THE MAN WHO CONVINCED MAZOKA TO BECOME FIRST UPND PRESIDENT…
and blessed me too – founder member/card holder no. 15 – Bbindikila
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How can one summerize a 25 year old dramatic history of the founding of the mighty UPND in a few paragraphs to satisfy today’s impatient 10-minute millenial readers?..The story setting is in Pemba, a small, peaceful picturesque town near a village called MUzoka – the birthplace of Anderson Kambela MAzoka, the founding President of the mighty UPND!
But before Mazoka, you will be very shocked, if not amused to discover that PF Vice President of the Republic of Zambia (Her Honour mama Inonge Wina) was first to be offered leadership of the mighty UPND. She was followed deep into the sands of Western province in 1995, and was invited to become first president of the mighty UPND. That was three years before the party was officially launched in 1998. But Inonge flatly refused the call of destiny. Afterall, her late husband, Arthur Wina, was the genius behind the coming to power of MMD. Together, they had killed a big elephant, it was time to eat, a time to share the spoils of victory, and not a time to defect!
The story was narrated by Mr Bbindikila Mwiinga, freedom fighter, UPND founder member/card holder number 15, master-craftsman of the Pentagram and stretched open right palm (UPND LOGO) to depict the 5 senses of man and hard work, a humble servant of the party, patriot parexcellence, exceedingly wise man, a living encyclopedia of Zambia’s pre and post-colonial history, teller of Zambia’s political tragi-comedy, was team leader of a special unit assigned to travel across 9 provinces of Zambia in search of a UPND President when it first occured that the Chiluba-led MMD regime was taking Zambia down a dangerous path of disaster.
Enter Mazoka, Economist. Mazoka was at the time best of the best top-flight vibrant chief executives working for the multi-national mining conglomerate – Anglo-American corporation. Like Inonge, Mazoka flatly refused to take up the UPND leadership, but promised to financially support it quietly. It was far too risky for him. Bbindikila and his head-hunting party who were desperate for a leader to take the UPND into the 1996 elections went back empty handed, distraught, but not defeated.
Bbindikila and the UPND founders, then still in National Party (NP), went into an alliance with Agenda for Zambia led by the radical rubble-rouser Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika , another living encyclopedia of Zambian politics and political history. Even with UNIP and it’s President Kaunda (lawfully declared a foreigner of Malawian origin) technically knocked out of the race, the alliance was soundly defeated. UPND had to be officially formed, and fast! Bbindikila and his head hunters played their last card!
Believe it or not, Bbindikila reported and the head hunters reported Mazoka to Chief Monze the way a man would report his wife to the police for refusing to perform her matrimonial duties😂…”this man Mazoka is refusing to become president of UPND” Bbindikila and team beseeched the Chief for intervention.
Chief Monze summoned Mazoka, and Chief Monze prevailed. And that’s how Mazoka begrudgingly accepted to carry the political cross that would eventually take a toll on him after he was given slow poison by enemies of the mighty UPND when he won, but was robbed of the 2001 elections.
Mazoka is the epitome of selfless christ-like leadership. He sacrificed his top-flight career, his families happiness something few Zambians can do today. Mazoka sacrificed his wealth, and his life to see a better Zambia for all, a vision which Bbindikila wants to see before he dies, a hope he believes will be finally fulfilled by Mazoka’s successor Hakainde Hichilema in 2021, yet another man who has given everything to the cause of a better Zambia for all, and so much more!
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Written by: Mainda Simataa
The Journey to Pemba
Southern Province, Zambia
©2020 UPND Archives
Photo Credit: Likwanya Tom Matomola