VJ Mwaanga
Veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga has welcomed the indaba called by the church for political leaders.
Mwaanga commonly known as VJ however says it’s shameful that it has to take the church to get political party leaders talk to each other.
VJ said this in a statement below:
“Our church leaders must be commended for making it possible for our political leaders to meet on Tuesday 29th March, 2016 at Kapingila House in Lusaka to discuss peaceful issue based campaigns leading up to the holding of General Elections on 11th August, 2016. The Catholic Bishops, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) are not new to peace making and peace building in our country during the last 26 years.
It is shameful that it has had to take Church leaders yet again, to bring our political leaders together to talk to each other and not at each other – to discuss the imperative need for holding peaceful and issue based campaigns which should be devoid of tribal or hate speeches. It would be naive to expect that a rare meeting of political leaders, being held after a very long time can avoid discussing such issues as political violence and political thuggery among party cadres which has become a serious danger to our electoral democracy.
It is my earnest hope that no party leader will go to the Indaba without being prepared to discuss such issues as the misapplication of the the Public Order Act by the Zambia Police Service, Electoral reforms – including fair, equal and balanced coverage by the media of all political parties taking part in the forthcoming elections.
These are all subjects which will have a positive bearing on the holding of free, fair, transparent and smooth forthcoming elections – which would ensure an outcome that is both credible and without question.
It should be recognised that political parties are the soul and lifeblood of the multi-party democracy we voted to return to in 1991, after having been a One Party State from 1973 – and play a pivotal role in consolidating a sound multiparty democratic culture of providing checks and balances. Political Parties are key to the social, economic development and growth of democracy in our country, which all our people would like to see.
It is the duty of our political leaders to provide sound, mature leadership and condemn all forms of violence, no matter who commits it and take a leaf from late President Levy Mwanawasa, who warned all perpetrators of violence -including those from his party the MMD – that they would be visited by the law and would not be shielded by him as President of the country. He laid down a marker, which should be emulated by all Republican and political party leaders. This is the kind of firm but fair leadership the citizens of our country expect and deserve from all our leaders.
False pride, arrogance of power, selfishness and belittling of other party leaders must remain in the comfort zone of leaders who live in self delusion.
At the end of the day, it is important for us to remember those very profound words by Martin Luther King Jr: ‘we either live together as brothers and sisters, or perish together as fools.’
If we can do this, and do it sincerely, we will attain the greatness that charactetised the aspirations and conviction of our Independence Struggle. We did not fight to replace colonial rule with division amongst ourselves – but for a united, tolerant and all embracing nation.”