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THE POST Says “Zambia Is NOT a Constellation Of BANTUSTANS. The Removal Of CHIRUNDU from S/Province Is WELCOME”
“ZAMBIA is a unitary and indivisible state. This is what our Constitution says in Article 1. Zambia is not a constellation of Bantustans. Our provinces are not states. We are not a federation of states. Ours is an indivisible unitary state. The provinces we have are simply for administrative convenience.
And as such, they can be rearranged whenever the administration sees the need to do so to achieve higher levels of efficiency, effectiveness and orderliness.
But we seem to have some people who see these administrative provinces as countries within a country. They are not – they are simply provinces put up by the government of the day for administrative convenience.
And this is why the number of our provinces and districts has been changing, has been increasing. It is not something cast in stone. There are no sacred provincial boundaries. Those in government can increase the number of provinces at any time. And can come up with new districts at any time. There is no province that is owned by a tribe or a group of tribes.
And moreover, who came up with these provinces? Who gave us the provinces we today feel so much attached to? Who gave us these districts we today want to glorify? Some of them were left for us by the colonialists. Some of them we created on our own. And we will continue to reorganise our country into units that make it easy for us to manage and efficiently deliver services to our people. What Michael Sata’s government is doing is the right thing.
There is need to administratively reorganise our provinces and districts. All the provinces and districts of this country belong to this country. They can be subdivided or consolidated in any way those in government deem fit. And they have the mandate, legally, politically or otherwise to do so.
We know that such realignment of provinces or districts may not always go well with tribalists or regionalists. To them, the reorganisation of any province or district is seen as a regional or tribal political power scheme – either to consolidate one’s hold on power or to weaken that of others.
They have serious difficulties seeing it as a way of trying to improve administrative efficiency, effectiveness and orderliness. When Muchinga Province was created out of Northern and Eastern provinces as a the tenth province of our country, the tribalists or regionalists saw this as a way of attempting to push more resources to one region.
They saw nothing good in it. They could not even acknowledge the bare fact that Northern Province was too big geographically to administer as one unit. They could also not acknowledge the fact that the northern parts of Eastern Province were not receiving adequate attention due to logistical constraints caused by geographical factors.
To them, everything is seen from the angle of tribe, of region and not from how it will benefit the people. They are even forgetting that Lusaka Province, as we know it today, was only created out of Central Province by Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s government in 1976. Again, this was for administrative convenience.
We urge Michael’s government to listen respectfully to every reaction on this issue – including the reactions from diehard tribalists and regionalists. But at the end of the day, the government should go ahead and do that which it deems best for our country and our people. Obligations to the people should always take precedence over the feelings and sentiments of politically powerful tribalists or regionalists.
What is important is to deliver services to the people. And there is nothing which makes people more appreciative of a government than that it should be able to deliver services.
Michael has shown a lot of courage in some of the decisions he has taken so far. And we should not forget that the ways in which we will achieve our goals are bound by context, changing with circumstances even while remaining steadfast in our commitment to our vision.
The changes Michael is making will carry away the foliage of tribalism and regionalism which has accumulated in the hearts of some of our people, and to which colonialism gave birth.
Let us now, drawing strength from the national unity that we have so far forged, together grasp the opportunities and realise the vision of Zambia as a unitary and indivisible sovereign state enshrined in our Constitution.
Where there is need to change our structures to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and orderliness of our government, let us do so without hesitation. It is said that belief in the possibility of change and renewal is perhaps one of the defining characteristics of politics.
Let us organise our society and get rid of every practice that divided us and weakened us. There are some people who still want to live in colonial Bantustans which brought us nothing but subjugation, poverty, ignorance and disease. And this continues to live with us today in the leaking roofs; in the bulging stomachs of hungry children; in the darkness of homes without electricity; and in the heavy pails of dirty water that rural women carry long distances to cook and quench their thirst.
Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now. And that future is not one of ease or of resting but of incessant striving so that our leaders may fulfil the pledges they have so often taken. The service of Zambia means the service of the millions who suffer.
It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the founders of our Republic was to wipe out poverty, ignorance and disease from the face of our country. That may be beyond us, but as long as there is poverty, ignorance, disease and despair, this work should continue, and will not be over.
We have hard work ahead. We cannot encourage Bantustan politics or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought and in action. We must hold together. This is time for big thinking. This is time to forget the small things, of which we have thought too much. Unless we face this fact, we shall pay the price that must be paid by people who are petty and narrow-minded.
There are some regionalists or tribalists who think that devolution is simply about sharing of the country’s resources, natural or otherwise. When Michael talks about devolution, we don’t think he is in any way talking about the creation of Bantustans; he is talking about increasing efficiency, effectiveness and orderliness in the delivery of government services to the masses of our people; he is talking about bringing government as close as possible to the people.
It’s not about the creation of Bantustans so that people get very worried about where this or that economic activity takes place or is situated. Why should one worry about whether Itezhi-tezhi Dam is in Southern or Central provinces? Why should one worry about whether Chirundu is in Southern Province or Lusaka Province? Are our people restricted in terms of movement, in terms of where they work or reside? Moreover, where do these tribalists or regionalists reside? Most of them reside in Lusaka Province and their investments are here.
Has that ever worried them? What they are worried about is not the welfare of the people of Chirundu or Itezhi-tezhi. They are simply worried about their imaginary loss of political power as a result of this realignment of districts. That’s what they care about.
They are not in any way concerned about the people of Itezhi-tezhi or Chirundu. These are simply selfish elements that care for no one else other than themselves. And they try to use the tribe or origin to make themselves politically relevant. But we can assure them that this approach will make them politically irrelevant and it’s just a matter of time before they disappear from our politics.
And we therefore urge Michael and his government to continue realigning, reorganising our provinces and districts in a manner that will enable government to deliver efficient, effective and orderly services to the great majority of our people, especially the poor.”
The Post
Posted by
Mrs. Doug
February 8, 2012 at 11:30 am
please tongas get it in to yo heads that no one is trying to divide you,these changes are being made for administrative purposes,thats all.sourthern is not for you tongas but for every zambian,it can be chewa,bembe,lozi,bisa,kaonde,nsenga etc.grow out of yo tribalisim mwe ba tonga you are now getting on my nerves ala.
MUNYELO PWETE!
February 8, 2012 at 11:39 am
@ DS CHIBS
IAM SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POWER OF TONGA PEOPLE LIES SQUARELY ON SOUTHERN PROVINCE! WHAT KIND OF STUNTED THINKING IS THIS? CHIKALA CHOBE ZAMBIA IS BIGGER THAN SOUTHERN PROVINCE AND IF YOUR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POWER LIES ONLY IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE, THEN YOU ARE DOOMED ESPECILLY POLITICALLY! I HAVE NEVER HEARED SATA SAYING THAT HIS POLITICAL POWER IS IN NOTHERN PROVINCE! THE REASON IS VERY SIMPLE, HE LOOKS AT POLITICS AT NATIONAL LEVEL AND NOT PROVINCIAL LEVEL!
IF THIS IS THE THINKING OF UPND, IAM AFRAID THE PARTY IS HEADING FOR EXTINCTION! NO WONDER THE PERFORMANCE IN ELECTIONS IS SO APPAULING FROM 2001 SINCE UNDER 5 TOOK OVER! HOW I WISH MAZOKA WAS ALIVE!
Bola
February 8, 2012 at 11:40 am
Can someone please educate me how these measures are going to bring development in this country??
Mama G
February 8, 2012 at 11:44 am
I thought he reacted Muchinga provice because N/W was big, but yet again why is he increasing some provinces??? Is Lusaka not big enough?? I smell a big fish?? if SATA is doing this out of selfishnes GOD shall fight for Provinces Sata is trying to panish. He may think he has all the power but he should not forget that their GOD is never asleep, he is watching and he knows the motives behind the changes…..
chanda
February 8, 2012 at 11:48 am
Instead of change the economy you are busy changing geographical features of Zambia?? Is this more money in the pocket? or is this more drugs in hospital? is this the constitution promised to be given in 90 days? just look at the cabinet & tell who are the majority then we can talk about tribalism?
Evelyn
February 8, 2012 at 12:00 pm
THESE BEMBAS ARE STRENGTHENING THE BEMBA-DOMINATED AREAS LIKE COPPERBELT & LUSAKA (WHICH IS NOW FLOODED WITH VI MA BEMBA).
THEY ARE THIEVES. ASK DAVID LIVINGSTONE. THEY STOLE HIS MEDICINE BAG WHICH CONTAINED HIS QUININE. THATS HOW HE DIED OF MALARIA.
[email protected]
February 8, 2012 at 12:05 pm
TONGAS DESPITE BEING EDUCATED THEY MISALIGNED TO GLOBAL ISSUES!
Sejer-Lee
February 8, 2012 at 12:21 pm
The reason for the changes is clearly explained by the President as a way of easing service delivery. I think it would be wise to wait and see how the govt will transform the status of the affected districts and how development will be delivered to these places. Negative comments this time do not make arguable sense.
Lwali
February 8, 2012 at 12:28 pm
The problem is that Tongas think the district will be physically moved to Lusaka, no , it is just being joined to Lusaka Province and not Lusaka Town, so get it straight
USEFUL
February 8, 2012 at 12:34 pm
MMD were useless,but this govt is the worst.No plan,no visionand no ecominomic strategies.We are going back to FTJ’s era of monkeys stealing govt resources.To make matters worse,tribalism has become the order of the day.Zambians are in manure.Hope time will come for tribes to slaughter one another then you will learn.Mmembe will be held responsible for misrepresentation and hetred of sections of Zambians together with Sata
uno
February 8, 2012 at 12:38 pm
kaya.
nakferd
February 8, 2012 at 12:38 pm
in as much as we appreciate the help post newspaper has been giving us interms of necessary iformation,they are at no cost suppose to justify certain presidential directives condemned by the public for purposes of continued beneficiary of government’s favors.they are a public microphone and not a government lawyer as they purport now.
affected
February 8, 2012 at 12:39 pm
what eva sata s doing is very unfortunate! Chaps thnkn atachn chirundu s 4 admin puporposed wrong and detached frm reality. So pupils in schools wil b learning nyanya, very foolish indeed!
Mutembo
February 8, 2012 at 12:41 pm
THe Post and PF are lowering our standards in every facet of lives. Is this development?? My foot
Wemfula Isa Isa
February 8, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Ever heard of PREROGATIVE OF THE PRESIDENT? Check in your dictionaries. Whichever province the president attaches Chirundu to, I’l still have bread and butter on my table. Ha! Ha! Ha! Why worry.
The Bullet
February 8, 2012 at 12:48 pm
people of zambia for zambia to develop it needs you and me…what the president is doing is to lessen the the job of a person instead of one person managing a big province we need to divid it so that its easy for development
Maikos
February 8, 2012 at 12:58 pm
People of Zambia lets stop critising the government. Leadership is not as easy as you think. LETS PRAY FOR THE GOVERMENT AND THE PRESIDENT AT LARGE.
Duh!
February 8, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Bullet, instead of changing the sizes of provinces why not improve the current districts that are there? coz if you wish we can have 50 provinces, but if there is no development in the given districts you have made zero work. I would not mind creating certain towns as districts. but re-demarcating provinces is a sheer waste of time and money
Fm
February 8, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Ba freedom of speech tamukwe amano. U think kariba dam and s/provnc belongs to Tongas. Fool…gro up!
Fm
February 8, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Ba freedom of speech tamukwete amano. U think kariba dam and s/provnc belongs to Tongas. Fool…gro up!
The Great
February 8, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Bravo!! I salute you Mr President & The Post.
Old enuf
February 8, 2012 at 1:36 pm
@freedom of speech, which pipo did u expect the government to consult? The pipo of southern province or the pipo of chirundu? Wen we go for elections, the first reason we elect pipo is so that we give them a mandate, a mandate to govern us, a mandate to act on our behalf, a mandate to make decisions on our behalf, the president consulted us wen he cam to ask fo a vote, he consulted us if he can make dcisions on our behalf and we said yes by electing him, so bane which consultation are u talking abt? Sejani knws what am talking abt, the prbm is he is a hypocrie. Sata has the permision frm us zambias to make decisions on our behalf, thats how it works mwana
Watch Out Baboons!
February 8, 2012 at 1:43 pm
“The provinces we have are simply for administrative convenience”
Becuase there is a call for introduction of Federal Governments, you want to grab all the regions with key infrastructure to weaken the administration of your perceived enemy-regions? You Treacherous baboons.
Simuzaintamba Bwino
TONGANYOKO
February 8, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@BO MUBANGA,THANX FOR THE KILOMETRES YOU HAVE GIVEN.
SO IT MEANS THAT AN OFFICER WORKING IN CHIRUNDA CAN IN LESS THAN 1HOUR DRIVE TO LUSAKA WHICH 116KM AND ACCESS VACCINE,MONEY AND OTHER LOGISTICS ,THEREBY ENHANCING SERVICE DELIVERY.UNLIKE LIVINGSTONE WHICH IS 472KM!
SECONDLY,DID MMEMBE MAKE ANY MENTION OF ANY TRIBE?
THIRDLY,IS TONGA THE ONLY TRIBE IN
SOUTHERN PROVINCE?
Tom
February 8, 2012 at 2:06 pm
***** Membe and Sata…….Bembas mwabakunda bamanyoko
Deks
February 8, 2012 at 2:07 pm
2016! Bembas against zambia.
Bikiloni
February 8, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Aba Tonga u complain a lot! It’s suprising that u shut yo foul mouths whn northn and eastrn provinces were touchd on…why didn’t u complain? U r selfish u cows! And mama somthing nd the other, no one wil b cursed and sata wil not b judged alon,all of us wil…u triblelists! S/p te calo cenu it’s 4 all zambians, easterners and northners did’nt complain nomba imwe ni ca?
WERWE
February 8, 2012 at 3:02 pm
WHERE IS MY COMMENT?
Sadi
February 8, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Tongaz i hope now u understand clearly??????????????
Bulozinahayaluna
February 8, 2012 at 3:53 pm
Thanks alot. Now you can see why Barotses are clever and smart people. thats why the entered into an agreement so that they can retain official autonomy and authority over their land!
Every Province and district can be aligned. but sata risks wrath if he touches on those areas covered in barotseland.
Eddie
February 8, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Ingombe Ilede is surely the historical site for Tongas. Whether it is in S/province or Lusaka province. We are all proud of that rich heritage.So where is the problem? Your heritage remains yours. But some Tongas are dull.
Ma pipe
February 8, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Jockers ati 2016 its bembas against zambia kikiki,who told you that us from eastern would side with greedy people like you.cant never!we would rather support the bembas.
Kalunda Kasuko
February 8, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Mmembe is using Sata to lay the ground for him to carry on soon! Mark my words
Eddie
February 8, 2012 at 4:16 pm
UPND can only win by integrating with people from other provinces and not only clinging to villages in Gweembe valley and Ingombe Ilede.The party should not be fighting only for the cause of Southern province. It shows clearly that the party is VERY, VERY tribal and regional.
Pooftina chishupu
February 8, 2012 at 4:35 pm
I have dated two tonga chaps before. Ati tonga bull! Na umuna siniona pali aba bafikala. Honestly u cant see that making chirundu part of lusaka improves yo profile as a party? Chirundu wil always vote upnd so now u can boast of having mo seats in lusaka. Idiots. Elo chimozi ditched me becoz the father did not like lambas. Everything is tribal kuli aba bafikala. Southern kuja ku nyansi its true ni kumunyelo kwa zambia.
Sosa Ichalo cilekumfwa.
February 8, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Why should one worry about whether Chirundu is in Southern Province or Lusaka Province? Are our people restricted in terms of movement, in terms of where they work or reside? Moreover, where do these tribalists or regionalists reside? Most of them reside in Lusaka Province…..
Has that ever worried them? What they are worried about is not the welfare of the people of Chirundu or Itezhi-tezhi. They are simply worried about their imaginary loss of political power as a result of this realignment of districts. That’s what they care about….Tell them
Sosa Ichalo cilekumfwa.
February 8, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Why should one worry about whether Chirundu is in Southern Province or Lusaka Province? Are our people restricted in terms of movement, in terms of where they work or reside? Moreover, where do these tribalists or regionalists reside? Most of them reside in Lusaka Province…..Tell them
Hisman
February 8, 2012 at 5:22 pm
PF! come on – get us on cruise level and the engage auto pilot! Chilufya – tulufye efyo twasalile tat wesu. Chilufye ichalo!!! 90 Days is gone – no pressure so do what you want man! Zambia is a peaceful nation. You wont be questioned until you come out in 2016………. you are indeed PF! Pathetic!!!!!!! And you who comment on tribal lines – use you good minds to think thru – what development will bringing Solwezi onto CB bring to Zambia/ Or Chirundu to Lusaka and Kaoma and Itezhi Tezhi to Central? Why creating a province which has no structures for administration and adding districts when we promised we are going to reduce government……. we have added more than we reduced. This nation is running a 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction. Wake up zambia. Kwacha Ngweeeeeeeeeeeeeee but now looks like it is no longer kwacha – bwaila kwafita na fititi! Yangu we chalo chaba Christian!!!! Father Frank Bwalya – Red Card now before it is too late!!!!
Kuyasa kalyakazuna
February 8, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Make chisali or mpika party of lusaka,not my four fatherz land……ba kabwa.
Brenda
February 8, 2012 at 9:34 pm
FOOLISH ZAMBIANS. YOUR HATE FOR TONGAS IS BLINDING YOU. SOLWEZI TO COPPERBELT? LUKULU TO NORTH WESTERN, ITEZHITEZHI TO CENTRAL? AHH IMWE. THIS IS NONSENSE. IT MEANS CENTRAL PROVINCE RUNS FROM NALWEI (JUST OUTSIDE MONGU) TO SERENJE! MY FOOT YOU IDIOTS! PROVINCES ARE NOT JUST ADMINISTRATIVE BUT HAVE CULTURAL, TRADITIONAL AND SOCIAL DIMENSIONS ATTACHED.
bemba
February 8, 2012 at 10:20 pm
no money in your pocket,we are concentrating in changes we are making.period.
pulamasaka
February 9, 2012 at 8:21 am
visionless pf and post..why should bring the word bantustans again…?one day PF will be out of govt soon..watch the space..
One off
February 9, 2012 at 10:03 am
Mwabakunda bamanyoko nobalumbu.
palmwood
February 9, 2012 at 11:48 am
THE NAILS ARE HIT ON THE HEADS.RIGHT.BUT THEY ARE HIT AT A GUESS AT WRONG ANGLES.WHAT HAPPENS IN CASE OF HEAVY STORMS?
Nak
February 9, 2012 at 12:27 pm
The Devil on the run in the mind of the Zambians. Remember whatever thing you say good or bad you will have to give an account of it one day before the Mighty God. I didnt know how wicked Zambians are untill now. You are evil and this tunfweko is immoral blog publishing any useless wicked and barbaric statement without a sense of honor. Unless you repent u will all likewise perish.
Roots
February 9, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Ba Bantustans always think of a tribe b4 analysing issues……..wats wrong with attaching chirundu to lusaka??
Unitary state with respect
February 10, 2012 at 11:06 am
Here is an Idea. Give them all their ancestral lands as Tongas so that they do a ‘south sudan’. Coz it seems this tribe has been almost fatally alienated from the rest of Zambia. Hell, some Tongas feel more Tonga than Zambian, and SP has been their homeland for over 1700 years. A tribe is more than a language, by the way. Its somewhat silly to argue over tribal issues in 2012, coz I feel some issues are more pressing. But the sad reality is that Tongas are upset over the re alignment. By the way, I ve a Tonga mom and a Bemba Dad. They get along just fine, so do the extended family. But my grandpa in Pemba, plus my uncles in Namwala feel their illa and We counterparts in itezhi and chirundu respectively have been politically pshycologically displaced. Since Zambia is a democracy, its only proper that say, if the people of Itehi tezhi and Chirundu, by proclaimation prefer to be in SP administratively, then let it be so.
SUSUKA
February 10, 2012 at 10:00 pm
@EVERLY. PLEASE YOU ARE EDUCATED ITS ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION WITH 73 TRIBES. BEMBAS ARE FOUND IN NORTHERN AND TONGAS IN SOUTHERN.TEACH THE WORLD ABOUT YOUR CULTURE.TONGAS AND BEMBAS HAVE ALL BEEN FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.WHEN I SEE A TONGA I SEE THE IMAGE OF GOD.WHEN I SEE A BEMBA I SEE THE IMAGE OF GOD.