DON’T RELY ON TRIBALISM, IT’S WRONG TO USE TRIBE TO STAY LONGER IN POWER – KATELE
THERE’S nothing wrong with identifying oneself with their tribe, but it is very wrong for a government to use tribalism and regionalism to stay longer in power, veteran politician Dr Katele Kalumba has said.
Dr Kalumba, a former minister of finance in the Movement for Multiparty Democracy administration, said in an interview with The Mast although tribalism had existed in Zambia even before the country attained independence, it had become more open after the country’s reversion to multiparty politics.
He said the vice was more evident and divisive today than ever because those in government were using it to sideline other tribes and regions in order to stay longer in power, which he condemned as primitive.
“They want to stay in power. What is new is saying ‘now our person is in office’. Equally, every president that wants to stay longer than the term of office is prescribed by the Constitution [and not by tribe or region],” Dr Kalumba said.
“Tribalism, regionalism won’t go away. No, but what is dangerous and what is problematic is to use it as a basis of securing privilege out of the public purse.”
He said it was unfortunate that some members of Parliament (MPs) had been supporting the enactment of bad laws on the basis of tribe and region.
“If somebody is gagging us, stopping us from talking, why should you go in Parliament and approve that? What is wrong with you? You go to Parliament to talk and then you go to Parliament to gag yourself?” Dr Kalumba wondered.
He said the seed of tribalism was planted, nurtured and funded by colonial masters by giving some tribes and regions preferential treatment in the distribution of resources and provision of social services while marginalising others.
“Some tribes got preference for education. Others were left behind. Now we’re saying this is not new. I’ve said if you go to my Facebook page, Bemba tribalism. When Bembas come to power, there’s tribalism, when Easterners come to power, there’s tribalism, when Southerners come to power there’s tribalism,” Dr Kalumba said.
He said there was tribalism among the losers even during [Dr Kenneth] Kaunda’s time, citing 1968 when late former freedom fighter Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe stood for the position of vice president.
There were serious tribal divisions then which are still haunting the country.
“If you remember, in 1968 when Kapwepwe was running as vice president, I think somewhere around there, there was tribalism. There’s tribalism in North-western Province,” Dr Kalumba said.
“The Lundas and the Luvales cannot see eye to eye. There’s the Chewas and the Ngonis who cannot see eye to eye. But at the base of it, as Zambians, because there was no Zambia before 1964, the whites entrenched these and linked it to superior distribution of resources, including education, for example.”
He appealed to Zambians to respect and derive political power from the country’s Constitution instead of tribe and region.
Dr Kalumba described tribalism as a tendency to define one’s own kind as being privileged.
“That is what is not needed. What is wrong is defining when you are in power or you have access to power that ‘only my people should have access to the distribution of material resources, or even power itself’. That is wrong,” he said.
“Tribal identity is not a problem. Being a Tonga, being a Bemba, being a Chewa, being a Tumbuka, being a Nsenga, being a Bwile, being a Shila, or Luvale, or Lenje, there’s nothing wrong.”
The Mast
I wish he had more wisdom like other older politicians, say vj
What tribe is VJ?
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
Those being favoured now because of their tribe will victims when a president from a different tribe is elected next year. It will make me very sad to see that happen though, as I have always campaigned for a united Zambia that shuns tribalism. My wife is Ila/Tonga, and i employ a lot of Tonga and Lozi people. My message is always the same to my fellow citizens.
REJECT TRIBALISM, CORRUPTION AND OPPRESSION.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
Master news paper is for fred mmembe the master of tribalism in Zambia,if tomorrow the witchcraft says no I didn’t say it just know that chief tribalist generated this story.who brought the issue of tribalism in Zambia??? fuledi.
Tyrol
Judging by the frequency of your rubbish on this platform,I very much doubt that you can employ any one.You are not married or are a widower and you just use company bundles
Katele is just talking to be heard, he would do himself a favor if simply keeps quiet and rest. The Man has passed through difficult times. I don’t think he listens to himself when saying something.
Katele Kalumba by virtue of that fact that you are convicted criminal who at the you were Minister of Finance you comitted a crime.
You have no moral basis to even open your mouth.
You showed no morals then. Today you want to open your mouth and advise who? Who in their right frame of mind would get advice from a known criminal who for years ran from the law; only to be proved non the wiser by being imprisoned?
You are supposed to be terminally ill. Was the basis you were pardoned falsified? How come a terminally ill man has the energy to be sp outspoken show himself at traditional ceremonies. When most terminally ill people are home bound and worried about their quality of life that the issues that are going on around them?
Have this man reassessed. These are the kind of people that seem to abuse the system. Bring those aiding them to avoid jail time to book
Yes,the doctors who certified him terminally sick must be interogated.,and so are the ones who did the same for GBM
But who’s using tribe to stay in power longer than necessary? And how would that be done anyway? It’s unclear reporting by the media.
That is exactly what I have been struggling to make sense of. The man can’t even listen to himself when he opens his mouth. So sad.
Katele is just an ungrateful foolish old man. He is a convicted criminal only out of jail because HH pardoned him. He surely needs to be investigated if he faked the illness.
Bedsides that, doctors that made the diagnosis must be made to account if they made an untruthful prognosis. We are fed up such corrupt civil servants. Even their medical reports to the Head of State are falsified and cant be relied upon then who else can we believe.
Where is Elijah Muchima on this? An investigation is inevitable. We need to be serious.
Since he is fit let him go back and finish his term.
Ba Katele, where were you when PF was busy tearing the nation asunder with their divisive politics? The PF government is the most divisive administration in Zambia’s history. They openly practiced tribalism and regionalism.
The UPND has its share of tribalists like the RTSA CEO, but PF was in a class of its own. Dr. Kalumba is not being objective. If UPND try to use tribalism/regionalism to stay in power, they will fail miserably just like PF failed.
The funny thing is this man is supposed to be in jail serving his sentence for corruption or something like that. He was pardoned on account of being terminally ill. Today he has suddenly found his voice. Not that he should keep quiet but that he pretended to be at the point of death inorder to evade justice. I have issues with such characters.
Mr.Katele.Go back to your history books or ask Sishuwa,You will learn that colonists in Zambia did not follow any tribe to favour.They settled and developed areas they found to be rich in resources.Thats why towns along the railway from Copperbelt to Southern Provinces are relatively more developed than the rest
Tribalism became fully and dangerously blown under PF regime.The infamous lists of very ,very very tribal appointments in government and it’s agencies is a shameful part of our history that people like you would like ignore but will never go away until the lists are brought and burnt an a Natural Day of Prayer, fasting and Forgiveness