KK abhorred corruption, nepotism and poor governance, says senior chief Mukuni.
And Mukuni has described Chishimba Kambwili, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and Nkandu Luo as people who, ‘stink of tribalism’ and urged them to stay away from KK’s funeral because the first republican president hated tribalism.
Remembering Dr Kenneth Kaunda who passed away last Thursday aged 97, Mukuni who served as Kalomo district governor in the UNIP administration under KK said Zambia, Africa and the whore world had lost a peacemaker.
“I am a graduate of Dr Kaunda’s hate for tribalism, corruption, nepotism and violence. KK loved upright people and some of the people we see now peddling tribalism, corruption and hate had they been there under his leadership they would not have lasted a week,” he said. “We have a lot of PF former ministers who who took pride in insulting the people of Southern Province and even now they have continued to do so with impunity without any repercussion from President Edgar Lungu. He himself has never even stood up to say ‘I am not happy with your tribal insults on Tongas’. So my advice to people like Nkandu Luo, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and Chishimba Kambwili is please don’t insult us by praising KK because you made him a sad man every time you vented out your tribal remarks.”
Mukuni said Dr Kaunda made sure that he balanced his cabinet beyond tribal lines and ethnicity as did Michael Sata who picked Dr Guy Scott to be his number two.
He said people like Simon Zukas and Aaron Milner were considered as human beings who have the same colour and blood like a black Zambian.
“I remember KK saying love thy neighbour, be he or she black, white, blue or yellow. He made sure that all Zambians in the public service should be able to work in provinces not of their origin. He took Tongas to Chipata, Mwinilunga or Mongu, Bembas came and worked in Kalomo, Namwala or in Sioma. He sang the famous phrase of One Zambia One Nation, and that anyone could be a leader as he did with Mungoni Liso, Grey Zulu and Kebby Musokotwane,” Mukuni said. “Alas under the PF we are being told leadership is only for Bembas or an Easterner.”
He urged Zambians to reject any political party that is peddling tribalism and vote for those who would like to unite the nation as Dr Kaunda did.
“Remember, KK sacrificed Zambians lives to accommodate South Africans under ANC, Namibians under SWAPO and Zimbabweans under the ZANU-PF. We are a nation of peace and unity which the old man preached and died for. So let us make his soul shine with love and rest in peace by electing for non-tribalists, not the corrupt, not thieves,” Mukuni urged. “Let us make August 12 as a tribute to KK by doing the right thing, to vote for upright people and reject the tribal PF.”
He added that if he was Professor Luo, Kambwili or Mwamba, he would stay away from Dr Kaunda’s funeral because, “they stink of tribalism.”
Mukuni said chiefs who graduated from Dr Kaunda’s ‘academy’ like Hamusonde, Monze and others in Southern Province have non-Tonga headmen in their chiefdoms because tribe does not matter but leadership qualities do.