EDITOR’S CHOICE- Can Mbita Chitala do what he did in 1990…can another MMD emerge…?
By Gregory Mofu
Yesterday, renowned politician Hon. Mbita Chitala announced a call for a national indaba under the National Consultative Conference (NCC), a non-partisan platform he says will bring together political parties, progressive organizations, and independent citizens to chart a new course for Zambia.
Mbita argues that Zambia is facing political division, corruption, poor governance, and economic hardship. He has therefore called for urgent reforms to restore peace, constitutionalism, and fairness, while tackling tribalism, inequality, and abuse of office.
This is not the first time Mbita has stepped forward at a critical moment in Zambia’s history. In 1990, after the fall of the Berlin Wall and growing disillusionment with President Kenneth Kaunda’s one-party state, he (then known as Derick Chitala) together with Akashambatwa Lewanika, convened the Garden House National Conference on the Multiparty Option at Garden House Motel in Lusaka to discuss the state of the nation and the need to reintroduce multiparty democracy.
Although Kaunda tried to undermine the meeting by holding a UNIP Central Committee gathering at State House on the same day, the Garden House meeting went ahead with a number of brave Zambians attending. The meeting adopted a charter and framework, which also created the National Interim Committee headed by Arthur Wina.
The MMD then called for a referendum to repeal Article 4 of the Constitution, which had entrenched UNIP’s one-party rule.
On 17th December 1990, after months of sustained public pressure to return the country to multiparty democracy, President Kaunda repealed Article 4 of the Constitution that had proscribed other parties. This action paved the way for multiparty elections. He also cut short his term, which was supposed to end in 1993, and called for early elections in 1991.
The MMD was subsequently registered as a political party, with trade unionist Frederick Chiluba emerging as its president. In those elections, Chiluba and the MMD defeated Kaunda and UNIP, marking a historic turning point for Zambia.
The question now is whether Mbita can once again create a movement strong enough to reshape the nation, this time against tribalism, economic decline and poor governance as he alleges as he did in 1990.
Naaa….please, confused politician
Wrong!!!!
Please the so called Journalist. If your salaries are not good please try to do farming because there’s good money in this business. Just 100 bags of 50kg maize at the current FRA price of K 340.00 you will through your hard-work get K34, 000.00 cool cash. Imagine you manage your farm properly and get say 500 *50 kg of maize grain at K340/bag that is already K170,000.00 in your hands. This only comes through hard work and priotising.
But instead of doing so, you are just confusing yourselves writing about empty finshed characters – politicians like Chitala. Surely can one get anything from these crooks. He was in MMD what did he do to point at? Always pointing fingers at others.
As things stand babaa, there’s nothing that will change from the good preaviling peaceful environment of UPND government to what you dream with these blood thirst crooks who were in PF like;
1. Lubinda
2. Mutototo kafwayafwaya
3. The confused noise maker Nakachinda.
4. The confused Binwel Mpundu
5. The fire-tender beaten EEP Seon Tembo
6. The katondo man kapyongongo
7. The kapyangapyanga mpika boy who calls others cockroaches
8. The open mouth Mundubile
9. The black mortuary dead body laywer Makebikebi.
10. Crook made politicians who ran from hospital bed ati honourable jjbanda.
Totally confused bunch of visionless thugs.
So my dear Journalist who wrote this chitala whatever. These crooks will not match the bally leadership. Patali sanaa. They will use you and dump you because bally is delivering and working for Zambians.
In case you don’t know,
1. From August 2021 to date, just government alone has employed more than 80, 000 youths
2. Caderism has been controlled. No more KAMUGODI where PF thugs used to beat and kill people.
3. There’s peace and unity in markerts and bus stops.
4. Bursaries for public universities students nimbweee.
5. Meal allowance which uncle Nkadu Luo abolished, today students are getting their allowances.
6. Skills trainings nimbweee.
7. Freeeeeeee education ni all over Zambia
8. Investments in Zambia, growing every day and month.
9. CDF from your PF scanty unsean K1.6 million to equitably K36.1 million to all the 156 constituencies.
10. Development seen every where in Zambia. Talk of schools construction, clinics and hospitals, water and sanitation. What else do you need. Mukanaka mwendoshimwe.
Mbala Mafia
As the bible says,
There’s time for everything, there’s time to be born & there’s time to die.
The 1990 , era and episode, is not,the 2025 era,
The Zambians of 1990 , are not the same Zambians of 2025,
Therefore for anyone to compare what obtained that time & today ,
Can only be described as a sign of a Sick Mind,
And to single out , CHITALA, as the architect of , the 1990 change is a,miss of history,,
Those , Real gallant, Men & Women,that worked hard & pushed for change , under the Umbrella, of the , ZRF,
(Zambia Research Foundation),are very known,,
In the 1990’s, Zambia was ruled under a One party state , of government, & only UNIP, was the party in power
But when the Wind of Change blew Hot,,,
No one could have resisted it,,
And this Wind of Change did not only blow in Zambia, but across Africa and the World,
The status quo, was , Democracy, & Democratisation of states & government systems.,
And , today, that has been achieved in many Nations of the World
So, for, CHITALA, to call a National Indaba, with a resemblance of, MMD in 1990’s, is a call in futility,
Today, as ZAMBIANS,as a Collective
We Elect & deselect, Government the Ballot Box ,,, period,
When, CHITALA, was in PF, as ERB, board Chairman, He saw nothing wrong with PF, governance system, because He was Eating, now that, He lost his source of income & livelyhood,,,
He must embark on a Wild hunt journey,
And the issues , he has advanced,
Really are not worth the debate,
In, PF, he didn’t see, tribalism, & bad governance,
In , today’s Zambia, & in our Democratic dispensation,, Anyone who will ride on the TRIBAL tag, will be outright, REJECTED,by Zambian
The Lessons should be, Learnt from the 2021, Polls, despite, the mounted campaign & propaganda by PF, & it’s entirely Leadership, to paint, & smear
HH, & UPND, as a tribal party
That line of propaganda lamentably Failed to win PF, the trust and vote of ZAMBIANS,
If CHITALA has nothing to do or to offer towards the emancipation of Our Nation
Let him go Farming, at least He will be more useful, in contributing towards feeding our Citizens
This convention should have been held in 2015. Then we would have been spared of Edgar Lungu’s misrule for another 5 years.
Its just an empty indaba.We are now in 2025 please things are done differently from what happened in 1990 . We don’t need people like Chitala and their disturbances. Let them find something else to do these people.Police be ready. Without a permit arrest them.Where was Chitala when people were killed under pf? Just go and die somewhere else.
I agree with ba Senior Citizen. Dr. Mbita has no credibility whatsoever. He is stirring up a storm in a teacup. If my memory serves me right, under PF, this gentleman was Chairman of the Zesco Board when the company was being looted by PF and packed with their cadres who were drawing salaries for doing nothing. And today, he wants to pretend that he cares for the country.
What worked in 1990 cannot work now. The dynamics are totally different. We had a One Party dictatorship then. But now, parties are free to compete for citizes’ attention. What he talks about is very academic and general. It is like a wish list, difficult to actualise.
When PF was busy tearing the country apart and amassing wealth for themselves, this gentleman was silent, presumably because he was at the high table. Now he wants to sneak back to the high table.
Makes me wonder. What does Dr. Mbita do for a living?
He is like most retirees, presumably nothing and bored.
Derrick chikala please your time has gone. Go and rest or if you are bored think of changing your name again to re-invent yourself.
Ifitala tafibomba let alone one Chitala.
Please next topic this one is oboslute.
Does Mbita only have 1 photo. Since 1990, I have never seen him smiling in a photo. Why? It’s not good. Why are you sirisiri (serious) all the time Anyway I decided to talk about something else about Mbita bcos of his outdated political stance. Can’t engage with him on that.
There are similarities in the situation in 1990 and 2025.
The key similarities are the state of Governance, Democratic Institutions, the Rule of Law, Constitutionalism, the State of the 3 arms of Government,
Hakainde’s Executive, Nellie Mutti ‘s Parliament and Mumba Malila’s Judiciary.
The Tribal Hold on Key Institutions of governance…The Ministry of Home Affairs, and it’s institutions – The Zambia Police with 90% commissioners from one region, the Electoral Commission of Zambia,
Judicial Complaints Commission, Human Rights Commission, the Anti Corruption Commission , the Registrar of Societies and indeed the Judiciary and the Legislature.
The state of the Separation of Powers, with power being concentrated in one person.
The strangle hold on the Media, both State and Private.
The Tribal hold on Parastal Organizations, ZCCM -IH , NAPSA , ZESCO, public Universities ( University Councils , College Boards etc) and other government Agencies.
The climate of fear in the country where even those in Academia can’t express their opinion freely for fear of victimisation.
Repression against divergent views, Arrests of political opponents over flimsy charges. Hakainde Hichilema has exceeded even Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s in the number of people in Prison or on a queue to go Prison.
Chishimba Kambwili, Nixon Chilangwa, Ronald Chitotela, Munir Zulu, Jay Jay Banda, Maureen Mabonga, Raphael Nakachinda, the late Edith Nawakwi, Geofrey Bwalya Mwamba, Bowman Lusambo, Sean Tembo, Mama Esther Lungu, Tasila Lungu and her Siblings, Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba, EFF Mwenda, Fred Mmembe, Brebnar Changala, Davies Chama, Mumbi Phiri, Joe Malanji, Davies Mwila, Apostle Dan Pule, Francis Kapwepwe and the list continues including journalists and ordinary Citizens…the two young mothers in eastern Province, Mr Patel and colleague over alleged ” Fbi and America boys Assault… and on and on. Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa can’t even dare set foot on Zambian Soil.
Never in the history of Zambia have we seen such a large number of people detained over one reason or another.
Tyranny, Autocracy, Repression,erosion of Democracy are fully manifest in Hakainde’s Zambia.. The Multi Party Democracy we have known from 1991 is on death bed. Everyone can see this.
Hakainde Hichilema is determined to stand against a ” Frog” in 2026, as he continues decimating any credible opposition to his rule.
The difference between the situation in 1991 and 2025 is that the country finds itself with Tribal Zealots…who have a Faulty and erroneous historical belief that being in government this time is their Tribal Right… Anchored on the ” It’s our Time Philosophy” The Zealots have penetrated various Organizations, and sadly not even the church has been spared..The Zambia Catholic Bishops Council can’t even release a Pastoral letter…Moles in the council will leak the information and Pre-emptive State house invitations will be on the cards.
For them , they will support their own, no matter what..The principle of objectivity among these people is not there. Infact
99.9999% of the bloggers who have commented above are from one region…even using fake Bemba names to fool the people.
These are the Zealots the country is up against. Will such a group accept a Hakainde Hichilema loss in 2026? I shudder to think what this Legion of Tribal Zealots will do when they wake up to a loss on 14th August, 2026.
On Mbita Chitala views , I certainly support these , and would personally welcome such a garden house like Indaba to save Zambia from Tyranny, Autocracy, Dictatorship and “Tribal Hegemony”.
On my Ballot on 13th August,2026
Will be Hakainde’s Executive Misrule
Nellie Mutti ‘s Parliament
And Mumba Malila’s Judiciary
The Axis
The Axis will fall on 13th August 2026.
You are free to keep dreaming….
Hope you have saved enough cis your dream will last you your lifetime…
Be prepared for the long haul because HH7 and his Team ain’t going anywhere anytime soon bro…