Long-time Zambian human rights defender, Laura Miti, has said that he finds it hard to forgive Socialist Party President Fred M’membe for the tribal campaign again the Tonga speaking people because of his hatred for United Party for National Development President Hakainde Hichilema.
In a post on her Facebook page in which she reflected on the Post Newspaper story, Ms. Miti said that Dr. M’membe, with a clear mind, started a hate campaign against a whole innocent people that took Zambia to a dark place, a campaign that was later adopted by Former President Edgar Lungu’s Patriotic Front (PF), as personified by Chishimba Kambwili and backing voices of Professor Nkandu Luo and others.
Below is the full post
The Story of the Post
Thinking about the Post, one is very ambivalent about its place in history.
The paper was, for a long time, the beacon of free speech and a protector of democracy.
Then, it went mad!
A sense by the owner, Fred M’membe, that Rupiah Banda should not have stood for elections, after President Levy Mwanawasa died, consumed the paper. Fred was convinced, and declared in the paper, that Rupiah Banda, then constitutionally acting as President, should have stepped aside for “Levy’s chosen” successor, Ng’andu Mangande.
The vitriol that ensued, against RB’s candidature in the Presidential by-election was shocking, for me anyway. He was viciously attacked simply for wanting a presidency that had fallen into his lap, and for Fred claiming Levy had told him he preferred Mangande.
OK, if truth be told, Mangande would have almost certainly been many people’s preference and probably a better President than RB turned out to be. RB had the right to pursue a presidency within his grasp, though.
Anyhow, from there, it was downwards into the gutter, for the Post. Fred decided he would use his paper to ensure RB had a short presidency. In came the clean-up-Sata project.
Before then, you see, the Post did not like Sata. Declared him, rightly so I might add, violent, uncouth, and much else. But he was, I guess, the only person seen by Fred as being able to unseat RB.
The Post, therefore, reconfigured itself into a Sata rehabilitation and campaign platform. Through some scary and reckless reporting, Fred successfully delivered the Sata presidency.
Sata’s time in office was sadly short-lived. It was a short period when the Post (or is it Fred) basked in the kingmaker status. The paper looked away from any wrongdoing and sung “Michael’s” praises to high heaven. It seems the Post even stop paying taxes.
I wish it had ended there – with the paper and Fred enjoying the good life, but no.
The most tragic aspect of the degeneration of the Post was its decision to make some seeming hatred between Fred and then UPND president, Hakainde Hichilema, another project of the paper.
Unfortunately, it was decided that it was not enough to vilify HH alone. The paper started the Paint-the-Tonga Black programme which was later adopted by EL’s PF, as personified by Chishimba Kambwili and backing voices of Professor Luo and others.
It is the last part, I find difficult to forgive Fred for. He, with a clear mind, started a hate campaign against a whole innocent people that took our beautiful country to a dark place.
That said, the Post should not have been closed and especially liquidated. That, ostensibly done because the paper had accumulated a huge tax bill, was really because it did not transfer its worship of Michael Sata to his successor EL.
You see, just like RB had done with Mangande after Levy’s death, EL prevented Fred’s preferred Wynter Kabimba or compromise Miles Sampa from becoming President after Sata died.
Let me leave it there.
Don’t forget the persecution of one Richard Sakala. He made sure Richard was imprisoned and after he came out of prison, another case was found against him which sent back to jail. Reason was because Richard got the job that Mmembe hoped to get .. presidential press secretary. At first the Post claimed Richard was not qualified for the job but only to discover that he was actually overqualified. Don’t forget the dirty campaign against the best president (in my opinion after KK) Rupiah just because of Magande. Rupiah lost that elections…. remember Rupiah never went after his political opponents which is ” unAfrican”
, I find difficult to forgive Fred for. He, with a clear mind, started a hate campaign against a whole innocent people that took our beautiful country to a dark place. MADAM IF YOU GO TO CHURCH STOP FORTH WITH. YOU’RE WASTING YOUR TIME GOING TO CHURCH IF YOU CAN’T FORGIVE.
Has this Laura Miti become a politician.
Because its only a politician who preaches that which doesn’t even exist in Zambia.
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE WE MAKE IS TO MENTION IT.
SAY NO TO REGIONALISATION OF ZAMBIA.
What buffles me most is….All my friends (BEST FRIENDS) come from the North and East and am the ONLY Tonga amongst us.
Whatever politicians preach is a pure lie. I know my innocent relatives in Southern are made to believe they’re hated because politicians are telling them so.
TO YOU POLITICIANS STOP THIS EVIL OF TELLING MY VILLAGE PEOPLE LIES. YOU’RE MAKING THEM LOOK BAD WHEN THEY VOTE!.
NAIWE CHI LAURA SIT DOWN PLEASE!
Our focus should be on the current
Republican president and what he’s doing.
If he does right we support. If he does something not favouring the poor, we criticise.
People like Fred have no morals. Now is trying to clean up his message after he lost all what he had. Lesson for him but sometimes the old man in him tend to resurrect going by his comments. People who call others tribalist are themselves tribalist. That is the psychology of tribalism itself.
Spot on. M`membe is low life loser guy who overrated himself that he was untouchable. Full of envy and jealousy of HH`s achievemnts. He was taught a good lesson but unfortunately, he does not seem to learn.
Fred thinks he’s got it all for Zambian politics and can play politicians on a chess board! Anyone want to watch “The Manchurian Candidate” and make comparisons?
Trust, short and candid. After getting tired of laundering other people he is now laundering himself. Sometimes we create monsters and other times monsters create them selves.
Yes, Fred M’membe gave hatred for Tongas national prominence by writing hate-filled editorials that seemed to suggest that there was something inherently wrong with the Tonga people. The editorials lacked any reading about the hard work of building a nation out of previously independent communities that were forced to live under one political unit by the colonial government. There’s nowhere on the planet where nation-building has been easy as evidenced by the many wars that were fought btwn Scots and the English, between the various Scottish clans, the German tribes etc.
Leave him alone. Fred has a very good analytical mind. He thinks through what he writes and what he says. Believe me you…Fred is the next president of Zambia come 2026
Unfortunately there’s little difference among our politicians including those ruling us.
Yes , Mmembe destroyed us as a nation. This is why it is very difficult for the socialist party to mean anything to the Zambian politics.
He strongly started the tribal politics and put gas on it though sata was too because he did not want mazoka to join the mmd.
Additionally chief trialist kambwili and others want to rebrand, ha ha ha…from what
You can hear their talk is all tribal. Ba Professor Luo accusing others to have taken hh to the bembaland, my foot, these people they are a hot tribal grouping
He targeted them as Bantustans remember??? and those guys there have long memory, hope he can pull them back, so hard anyways.
He dedicated his media house against the tribe and tagged them names, only tribe in the history the country to be targeted by a media house , today he wants to be president, huh!
Ba Laura Miti tekeni amatako panshi. Was it Fred that resolved that only a Tonga could succed Mazoka? Was Fred Mmembe mentioned in the Mumpanshya Commission report? Did Fred beat VJ for associating with Bembas? Was it Fred who told Wilbur Simuusa that his father was turning in his grave because he had joined the PF a Bemba Party? We now have a Tonga President we’ll wait and see if all Tonga problems will disappear in thin air. God knows best, we pray that he grants him wisdom to lead this nation and to grant Bembas the justice they yearn for their relatives that died at the hands of UPND zealots in 2015 and 2016
Fred knows how to f00I slow upnd hyenas. He cleverly married a mazoka knowing too well that if upnd won, then he would use his wlfe to overturn court outcomes. Today as we speak hh had directed that the post be found not guilty for not paying taxes. The entire upnd are rabbied dogs
Everything about Mmembe is just mystifying…there is no way Fred can hate Tongas when he is married to one, I mean most of his properties are in her name Moshi and Lazy Lungu had issues confiscating his prized assets because its not in his name. How can he hate UPND when his wife is a member…the Mmembe household must be a very strange place, This is a man who wants you to join his party but can not convince his own wife to do it. Fred was strategic he wanted to eliminate HH7 before he gained countrywide support but old Sata’s untimely death destroyed all his plans and there was no way he was going to work with treacherous buffoon like Kambwili.
I for one can never trust Fred with anything…
Anyone can appear before a commission of inquiry and swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth the same way they appear in court. But it’s only after cross-examination that the so-called truth is established. That’s the case with the Mumpanshya Commission report. People need to understand wht we’re trying to do in Zambia and that’s to live together in harmony. We will not succeed if we allow whole tribes to be subject of ridicule and insult. I hv read bits of the Mumpanshya Commission report. I’m not surprised that Kaunda chose to ignore it.
There goes the Ayatollah reciting, chanting those isolated incidents that the devil keeps reminding him. How do you generalize one utterance by one individual (not even the leader) at one function to be representative of what a nation of people stands for?
Fully agreed. Fred is the key person that heavily contributed to tribal and divisive political speak. We should not only look at PF. He needs to be held accountable. His very hard hearted person.
@22 Nancy, these are not isolated incidents but resolutions made by all Tonga MPs from Southern province. Sakwiba Sikota was an MP for Livingstone and therefore qualified to attend that meeting but he was chased because he wasn’t Tonga. What was wrong with The Post Newspaper to report these things? Don’t blame Fred for Tonga tribalism. Was it Fred who started to insult HRH Chieftainess Mwenda for hosting Sata a Bemba President? Chief Chikanta is still being vilified for standing against Tonga tribalism. It’s better you shut up than attempt to defend the indefensible
Mmembe lost his tracks, he started using the post newspaper to attack his opponents. But he didn’t deserve to be treated that way. All those hyenas who descended on Mmembs’s company should be punished including Judge Nkonde, Mosho and those corrupt employees of the then post paper. Lungu, Chilubanamaand Kambwili who sent these educated guy to their dirty work will remain free. I don’t support Mmembe but he didn’t deserve that treatment.
@20 tarino
You can’t put it any better and that’s exactly what inhibits Laura’s argument of any lurks of strength, rendering it to be superficially unconvincing and lamentably vague
Tribal launderings can at times prove hard to grow legs
The media played a major role in aiding the vilification of Tutsis and this culminated in the Rwandan genocide. There are lessons to learn for the rest of Africa. Every Zambian East, West, North or South count.
Membe should count his lucky stars the president is a good man ……….
A man guided by the rule of law……..
Otherwise membe would have been condemned to the scrap heap by the new GRZ…………
The gloves are off the talking is done ..bring it on…I think Fred spoke about thinks that others feared to speak about the color of the Upnd was taking a specific shape and form after the demise of the founder….so really he may have used unpalatable language but thats the man for you….can he lead the country? Stranger things have happened though we wpuld have loved that he remained what he was at the time a check on the administration until he entered into the pact with sata…it was a sad day for all scribes
Where have you been Ms Miti?…coming up with this rhetoric at this stage? I think we are beyond fault finding, and finger pointing for past failures! It’s now time to address issues that have ensued since the new government formed. At this rate, you risk appearing to be “schmoozing” someone or something!
#plant a tree please!
Luke 6: 26-38 Laura this for you. And what prompted you to write this venom?
#27 Spaka what has Mmembe done to be under the mercy of THE GOOD MAN PRESIDENT? Laura is just frustrated that Mmembe has his case almost reversed.
Deja Vu – There is no way Fred wanted to be Press Secretary sitting in State House when he had the biggest selling taboid on the street ..what Fred wanted was power and by that I mean the President choosing one of Fred’s stooges like what Sata did by appointing George Chellah.
Findelli – Remember also that Laura at one time wrote columns in The Post…all these people are no angels they have personal grudges from 15 -20 years ago and settling scores. Its like Kabimba giving advise about removal of defamation which ironic given that he wa upon a time a JUstice Minister and the only one Sata could listen to.
This is why I laugh out loud everytime I see Fred paprading himself as a socialist …its like a crocodile telling the Zebra and Wildebeest to come closer to the river if they want to see a special performance he is going to show them.
@Ayatollah, be objective in your opinion. Here is Fred Mmembe whose post news paper exhibited an attitude of supremacy above all things in Zambia. Fred through his paper promoted those he felt would prompt his opportunistic agenda – skilfully with subtlety become Zambia’s president. Fred pursued law studies and is now president of SD party. In the process he built his empire but hurt many in the same vein. Upright morals befitting a president is hard to trace in Fred Mmembe character. Today, the very people and person he campaigned against through his paper has formed government that has delivered justice to his defunct Post newspaper. He reminds me of chief Chitimukulu who was threatened to be dethroned by his very own, only to be reprieved by the man he loathed and shunned to meet…
This describes Fred Mmembe and the people he hails from. Opportunistic and ungrateful.
Very disappointing about Ms Miti. She seemed to be a lady endowed with wisdom, yet this article suggests otherwise. Any sensible human rights advocate would not be seen to be siding with, or promoting a potentially divisive narrative. People need uniting.
#plant a tree now please.
#32 Tarino Orange…. I may be wrong but you agree that it was the main reason he fell out with FTJ?
Muna Dekhane – Can you please elaborate by “This describes Fred Mmembe and the people he hails from”?
Deja Vu – Whatever reasons they fail out for it all centres around power….he had so much influence over Sata with Chellah and key media positions filled with former Post staff….he knew everything Sata was going to do before he did it. Lazy Lungu and the PF officals saw through Fred’s plans but unfortunately used the wrong strategy to kill off the Post due to impatience on Lazy Lungu’s team…there was no way The Post was going to come back again given the debt it was in or kept up to any repayment plans the courts oreder.
*……they fell out for….
As much as I detested E.C.L & his brutal thieving Piyefu regime, one think I liked & commended as an achievement by E.C.L was liquidating that evil charlatan Fr3d Mmembes empire. The man helped bring to Zed the Cancer of Tonga hate. What baffles is his wife stayed with him. Kaya?
Ms Miti, it is you taking Zambia in the dark and we actually in the dark. You are competent enough to check what comes from your month. Enjoy your new job, madam speak sir.
Just move on low life Laura. We know you are hurt that Dr. Fred M’membe may finally revive his Post. It looks like you cannot stomach the idea of Dr. M’membe re-establishing a vibrant newspaper that can again take on HH and the UPND. You are really so scared of Dr. M’membe that you would not want the Post back. We know you have joined the UPND bandwagon of praise-singers.
Upside down business transaction in a village.An Induna in a village convicted a man for trespassing in his village. The Induna ordered the offender to pay guilty fine in form of sheep,goats,pigs and cows. Later, when another Induna who was a friend to the trespasser took office,he decided to overturn the verdict passed against his trespasser friend.Then this Induna ordered the village to pay back all sheep,goats,pigs and cows the trespasser friend had paid to the village as admission of guilt.When the trespasser friend received back the sheep, goats,pigs and cows which he had paid as admission of guilt fine,he later decided to give one third of it to his friend the Induna as appreciation. When I was a child I thought and appreciated that every system was fool proof to benefit the…
Branded Southern , western, North western, part of central and the indegenous people of Lusaka as Bantustan for voting for UPND .
When the Bemba bloc voted for Sata and the eastern bloc for Banda or Lungu but they were not tribal or Bantustan.
And now this man will be asking for the votes of the Bantustan clique. And the Zambians will forget his true colours.
Mmembe despised Mazoka, 5hen with impunity used his influence to marry his dota. From there he thought he had gotten the Tongas under wraps. He poured 3ndl3s scorn on HH and the Tonga people. Mmembe should now want to be president hope to get a vote from the Tongas…Mercy!
This decision was to haunt him(mukelebai DPP). A clique of outsiders used this Taskforce a body to profit from, used to settle scores, bankrupt business rivals, and vanquish political opponents. This clique also strengthened itself in a manner that placed them as a hegemony that determines the future leadership of Zambia