THE Socialist Party says its democracy is not for sale.
Socialist Party general secretary and first vice-president Cosmas Musumali also says the poor have been betrayed for too long and that those in the leftist party are standing up and saying enough is enough.
Dr Musumali unveiled 37 Socialist Party adopted parliamentary candidates and a Kitwe mayoral candidate, Karen Kampinde, at Kingfisher Garden Court in Lusaka yesterday.
He branded the adopted team as dedicated men and women from all the provinces: “of our homeland.”
“We have Northern Province giving us seven today, Luapula three, Lusaka three, Southern six, North-Western three, Central one, Muchinga two, Eastern six, Western three and Copperbelt is giving us three,” Dr Musumali said. “Out of the three from the Copperbelt, we have a mayoral candidate for Kitwe. In the next weeks, we’ll wind up with the adoption of the MPs and also adopt mayors. All those from the bigger towns, the adoption is going to be done centrally and then the other it will be decentralised, especially for the council chairpersons.”
He said those adopted were very humble and that 19 were women and another 19 were men.
“Again, this is history in the making. From the very beginning, we said we are for equity and we are walking the talk. We also committed to the youth [because] these are the majority of the population,” Dr Musumali said. “Amongst the 38 candidates today, we have eight of them below the age of 30. This is history in the making! Out of these eight, two of them have just attained the age 21 and they are both female. We have a third candidate that has just 22. So, we have three women in this group that will be going to Parliament at the age of 22, at the age of 21.”
Among those adopted is a female bricklayer, Lubinda Silishebo, 39 for Nalikwanda, a 21-year-old a hair dresser, Lindiwe Mawere for Kawambwa Central and: “we have a young comrade who sells tomato.”
He added that there were also a number of peasant farmers.
“We have about three trained teachers that are unemployed and that are sustaining themselves through peasant farming. None of these comrades can be called a big fish. It’s not the big fish that needs change,” Dr Musumali said. “It’s not the elite of this country that seek better lives for themselves and their children. The poor have been betrayed for too long and in the Socialist Party they are standing up and saying enough is enough. They want to lead themselves!”
He noted that the poor wanted to be part of that change process that was going to take place in the country, come August 12 this year.
“The Zambian Parliament will never be the same with this crop of people. The time for the suffering masses to delegate political power is gone,” Dr Musumali noted. “Zambia is entering a new phase, it’s a new challenge but full of hope. We are setting a path for the rest of Africa and humanity.”
Meanwhile, Dr Musumali explained that the Socialist Party would be closing the adoptions of members of parliament two weeks from now.
“To be specific, on the 27th of this month, the Socialist Party would have adopted 156 members of parliament. 50 per cent of them would be women,” he said. “This is again history in the making. We look forward to the other political parties, the other political actors to imitate our example.”
Dr Musumali also indicated that adopting women in the Socialist Party was not just the issue of mere gender parity.
“We are giving an example as to what people’s democracy looks like. If democracy has to make sense, then it has to be the government of the majority, for the majority. Power, democracy cannot be delegated to another group, another class of people, that do not understand your pain, your sufferings and your aspirations,” Dr Musumali explained. “The example we are showing is that if you have carpenters, we want to see carpenters in Parliament, if you have bricklayers amongst the workers of Zambia, the people of Zambia, we want to see those bricklayers in our Parliament. Marketeers play a huge role in our lives. We want to see those marketeers in Parliament.”
He noted that: “democracy in the Socialist Party is not for sale.”
“Our representation of the people in the Socialist Party does not go with size of the pocket. It goes with truth, genuine, justifiable people’s representation,” said Dr Musumali. “We look forward to welcoming you two weeks from now as we close this chapter of adoptions. We will go ahead with adoptions of our mayors, of our councillors and this is the process that should be complete within the next 40 days.”
Those adopted are Roydah Mulenga Chongo for Kaputa, Mark Mpundu for Chilubi, Marian Chisela for Lupososhi, Twiza Sikazwe for Mpulungu, Dorcas Mulenga for Mporokoso, Mavis Mutale for Lukashya, Judith Ngo’nga for Chimbamilonga, Lindiwe Mawere for Kawambwa, Paul Davis Musenge for Mambilima, Lukas Mwansa for Lunga.
Others adopted are Jacob Chimfutwe for Nchelenge, Juliet Nalwimba for Isoka, Morris Nkata for Chama South, Pastor Jack Yobe for Rufunsa, Ben Malupande for Chongwe, Morris Njepa for Chilanga, Eviness Chipatika for Choma, Beckham Mudenda for Magoye, Sampson Siabwengo for Gwembe, Willies Michel for Moomba, Melody Buumba for Mbabala and Margaret Moono for Monze Central.
The rest are Espina Chulu for Solwezi East, Chishimba Kapungwe for Mkushi North, Amos Wambili for Solwezi West, Kevin Kanyama for Manyinga, Fridah Mbewe for Malambo, Dominic Mbewe for Vubwi, Marie Jesy Banda for Lundazi, Learmore Lungu for Nyimba, Nkhumbwiza Banda for Sinda, Mathews Mwale for Milanzi, Kerryne Kampinda for Wusakile, Joyce Mubanga for Kitwe Mayor, Dennis Mulenga for Mpongwe, Lubasi Liuma for Sesheke, Sharon Sinonge for Mulobezi and Lubinda Silishebo for Nalikwanda.