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Columns » Featured
The winds of change blow yet again
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By Wise One From The East |
September 23, 2011 · 19 Comments |
Part I: Pre-independence Zambia and Malawi
On February 3, 1960 addressing the House of Parliament in Cape Town – South Africa, Mr Macmillan spoke of the “wind of change” blowing through the continent of Africa, as more and more majority black populations in the colonies claimed the right to govern themselves.
“Whether we like it or not,” he said, “this growth of national consciousness is a political fact,” he said.
The British Government’s aim, he said, was to “create a society which respects the rights of individuals – a society in which individual merit, and individual merit alone, is the criterion for a man’s advancement, whether political or economic.”
The “Wind of Change” was a watershedmoment in the struggle for black nationalism in Africa and the independence movement across the continent. Macmillan acknowledged that black people in Africa were, quite rightly, claiming the right to rule themselves, and suggested that it was a responsibility of the British government to promote the creation of societies in which the rights of all individuals were upheld.
Sata: Taking an oath of office of Zambian President
“The wind of change is blowing through this [African] continent and whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact. We must all accept it as a fact, and our national policies must take account of it.”
The results of this change in British policy spelt out by Macmillan were wide-ranging. For one it spelt the beginning of the end for the semi-independent state called the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland created between 1 August and 23 October 1953 lasted until 31 December 1963. Itwas a union of sorts of the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), the colony of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and the protectorate of Nyasaland (now Malawi).
Part II: Enter plural politics
Since then Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi have gone their separate ways. For a period of about thirty years, Zambia and Malawi lived under the yokes of the one multiparty dictatorship with Dr Kenneth Kaunda and DR Hastings Kamuzu Banda, respectively firmly in charge. This lasted until the winds of change blew again in the early 1990s.
In Zambia, Kaunda’s UNIP was virtually wiped off Zambia’s political map by relatively younger parties after the 1991 General elections, when Kaunda was defeated by Frederick Chiluba’s Movement for Multiparty Democracy after more than 25 years of one party rule.
In Malawi, Banda and his MCP enjoyed near imperial powers for 33 years (1961-1994), before Bakili Muluzi drew curtains on his protracted rule. Today, MCP only now has a handful of MPs, compared to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party which has an unprecedented majority in parliament.
What followed the second round of winds of change in Zambia and Malawi was a similar pattern. Both Bakili and Chiluba – the victors of this round of the winds of change – after several court appearances answering cases of corruption, went into oblivion. After them, others have come and gone.
Part III: Enter King Cobra, Michael Sata.
The latest development in Zambia, where an opposition party has unseated a sitting president, is a first, since the fall of both Kaunda and Kamuzu. Sata, a former provincial governor and Cabinet minister known for his populist, anti-China rhetoric, left Rupiah Banda’s Movement for Multi-Party Democracy to form his own Patriotic Front party in 2001.
He lost elections that year and in 2006 to the MMD’s Levy Mwanawasa. In 2008, after Mwanawasa died of a stroke, Sata narrowly lost a special election to Banda, who had been Mwanawasa’s vice president.
Some analysts had then said that Banda benefited from voter sympathy when he won by just 35,000 votes in 2008. Then, Zambia’s economy was in deep trouble. At the end of Banda’s watch, the country is benefiting from rising world copper prices. This boom has helped create 100,000 jobs in Zambia and the government has built bridges, airports and hospitals with revenue from copper and cheap loans from China.
From all the above, one thing is clear: whatever happens in Zambia, repeats itself in Malawi and vice-versa. It is along these lines that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ought to pause, and weigh its governance style with an even hand, lest it find itself blown away by the winds of change.
“There are several lessons that can be learned from Zambian scenario, especially considering the fact that Malawi shares a lot of similar threads in the past.
“The first lesson is that it’s not always the case that the ruling party can win an election as people speculate.” These are the words of Mr Noel Mbowela – a Mzuzu University Lecturer. He continues to school the opposition, saying:
“The second lesson is in politics you must persist and try to be focused in your goals it’s possible to get what you want.”
Political parties in Malawi more so those in the opposition also seem to have noted this seeming return of the winds of the change:
“It’s not easy for people in opposition to overcome sitting president and this therefore is break through because in what we call federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the right people are beginning to come up.
“We do hope that this should be the case for the future.” This is the reaction of the veteran politician and MCP president, Mr. Tembo who has witnessed the two previous winds of change.
To wind up: from all the above it it will be interesting to watch if President Mutharika, who would want to hand over the baton to his brother, will do enough between now and 2014 to avoid this phenomenon replicating itself in Malawi in 2014.If MacMillan were around today he probably would have said:
“Whether we like it or not,” he said, “this growth of national consciousness in terms of demanding better governance and accountability from leaders and voting out those found wanting is a political fact.”
Part IV: July 2011 – The Teachings of King Cobra
King Cobra’s opinion of the now former president of Zambia reveals a striking similarity between Rupiah Banda and President Mutharika. Of Rupiah Banda, King Cobra said ex-President Banda could not appreciate democracy because he had never been a democrat.
“This is what happens when you fish out people from oblivion. This man doesn’t even know what the party he leads today fought for and stands for. He is a stranger to the ideals of the very party he claims to lead.”
Of the use of state media to vilify political opponents, he advised President Banda to leave a positive legacy instead of rewarding gutter journalism:
“Rupiah has destroyed Zambia’s democracy, he has destroyed Zambia’s journalism particularly the public media. What he is doing cannot happen anywhere in the world except Zambia,” Sata said. “But that is Rupiah for you; those of us who know him well are not surprised. He is synonymous with failure wherever he has served. Nothing Rupiah touches flourishes.”
On Rupiah Banda’s tactics of blocking opposition rallies he said:
“He is desperate. For instance, PF was supposed to hold public rallies in Petauke, Chadiza and Vubwi. But he prevailed on the police to cancel my rallies on the pretext that he would be in the province simply because he felt the heat after the Chipata and Luangeni rallies,” Sata said. “They lied that they will be in Eastern Province when they knew that they are not even going there this weekend. Tell him that there is a limit to provocation and tolerance. He is not going to keep us out of working when he himself is moving.
“Rupiah should know that there is a limit to any provocation or tolerance. We shall not permit or allow this sort of provocation to go unchecked. Zambia is not his farm for him to do as he pleases. Let him take this as a serious warning.”
Conclusion
Reading “the teachings of King Cobra” one can not help but think that he might as well have been referring to President Mutharika. What President Mutharika and his minions would therefore be advised to learn from the new Zambian President and his predecessor’s behaviour is that the tactics above, do not always work and that the winds of change, when they blow, are irresistible!
Any views?
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Tags: Bingu wa Mutharika, Micheal Sata, Zambia
19 Responses to “The winds of change blow yet again”
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IS IT TRUE THAT BINGU DID NOT ATTEND THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT SATA. WHERE DID HE GO WITH OUR DORNIA ARMY PLANE. MAYBE TO ZIMBABWE TO CHECK HIS FARM. FROM ZERO TOLERANCE TO ZERO DEFICIT IN TELLING MALAWIANS THE TRUTH!!!. GOD HELP US!!!!
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ReplyIts shear ignorance and dullness that a president who is surrounded by all the state machinery could be so blank and not know that the masses out there dont want him anymore. I this is a great lesson that our brothers in Malawi and Zimbabwe need to learn, that you can all stand up and denounce the current pathetic leaders who are leading your great countries. We love you Malawi, and Zimbabwe….love to all your people, my God bless your countries..ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION
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ReplyALso note that Rupiah Banda was being wrongly advised by his people. To make matters worse, he never wanted to be told the truth only that which he wanted to hear. Too sad for him. The wind of change has blown. Today, he was conducting a handover tour of the state house to Micheal Sata.
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ReplyCongratulations to King Cobra Michael Sata. Despite your political career streching from the old dictatorial one party system of government to the current multiparty dispensation, I pray that you will usher in a new sytem of government that will be trully democtratic. Flee the state media and let the journalists do their jobs properly. By so doing, you will teach a lot of lessons to greedy brutes who are currently ruling in neighbouring countries of Malawi, Zimbabwe, Angola just to name a few. Let your style be the engine of the new wind of change to sweep through the region that we are eagerly cherishing and waiting for.
Please King Cobra, do not shed off your skin now that you are at the helm of what you have been craving for. Let us see light at the end of the tunnel so that these brutes who are still in darkness will be consigned to the dark ages of history.
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ReplyBEING ZAMBIAN,I SYMPATHERZE WITH BROTHS IN MALAWI.
DEMOCRACY HAS BECOME MOCKERY IN MALAWI, WHEN VIEWS OF THE MAJORITY ARE SUPPRESSED. WHAT IS PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE, TRANSPARENCY ?
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ReplyThanks Amalawi 4 your words on our recent elections.
How the election was won:
1. Zambians basically protected their vote physically, – rigging is possible.
2. RB’s govt abused resource frm the day of his inuagration.
3. Tekere brought violencet which we hate but we are able to reteriate.
4. We shared the data on threats to our votes. Starting frm the printer of ballot papers, how to cast votes, the technology used on the ballot papers, pens at the polling stations, use of ghost voters etc…
5. Sata was on the ground with the zambians while Ruphial was busy flying from country to another even without invitation & thereby earning the title of Mobile President.
Do not dispair u can upset tables.
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ReplyWhen on a visit to Zambia in the 1970s, I read an article in the Times of Zambia which reported that Michael Sata had paid a lot of money for a bottle of liquid that he believed would change black paper into US$ dollar bills.
I guess he’s thirty or forty years older now. I hope that his approach to his national economy is more mature than his approach to his personal finances.
Perhaps a younger person with a DBA from Harvard would have been a better bet.
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ReplyIt is laughable for us to compare ourselves with Zambians. Anzathu aja ndi openya. Zambians use BRAINS to vote. We (Malawians), use TRIBES and PORVERTY to vote. We will NEVER unseat Bingu and his Brother.
They are taking advantage of our porverty and tribalism.
Sorry guys, but thats the truth.
Well-loved. Like
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ReplyZambians have shown maturity. We malawians are on the hands of loosers and opportunists in the name of CSOs. This CSOs must be taken to ICC. Children and women are being raped and abused,while the people supposed to help them are doing Tembo and Muluzi’s job. Congratulations to the of Zambia.Viva Malawi.Peace.
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