FTJ – CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF A MAN WHO PAID A HIGH PRICE FOR DEMOCRACY
Today, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy(MMD)family celebrates the life and legacy of our founding President Dr FJT Chiluba.
For every freedom we enjoy today, someone paid the price for it. We shall never forget the sacrifices and the price President Chiluba paid as he provided resilient leadership to our party and to the nation.
Today, we are free to form and belong to a party of our choice. Today, we are free to acquire our own houses. Today we are able to establish and listen to any media. Today, we can easily start our own businesses. Today, Zambia stands as the only Christian nation enshrined in the constitution. This is part of the legacy left by President Chiluba and the movement for multiparty democracy.
We shall never forget his commitment to the rule of law.
One day, as Vice President, I was assigned to have a one on one meeting with President Chiluba. President Mwanawasa had decided to help resolve the legal issues surrounding the former President. I was the bearer of the message from the President. If President Chiluba could surrender seventy five percent of what was alleged to have been taken from the state coffers, then the state would drop the cases against him. His answer has remained with me all these years. He said, “My young brother, you being a Vice President should not be the one to solve this problem. The moment you appear to have mediated this matter, you will be fired. The President himself should handle this.” Secondly, he said he was unable to agree with the proposal because he had not stolen anything, therefore there can be no 75% of nothing.
“Additionally,” : he said, “I don’t want the President to be the one to forgive me, I choose to remain in court so the that the courts and not an individual decide my fate”.
This was his commitment to the rule of law. True to his word, the courts eventually acquitted him.
What a legacy.
Rest well servant of God and servant of the people.
Till we meet again.
Nevers Sekwila Mumba
President,
Movement for Multiparty Democracy(MMD)
How ironic. A man who was hell bent to see the death of our party and achieved his ambition by getting inside.
CHILUBA was the first President ….Not the Founder. Under him though democracy was restored. Goods appeared back in the shops. Lots of mini buses were brought in and transport blues ended.
MWANAWASA’s MMD was renown for the fight against corruption………
BANDA’s MMD brought in prudence economic Management
MUMBA’S MMD……………………………………………………………..??????
@Lundwe, My mother bought a Council house (without bribing anybody) in Kitwe under Chiluba’s directives. It was a revolution. Zambians have just failed to progressively direct the revolution much further.
Founding President means the person who was the initiating President or First President-not neccessarily the founder
FTJ was convicted in a London court and case was registered in Zambia, so you can’t say he was acquitted by the courts. Even some of his property was forefeited to the state locally
How do we ensure that the occupants and their associates of that critical office, don’t get carried away by power?
Soon after FTJ swept into power in a landslide election victory in 1991. He was heard saying to close aides: “Power is sweet.” Ten years in charge, the former bus conductor and trade union leader, continued to enjoy the taste of power.
He later launched a campaign to change the constitution to allow him to run for the presidency a third time.
@Mwamona Nomba I am a journalist and would attest to the fact that I was there when he stated that power is sweet at a rally at the Freedom Statue in Lusaka. This after he had taken a sip from a glass of water to pause from his prepared speech.
Evil Congolese pygmy who brought tribalism, Lebanese homosexuals and racist looting Boers to Zambia. May he rot in his little coffin
How do we also ensure that people who ascend to the big office learn to stay at home and not fly all the time …
The dead stay dumb.
Chiluba is the first president who taught the rest how to steal. The rest of the president’s that followef just followed suit but improved along the way.
Add more concrete to the graves please.
Ba Nevers Mumba, muli bapuba imwe and that’s why even Mwanawasa sacked you as Vice President. Who can you cheat and where are your morals. You betrayed people that trusted you at Victory Ministries and you are still doing the same without shame, Really? how can you even pretend when we saw containers of suits and shoes Chiluba ammassed. Why don’t you give credence to our founding father Dr Kenneth David Kaunda who only biggest mistake, was the liberation of Southern Africa and others. Mulekwatako ne nsoni sometimes even if your stomach is growling with hunger.
Indeed ba nevers is a useless shameless man,nevers has zero standing to even speak about MMD nevers has killed the party for his own selfish gains, sometimes sir better to be quite people may think you are wise.