REFUSAL TO ACCEPT CHARMAINE MUSONDA TO REJOIN HER FORMER POLITICAL PARTY UPND AN INJURY TO FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND CONSTITUTION.
THE fracas that occurred at the UPND Secretariate recently when Secretariate wanted to officially readmit Charmaine Musonda, a former losing UPND candidate for Chilanga by-election ensuing the jailing of former MP Keith Mukata and aspiring candidate in the 2021 General Election at Parliamentary level was unfortunate and must be condemned.
It undermines freedom of association and the Constitution of Zambia including President HH’s desire to build a democratic Zambia where democratic dividends accrue to all Zambians.
One of the democratic dividends is freedom of association.
Yes Charmaine had defected to the PF at the time people felt oppressed and after being left out of the adoptions, perhaps out of emotions, which is politically understood.
But blocking her from rejoining her party is an injury to the article 21 of the Constitution of Zambia on the freedom of association.
The UPND should not tread that path and it is sad that fellow women were in the forefront blocking her instead of encouraging her to come back to the fold like prodigal son, now daughter, of the bible and then counsel her.
Yes, many suffered under the autocratic hands of PF and being in opposition was not easy and the election victory, despite the closed democratic space by the PF which Charmaine joined for one reason or another which was her democratic right, was not plain sailing.
The fact that UPND SG had allowed her to come and be readmitted in party must have been an assurance to members that due diligence was done in the readmission process but blocking her was embarrassing to the leadership.
How many people who insulted, intimidated, harrassed, called UPND names in the 23 years in opposition and even wanted UPND deregistered who have been welcomed and those who left readmitted today in the party and holding positions without being rejected?
African politics are fluid and not rigid and therefore tolerance is a virtue in Afrcian politics . Politicians never differ in interests but vehicles to meet those interests.
Let us respect freedom of and rights to association of everyone and all Zambians whether they are former defectees from the party or new defectees to the party from another party.
If it is the fear that her readmission will deprive those loyalists of their possible job opportunities, that can still be dealt with internally without seen to be intolerant and disrepectful of the Constitution.
Let Charmiane be allowed to exercise her freedom of association by letting her back in the party. Those who blocked her must be forgiven because they feel betrayed which is normal in life.
I submit
McDonald Chipenzi