UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema says the opposition party has withstood various storms among them possible extinction. During the party’s 20th anniversary fundraiser at Hotel InterContinental in Lusaka on Friday night, Hichilema thanked party founder, late Anderson Kambela Mazoka, for creating the platform for the people of Zambia as a unitary base for national development

Hichilema also thanked the Church for their continued support for a better Zambia for all.

“To his Grace, Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu, we say thank you for your counsel on various issues you gave us during our party’s 20th anniversary fundraising dinner yesterday [Friday evening],” Hichilema said.

“Special thanks to fellow political leaders who joined us last evening, among them president Mike Mulongoti, president Elias Chipimo [NAREP], president Sean Tembo [PeP] and Fresher Siwale [New Labour Party]. We also extend our gratitude to those who did not make it due to various reasons.”

Hichilema thanked UPND members, supporters and sympathisers for continued support.

“Since its establishment 20 years ago, UPND has withstood various storms among them possible extinction. However, due to the nation’s faith in us, the party continues to thrive and this we owe to you, our people and the nation at large,” Hichilema said. “We have gone from a party getting 29 votes in Kaputa of Northern Province to now getting over 30,000 votes and having four councillors in the same constituency is not a mean achievement. From getting about 20 per cent of total presidential votes to now 48 per cent at the same level even amidst fraud and electoral malfeasance. This goes to show that our party, your party, UPND, is going forward and this is due to your hard work.”

Hichilema said the vision and mission of UPND was to never look backward but always move forward in unity and development.

“Over the years, this party has continued to grow from strength to strength and together with the nation fighting divisive elements. This is why we insist there is more that unites than what divides us as people of this great nation,” Hichilema said. “Like we said when we were elected for the first time to the presidency of this party, we do not seek public office to plunder government resources but to offer service to the nation and this is why we say Zambia and Zambians first. This was the desire of our party’s founding father, late Anderson Kambela Mazoka, whom we always thank for creating this platform for the people of Zambia as a unitary base for national development. Thank you Andy, how happy you must be to see this party grow from strength to strength and unite the people while placing development for all as a priority.”

Hichilema reminded Zambians that they had a great country that they must protect from any divisive elements.

“This is the only place we all call home, we have no other place to call home as Zambians. Therefore, let’s work together, unite under the umbrella of the UPND and move our country forward,” said Hichilema.

“And thank you for your continued support for this party which does not belong to us but belongs to the nation as a unifying platform for national development. To our late party founding president Anderson Kambela Mazoka and other leaders now passed away, we say may you continue to rest in peace and ours is to take over the baton and continue where you left. People power! Our power! Our land!”

And archbishop Mpundu wondered where one would fit in the gathering where the following day they are branded UPND.

He told the excited audience that he was at the event because he was very much alive to the social teaching of Catholic Church which was very firmly grounded in the scriptures. “In the meeting that Catholic Bishops from all over the world had in Rome in 1962 to 1965, there is one area where the bishops declared, that was in 1965, we call it Gaudium et Spes statement meaning the joy and hope of the people of this world,” he said. “The church says it’s the joy and hope…of those who are follower of Jesus Christ. So I come here not because I am a member of UPND, I am very much allergic to partisan politics but I am a politician myself.”

Archbishop Mpundu said talk about food security for the people was a political issue.
“Quality education, not education up to basic, basic, what is basic education? That is a political issue. When you say more food on people’s tables, that is a political issue. We want meaningful development, it is political, everything is political and the church is interested in whatever affects the people not as partisan politicians but as political politicians,” said archbishop Mpundu.