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whether to embrace or reject a culture of violence; whether to embrace or reject a culture of insults.
Each of us can decide to do the right thing when it becomes clear to us that our action can make a positive difference. We cannot take satisfaction in blaming corruption and intolerance on our political leadership when in our very own homes; in our very own workplaces, in our churches and social communities, we remain small dictators that reject correction and wise counsel from the people around us who see our faults all too clearly. When we ourselves lie to, steal from and cheat one another daily.
And this is where the change and transformation of our nation must begin. It must start from within; with each one of us seeking to understand the role we have played in harming our common interests. With each one of us seeking to understand how we can make things better. We must ask ourselves what it is we have to do to be more responsible citizens and create the Zambia that we all wish to live in.
*
A new beginning
*
Today, we stand on the brink of a new beginning – a time to call upon the better instinct within each one of us to make the sacrifices that will see this nation become great again. The dreams we have for the nation today should encapsulate the dreams and aspirations of every Zambian:
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– every grandmother that dreams of a better life for her orphaned grandchildren left homeless by the ravages of life in a country that has failed to
adequately protect the vulnerable
– every neglected or abused child that longs for a caring home as he or she wanders from street to street seeking safety from a cruel world
– every hardworking miner, who wants a bigger share of the pie while he sweats and labours for investors in foreign capitals yet is not able to provide a decent way of life for his family
– every security guard who longs to acquire a house and is forced to live on a meagre salary while protecting property he or she can never hope to own
– every rural dweller that yearns for the timely delivery of farming inputs but has no decent feeder road to his or her community limiting the chance for progress
– every family member that seeks a long life for its loved ones but has to endure the unbearable news of yet another fatal but preventable road traffic
accident
– every police officer that wants to do the right thing but has to fight the urge to take a bribe when every inclination within our society expects him or her to do so
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– every hard-working nurse, doctor, teacher that wants to have a decent standard of living and to be respected for the work that they do
– every senior citizen whose meagre pension has been comprehensively eroded by inflation
– if he or she is lucky enough to even have a pension in the first place
– every one of our youth that dreams of greatness but leaves school with no hope of a decent job, having depended on an education system that could never have prepared them well enough for the life ahead we cannot go on like this.
Value-based change
The word on everyone’s lips today is change! Change!
Change! We all know that the country is in desperate need of change.
But it should not be change for the sake of change. It should not be the type of change that is driven by a sense of desperation. It must be change based on a vision and deep conviction about what we need to do in order to restore the values that make us all personally responsible for upholding principles of honesty, humility, respect, tolerance, forbearance, hard work, sacrifice and a commitment to serve.
We need once again to summon up the spirit of sacrifice and service that drove the nationalists in northern
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Rhodesia to fight for a better future for an indigenous population that had been reduced to underclass status.
Men and women who sought a new way for our nation.
We need to call upon our *better *instinct; the voice inside that knows and understands that it cannot be right to take what does not belong to us; to corrupt the system that so many depend on; to use our official positions to enrich ourselves; to deprive our hospitals of vital drugs.
The new generation of leadership
I want to speak for a few moments directly to the generation of Zambians born around the time of our independence and thereafter.
Every generation must strive to leave its mark on its nation’s history. But it never does this alone. Working hand in hand with those who went before us and
recognising the values that our forefathers stood for; the values they lived and died for, we must now play our role responsibly and make our mark in history. Ours is the generation that has benefited the most from the struggles of our forefathers. Yet we have not played our part in making the necessary sacrifice that truly defines a generation of transformational leaders. And that is what we must now aspire to be. Not to be leaders that seek only change:
– we must be true leaders, leaders that can respond to the challenge of our time
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– we must seek to go beyond change
– we must seek a national transformation
– we must dare to dream of a destination for our nation that exceeds the wildest imagination of what kind of place it can be.
And we must reject the idea that we are too clean and politics too dirty; that some of us are too elitist to fight for the common man. We should reject the idea that we can’t significantly reduce corruption and that the people have no choice but to give in to it. Today is the day that the foundation of our character must be dug up and laid anew. Today, is the day we must stand up and be counted for the people of Zambia. Today is the day we define a new hope for our nation, to restore its fortunes and make it great again.
*
No story ba LT whats up? All the best Chipimo, its a free world afterall.
OK, here comes the story, but yalepesha, its not easy to read everything, we are so busy in the diaspora, mwalishibafye……….making money to support the poor families home
Good start ba Chipimo but don’t forget that you may be dividing the votes in the next election making MMD get the majority. we need to get rid of these thieves and crooks. so please organize your MPs next elections only if possible go for lusaka central member of parliament in the next election to test the waters first. don’t be in a hurry for plot one. take your time. the more MPs you have the better for you. so please organize the grassroots first.
learn from the following guys
BY
MIYANDA
NEVERS
DUNNAMIS PASTOR
MUGOMBA
they all rushed for plot one at the expense of MPs and counselors. If you can have more than 50 MPs, and as many counselors as possible then you are good to go.
all the best.
your next mp in your party.
gentlemen read and dont make the same nonsensical comments. Elias has outlined a vision that none of the present politicians have
kafupi very good advice
Join us bane
We are the future
So far impressed.I will still wait for the manifesto.Got row with intelletuals and NOT flip-flops singing populist hymns they hardly understand
same tune same players….same instruments….
**== This is Nonsense. Kaponya No # 8 I agree one hundred percent.
Again we salute Elias for his dream. MMD as the mother, father and pioneers of democracy in Zambia with democratic Zambians here cordially welcome President Elias Chipimo and his NAREP in the liberalized political space. We wish him wellness, happiness, success, and gains without intrusion. The MMD fervent prayers are that he can bring issue driven leadership long expected of the embattled opposition circus in the arena.
Democratic Zambians in and out of MMD do not believe in fundamentally indifferent political party collusions. MMD and all democratic Zambians will never inhibit political dreams of opponents or itself share failed politics of titular parties who vainly collude in principles marriages of convenience out of own inadequacy. MMD will keep embracing issue based democracy at any level but like any political party, it will engage opponents on issues in a spirited political manor not with cousinship gloves.
The challenge has been given to us as Zambians to begin to move beyond shallow analysis and “pull him down” syndrome. The sad state of our country hurts us all, whether so called “elite” or struggling house servant…It makes sense to review our attitudes and really ask ourselves whether this is the best that we can be…. Forget about his origins, the point is does what he is saying make sense? And as for those that think you can only talk to the poor if you are poor, is that really true? What do you have to offer in the way of hope if you are one critically ill patient talking to another. The fact that people of this calibre can give up their highly successful and independent careers to INVEST in their country and their people with their own lives is remarkable and to be admired.
Elias man, we thought the launch was this coming Saturday? Anyway, we are ready, my constituency has already registered more than 500 people. 450 all from MMD, and the rest claimed to be independent.
This is nosense, why can we just have few of them political parties? This is just too much for few Zambians to vote- hence- the RB group will at the end win .
Yaba, pa zambia twashupa- The new born Chipimo-lol
Well , he wouldn’t have been able to say a lot of what he’s said if he had joined an established party would he ? He would not have had the freedom at all , to attack the current leadership in that fashion .
…I think these NAREP peole should also court that priest who’s been speaking out a lot about shoddy leadership lately. I think it’s Fr Bwalya , i’m not sure , but from the few utterances i’ve heard from him thru LT , i’ve found them to be very well placed. A true voice of reason.
This is a big problem in Zambia because everyone want to be a president. If you all become presidents who are you gonna leader? If you want to be a Leader, you must be willing to be led period. I dont welcome the idea of too many political parties, we need all the Zambians to come behind HH and Sata so that we get ride of the MMD company.
This is what we have been waiting for. We are tired of being led by ‘old empty brains.’ We need educated Zambians, i mean Zambians as having been born after 24th October 1964. We are tired of these guys who were born in Rhodesia,they have no plan to develop the country. Chipimo and group, how can we register and contribute to your vision?
# 9 Mwanawakwitu…Your views are usually more balanced than that….The thing is , with political parties world over the prime mover is money , with the right strategies ofcourse. If these guys have the money and the brains (strategies)..then there is no reason why they shouldn’t have an impact in due course.
Good Evening
That’s quite a lot of stuff to read after a long day’s work but a quick scan tells me that the whole concept is not a bad idea at all.
It was Thomas Jefferson, one of the best statesmen America ever had who remarked: “…every generation needs a dream.”
If Elias Jr. is the forerunner of the Zambian dream for his (and our) generation, then let his good plans be crowned with success. The wind of change is blowing…
### 14.. Great point! the whole idea here is that rb and the mmd will do all they can to steal votes from the pact. this party or whatevr its called is bullshit!!!!!!!
We shall wait and see what his lineup looks like.
Thumbs Up Chipimo Jr
That`s the way to go.Enough with these tired and recycled politicians who have no clue about leading our beloved nation.It`s about time we had fresh blood on the political scene.It should bother any Patriotic and Progressive citizen that despite Zambia being blessed with so many natural resources,over 90% are subjected to adverse poverty.Our healthcare is in a mess,road network is in shambles,unemployment has hit alarming levels,corruption is the std of doing business,manufacturing sector is a ramshackle.
A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.Good move and all the best.
Well done! I have not read the whole thing but it is important for the new generation to express themselves and re-align the political scene. A discussion of meaningful issues is what we need. The hater mongers spewing abuse and lies at every turn(Sata & crew) should be binned and that embarassing chapter in Zambian politics closed. How could HH stoop so low as to mingle with trash and attempt to launder the zambian electorate to a hate filled tribalist. Let more of our youths and professionals stand up to wrestle political scene from old & obscene jackals bent on using the youth as kaponyas.
Wrong timing Elias, especially if you are targeting 2011. This will only divide the vote and give another chance for MMD to take the Zambian people for another misery journey. Take #3’s advice if you’re as serious as you claim.
😕 Hmmmmm…..
I welcome the idea of a new and different breed of politicians forming a party, but with utmost precaution. I am a firm believer that too many political parties in the country erodes the focus of what we are really supposed to be fighting for, and only serves to elevate political bickering. Having said this, I really think there is nothing new that Chipimo and company have done in forming a political party. Why, for instance, should he, or his cohorts annoint him as President before any would-be members cast a vote? I would rather Mr Chipimo was called Chairman until such a time when structures have been established and the party can go to a convention. As long as he is annointed President, he will perpetuate his hold to that position and render the vision of the party futile.
Good luck Mr Chipimo, now go round Zed and talk to the people.
All is well, but there is an inherit contradiction in what Junior is proposing, a party not geared for individuals, then he announces that he is the interim President!!!!
Time for the youth to take this and run with it. There is a lot substance in Jr’s statement. This should not worry the Pact but MMD. As a Zambian, I am ready to embrace change in any form. As long as it is not MMD, all is well. The true MMD is getting together to wrestle the nation from the grips of UNIP led by Banda. I see two MMD founding leaders watching Jr get the nation on track. Bye bye Bandas (William and Rupiah) and fake MMD. Soon we will hear Katele leaving RB thugs.
What votes are some of us claiming will be split? As far as I am concerned a vote for the Pact is just the same as voting for RB! Having been born 3 years after our Independece I am happy with Junior’s stance. How can we continue expecting development while we keep on voting for dinosours or is it fossils like Sata and RB? Let’s give chance to the young generation..those who were born as Zambians and not Rhodesians!!
Elias has a rich predigree of having an honest, dedicated, self-sacrificing father and having done well as a lawyer and business consultant. I do wish him well. However, can he garner enough support from rural areas and not just the C/B/Lsk elite? Can he cut across tribal lines and overcome the shallow tribal affiliations the late Mazoka failed to beat? What is his “agenda for Zambia”? Before embarking on forming a political party,my view is that he should have started with civic movement of people’s right like the late Lucy Sichone did. This would have been a good avenue for him to “sale” himself to the common man and other learned Zambians who are on the fringes and are equally disgrantled with the prevailing political scenario.
I cannot seem to understand why alot of our brothers and sisters in the diaspora and some locally believe that in other countries there are not a lot of political parties. In the UK, USA, and even India while there are dominant parties the fact of the matter is that there are numerous other political parties. We must realise that democracy is not a perfect thing and these are some of the costs that come with it. To limit the number of political parties would be to rebuke democracy itself…
$-) No# 18 the Lord Sith there is nothing much to comment on this topic. There are too many parties in Zambia teku buta, it’s the livelihood of our bululus here we are concerned with. I know what slit votes do. This new party is emitting MMD mulonge leftovers. :d
#32 Peter Cool, state the number of parties in the US. The point about too many parties in Zambia is being made from the back-drop of their significance. Look, even Democracy itself is not an endless principle. There can be no rebuke of Democracy if we established some form of control over the number of political parties. Very soon, the number of political parties in Zambia will equal that of the churches. Are you implying then that Religion is democratic? Most of the parties in Zambia are mirrors of others. They simply create a confusing political landscape for the country. For Democracy to thrive, there has to be some semblance of order in the way it’s principles are dispensed. What is Democracy anyway????
why do i get the feeling RB has a hand in this “ka party”?
A Billionaire resigning from arguably one of the most prestigious Law firms in the country to redeem this impoverished country, i have followed his steps for some months now since he started resigning from the Boards he sits on, I will continue following him and if impressed will support him even with grass root quiet support.
Good luck Elias can’t wait for the Manifesto.
Fellow country men and women the biggest problem is not the number of political parties on the scene rather the failure by Zambians to identify a credible leader hence we split our votes. Look at the calibre of leaders we have. Iam sorry to say Sata and RB are honestly not people we should be considering for the country’s presidency. Look at people like HH and now Chipimo. We need the country to develop people PLEASE. We need fresh blood, new ideas. Not same old same old from Welensky’s days.
Bravo Elias! Bravo – indeed a noble cause. But all will wait your next step with caution. Move forward with as much thought and care as expressed in your speech. I agree with all the blogger who say go for parliamentary and local next election and then the future will truly be for the Zambia Youth
#32 go to politics1 on the net and see the US parties. The sort of order you suggest is only possible if you could condition everyone’s thinking. Life is not like that and postings here on theLT are a testament to that. The tragedy with democracy is that it is essentially imperfect and largely unfair due to it the inherent information asymmetries that voters will always face. However, the alternative is worse. Regarding the new party itself, I suspect the reason people are having difficulty with it is a belief that it reduces UPND/PF chances to rule and not as a result of yesterday’s speech. In any event when Charles Milupi launched there was not such an outcry. It all remains to be seen and the only certainty is that this is not the last party in ZED…
… with all the recycled politictians that we’ve seen rule since independence, perhaps it is time for fresh meat, new blood. While it is true that our young man is unkown, we can learn what he is capable of by inspecting what he has done.
Smuggler’s Draft is pro-Zambia and will support any motion that looks promising in an effort to move Zambia forward. If NAREP will do that, then so be it. Smuggler’s Draft would prefer the name to be NRP, but who am I to decide?
Don’t worry guys. Elias will get the same votes as Ken Ngondo!!!!
NAREP – please launch a website so that even “diasporans” can join!
hey let those that dare to change the world do. congrats elias on the launch of the party
His dream of presidency is not new. I recall a conversation with him 18 years ago when he stated that he would work hard to build his career and then go for it. Having said this 3 other kids with fathers known to the general public expressed the same desire the same year, which means either he has them onboard or there will be others coming out over the next few years. Either way good luck to him and anyone else who does what needs to be done.
Guys, it it true that NAREP stands for Northern Alliance for the Restoration of Elias Chipimo? Then this party is going to be only for the Taliban Janjaweedos from the Northern Caucases. If I recall, the CIA set up a prison for the captured Taliban Janjaweeds on one of the islands in Lake Mweru, they were all freed by Obama and were awaiting the formation of this party to start their push for power in Zambia, Talibanize it in accordance with strict Islamic rules because promiscuity and “abana bamufwani in Zed bacilamo”. You bet Nwacusa Sata Zondwe is sad for Mukupa and Chilufya, abana ba mufwani!
Guys, just look at the people who attended the launch, do you see any future there? I am just so sick of the same names, recycled directly or indirectly vying for power in the corridors of state even when they have no clue on how to find solutions to the woes that bedevil Zambia. This chap may have all the necessary education from prime schools and universities in the West ( all at our expence when his father was ambassador), but ask him if he has ever set foot in China which is the world’s new economic engine to be emulated by developing nations that want to develop, fast! NEVER! Western orientated solutions he espaused in his vision were proven dead by the current economic downturn, to elect him will be tantamount to suicide worse than what we attempted with Chiluba.
At last we have a vibrant young fresh blooded Zambian to enter our political scene.
Quite frankly I am tired of the name calling politicians we currently have. All wash outs. I will fully support you and your party Mr. Chipimo. It is 2010, a year of restoration for this our Christian nation.
I believe in you and I trust you are the man once prophesied. God has finally given me hope for my country. You will be insulted and called names but whether Zambians like it or not, one day, you will be president. Keep the faith. 😉
Let face it. When was the last time someone announced launch of a political party in Zambia and the speech was so inspiring??? I think the guy has something to offer. Abash old, recycled, selfish, undemocratic, uninspring, uninnovative, uncreative, un…….un…..Politicians. They have been there on scene for generations and don’t promise to bring anything new. It’s time we tried someone new, young, energetic…..
I support the young man and his vision. We need fresh blood with new ideas on the polical scene. I advise that he begins on the grassroots in all the provinces. he must pay attension to building the party first. We don’t want regional and tribal politics to ocurr. We are professional and civilised people. At all cost let the party be built in all the nine provinces. And let him address issues and not attack individuals as the old polticians are forever doing. God bless you God bless NAREP
I meant to add God bless Zamba
King solomon, nothing new i have heard what Elias said from other politicians, its only that he used different terms and words.
Zambia Needs E.C.
Well people, I think Mr. Chipimo Jr. is on the right track. Sometimes one has to shoot then aim coz too much aiming results in missing the opportunity. This is what we need, somebody tell me when should the right time be? We are too used to argue without having had a real experience of things. BY, Mungomba, Nevers Mumba are all case studies that could actually make Chipimo to succeed instead. Lets just wish him well and consider the issues he has raised. God bless you Jr.
Chipimo’s vision is worth reckoning with but Zambia and its population are not big enough to have a multitude of Political Parties. In the last three months alone, we have had three parties formed all with aspring presidential candidates. I personally feel that he should have joined any of the main existing political parties with an intention to instill his vision and eventually taking a lead. The truth of the matter I still have to be convised of someone who have come from nowhere to get to the helm without first gritting the grassroots. Its good though to see the youth getting serious interest in the future of Zambia.
Vote for this guy if you want the gay community to be legalised. Don’t just applaud this man has alot of dirt around him dig deeper
I wish you well Elias…would you kindly launch a NAREP website in due course so that we may know more about your vision, manifesto etc and how these differ from what the MMD or the PF-UPND pact have to offer?
This is indeed a welcome development. It is refreshing to read a well thought out and articulated speech.
It is obvious to anyone who knows anything about public speaking that Elias has the gift of Oratory – this is very important, and it is something that HH, educated as he may be, clearly lacks. Sata also has the gift of Oratory – in Bemba.
I hope Elias’ words do not end up as mere rhetoric and i do believe him and his peers are the calibre of leadership we have been waiting for.
He has a huge job winning the hearts,minds, and more importantly votes of people. His pedigree and eventual professional and financial success may make him appear out ot touch with the masses. I hope he can connect with the average citizen and articulate in various local languages as well. Good luck.
kanshi Chipimo sr..is still alive ..i thought he’s deda…why didn’t advise your son mudala..?
NAREP has vividly given rise to mixed feelings that makes the whole thing quite interesting. I honestly do not see any justification about some exhibited paranoia as regard the formation of this new avenue. As a matter of fact, for a number of young people this could be a well acceptable avenue to give expression to our latent potency about governance. Upon thorough introspection as a country we would inevitably come to this very one conclusion that a new season of Zambian renewal is possible. Additionally, it is an impeccably evident that unless we do what is uncommon about our politics, nothing shall substantially revolutionalize our politics. This party should be given some space and be evaluated premised on what it is bringing to the table of Zambia politics.
Lets see what you have got. If you have substance, sure i will be up for the challenge with someone new. Tired of the same people who think they know politics. Ba Sata, RB same old same old. And they have nmo morals and brains to display, twatendwa ukutekwa naba kote
8-|Elias mudala on a serious note we have been waiting for new serious blood to come on this arena diluted to an insult platform by shameless people WE WILL WALK WITH YOU. Lets Educate the youths on the importance of their VOTE.
DON’T HATE!!!! CONGRATULATE!!!
Heads Up Elias, it’s about time.
God Bless You
A lot of subsistance in the speech but the politics in Zambia is complicated. You will soon realise why HH has to work with Sata despite the latter offering nothig tangible. Can the people in Matero abandon Sata for you??? Even i was the only Zambia you wld be president in 2011
:d I am inspired to believe in my country once again and not go off to work in another country, developing their economy, while mine withers and dies.