my faith in some politicians that they operate on principal.Col Kaunda is an old hand in UNIP.Panji who differs with his father by only twenty years has seen UNIP through it’s varous stages. UNIP in the last full years of TJ being in charge has totaly lost the little support it used to master.

    PANJI is a principled man, he has decided to work away from from UNIP despite its family connections

21. #20 BA MALA, twaufwa. kashi pa zambia ma funde te logic

22. Kayata, the reason for impounding the bus was because bieng overloaded, it posed a danger to passengers and other road users. it therefore does not make sense to release the bus to proceed on its journey after payment of a fine. if it was another type of traffic offense like overspeading, maybe the driver would have been booked and asked to pay his fine later.

    The matter at issue here is that a politician interfered in the performance of a duty by law enforcement officers. Such things should not be allowed to happen. But Mulyata was smart, he would have gone to the provincial police commanding officer, who would then have contacted the director of the RDA and so forth. The bus would then have been released by the appropriate authorities, rightly or wrongly. Direct interference is what make this case even more ugly. The only person in the country who is entitled to undercut the process is the President. But even then, he would instruct the Police IG to make the necessary orders.

23. One of the reasons David Blunkett had to resign as a UK minister was because a memo he wrote was percieved to “fast track” a visa for a maid!!! Giving a visa would not result in death and sorrow but on principle Blunkett “saw the light” (forgive the pun) and resigned.Mulyata by his “percieved” intervention or influence put alot of peoples lives at risk and as such it would not be unreasonable to petition LPM to censure his minister(or even fire him).What we lack in Zambian politics is principles and our system is riddled with hypocrisy.In a more principled political environment this issue would attract parliamentary attention given that the appointing authority is being slow to react.I do not recall the Livingstone MP even making a squeak over this issue.Zambia has a long way to go but with fora such as these, where no matter is swept under the carpet…we will get there sooner than later.Aluta continua fellow contributors…we are the little voice of the people!!!

24. Why should one resignation be an issue, let the man go and lest afterrole he has done his part in the party and country as whole. You the so called young generation are always talking of old guards to go, so why u turn around and make it an issue. Panji does not want to be like his father – wamuyaya, the man wants to do others things besides politics. He has come to his senses that there life outside the political party. Kwashala abakote ba Mad Muwelewele Dwarfs(MMD) pls do the honorary thing.

25. UNIP has never recovered from the election boycott of 1996.That is when it lost direction and purpose because it could not adapt itself to being out of the corridors of power.I add the boycott to the list of catastrophic mistakes UNIP have made.The unfortunate death of Wezi robbed the party of a capable cadre who could have kept the party together and ensure it’s revival.It is probably becoz of this possibility he was consigned to the grave before his potential was realised.Ba AM(24),Ba Panji has never come across as a very influential factor in UNIP internal politics but i would agree he has been a significant voice by virtue of his name.Maybe i am wrong but the loss of his membership merely signifies or highlights the general thinking within the heirachy of TJ’s failed leadership.

26. #25 We cannot tie their inefficiencies to boycots, loss of Wezi etc.The problem with UNIP has been failure to redefine their structures,make a blue print to fit in the multi party environment and lastly to detach this family attachement to it and attract wide range of talent or calibres both professional and otherwise.TK should have worked hard to put up a manifesto that would have carried a divergent view from the one his father had.Look at Muswati, he puts up strategies that are in line with today’s happening,Panji and TK must have worked hard in liason with others to win back the people’s trust which his father grossly destroyed.He must have been bold enough to even denounce his father’s policies may be call it ‘New UNIP with a New vision’in that line, I still believe UNIP can be brought into a lime light if TK resigned as well and hand over power to other capable chaps like Mvunga

27. If the children of the founder fathers of the party do not even think it is worthwhile just to be ordinary members but have to resign from the party altogether, it is a wake up call for other party members. There is no greater Vote of No Confidence in Tilyeni’s leadership than this!

28. #26, Kuku Mukwai, leadership is a factor for any collapsing organisation to reorganise itself. With the fall of KK, UNIP had lacked leaders who could resuscitate it save for Wezi Kaunda. Wezi was a promising political leader in UNIP and Zambia as a whole. He performed better than his predecessors such as Kebby Musokotwane and Francis Nkhoma. TJ, for me, is the one who has completely destroyed UNIP. When Zimbabwe’s economy was thriving, he spent more time there at the expense of UNIP.
    On the issue of ideologies brought by other bloggers, my view is that in Zambia ideologies do not matter. This is unfortunate and is the reason why it is very easy for politicians to move from one party to the other and are able to secure election victories. What matters is the person leading the party. Perhaps with the exception of the MMD, all the other political parties are “owned” by individuals. PF, Sata. UNIP,the Kaundas. UPND, the Mazokas. ULP,Saki. ZRP, BY. HP, Miyanda, etc.

29. Does UNIP still exist?

30. It is impossible for UNIP to exist without KK. UNIP is KK and KK is UNIP that how it has always being and it will alway be that way, in other ways unless KK lead UNIP it is as good dead, he made that way.

31. #28 amayi Daka wakamba zoona.Manje imwe muonapo bwanji future ya Zambia mu ma polotikisi waka?If UNIP was a company, it would have been easy to turn it around,it is the only party with assets under the trading company ZNHL, how genuine, heavens knows,MMD owns black velvet dubiously bought and 150 vehicles also dubiously bought.How was UNIP operating? Was it using govt policies to pursue party interests or what?But the people who left UNIP, the mashekes, they have failed to make an impact where they have moved which means UNIP developmental,succession and growth path was more of an illusion than reality.In real life you should use ones weakness as your strengths,failure of one is 100% success of the other,no wonder MMD has continued to grow its roots deeper though on sand.

32. The biggest problem with Zambian politics is “continuity”. We do not have leaders who groom others to take over when they retire or are forced out through an election.Our leaders are drunk with political perpetuity and as a result they think every day wil be a Saturday.African leaders need to start respecting Party constitutions.We also need to embrace the policy of political grooming.We do not need to view those in power as the greatest.Every living creature has a life span.At some point, animals will grow old and their thinking will diminish.But this they don’t see.UNIP’s undoing is all their fault.They made KK what he was.TJ has no leadership qualities at all.He is not even a shadow of himself.I heard his reasoning on some Presidential candidates’ debates, he was pathetic, to say the least.

33. #31, Kuku Mukwai, I agree entirely with your comments. On the some of questions you have raised, I wish say the following; There was no clear dichotomy between the party and its government during UNIP’s one party participatory democracy. Whereas there was ZNHL for the party, the government had ZIMCO and the corporate governance ( a topic you have ably propounded before), was the same. Some of UNIP’s properties were acquired through ZNHL. Most of its properties in various compounds in Zambia were acquired through the the ward chairmen. It is without doubt the richest political party in Zambia. UNIP stewarts like Grey Zulu, however, feared the leadership code and were never enterprising presumably on the understanding that the party will look after them upon retirement. The code in itself in my view was good as it required political leaders to declare their wealthy. Rupiah Banda managed to run companies despite the existence… Am unable to use Sage’s formula. I will continue below.

34. (Contd from #33)of the code. The converse to this is that the new culture politicians embarked on a trail of wealthy accumulation to avoid the squalor (wretchdness) of the old UNIPists. This brought about massive corruption. Current politics is about self actualisation, which is a pity. There is no investment in going on in all parties. The MMD from inception, has had its support base in places where people converge and not local urban communities where people live. It has no roots in these areas. Its traditional support base has been in workplaces (trade unions),markets and bus stations. But with the unemployment which followed the new culture economy policies and the establishment of market and market boards, this support base has dwindled. By the way, I am in support of the boards as they will economically empower our local authorities. Despite this, the MMD is still a force to reckon with and you are right when you say “MMD has continued to grow its roots though on sand.” Amazing!

35. #33&34 well done, please dont miss the next cabinet meeting.I sympathise alot for this UNIP and I would not like to see it fold,what is happening today under UNIP I can see the same happening to ANC afew years later.what is more surprising is the father has completely ignored that his son cant run a political party but instead goes jogging to kabulonga to wish HH success during the tripatite elections,its so shameful.TK needs a convention to put back UNIP on the country map as it is the only one correct way for self examination,be subjective to scrutiny on his achievements and failures,and it will give his members outside Central committee to ask him questions about their future.I dont want a return to one party state because right now our opposition are fragmented and seem not to know whether they are coming or going.
    Pragmatist will do well on the UNIP subject since he was once in the party, over to you Pragmatist.

36. something to learn from UNIP is that every party must have an investment wing that will fund the party.members and well wishers should contribute to an investment fund,an independent board appointed to run the company and made answerable to the party’s executive committee.this would ensure that no one person would wield power over others by virtue of their personal pocket power.It would allow even those without wealth to ascend within the party and even lead it with the backing of the party resources. transparency is cardinal for this to work but it would eliminate these one man parties that have mushroomed over the years.political parties are businesses now and for so long as their businesses do well and fund the party when required we will not see “fly by night” political parties.

37. UNIP had a lot of assets – nearly every market in all districts of the country had buildings for UNIP but officials and vigilantes shared them (then resigned and joint ruling party) after the party left power. Now it has liabilities, no wonder it cannot function well and leadership are now opting for resignation.

38. Politics is not about people but policies! What has Panji, a failed Army Officer then, got to offer modern Zambia today? UNIP is not a Kaunda party.

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