THE Democratic Party is waiting to see what action President Edgar Lungu will take against his ‘tribal’ commerce minister Christopher Yaluma.
DP president Harry Kalaba charges that Yaluma, the Malole PF member of parliament, stooped so low to start: “pushing for an expired product in the form of President Edgar Lungu,” on a tribal basis.
While in Malole’s Mumba area over the weekend, Yaluma (above) told his constituents that the people of Southern Province were so intolerant of other tribes, such that they could beat up non-southerners.
“UPND cinama nshi (what kind of an animal is the UPND)? Mwebantu imwe mwebenda (you people who travel) ako kene mufwele kukanwa akalembelwe ati PF (that same PF-branded face-mask you are wearing) teti upite mu Southern Province naufwala kukanwa bakakuma (you can’t pass through Southern Province wearing that; they will beat you),” Yaluma lied.
“Bakakuma bakakufumya namu bus tawakaninemo (they will beat you up and not even allow you to get on a bus). Takwaba ukulumbula ishiwi ilya PF nangu party imbi, FDD, ishili iyakulya (there is no mentioning of the PF or any other party, for that matter, like the FDD, which is not from there). Aba abantu baishibana fye bekabeka (these people just know themselves). Tabafwaya (they don’t want)!”
He added that: “takwaba nangu umo MP mu Northern Province uwa UPND (there is no single UPND MP in Northern Province).”
“Takwaba nangu umo MP mu Northern Province nangu ku Muchinga nangu ku Luapula nangu ku Central Province (there is no single UPND MP in Northern, Muchinga, Luapula and Central Provinces),” Yaluma claimed. “Takuli (there is nothing) except ku North-Western naku Western (in North-Western and Western Provinces). Ku North-West babako banga babili, nokufuma balefuma (there are only two UPND MPs in North-Western and they are about to resign). Bushe cinshi GBM aya fuminamo (what made GBM to leave)? Efyo ndefwaya mipushe (that’s what I want to ask you). Cinshi GBM afumineko (what made GBM to leave)? Aliya asanga ati tamuli ubuyo (he went but found out that there is no benefit). Bucushi bwekabweka (it’s all suffering).”
All the 12 constituencies in North Western Province are held by the UPND and six out of 15 in Central Province are held by UPND members of parliament.
The minister also told the gathering that southerners: “baliitemwa (they are self-centred),”
“Elo kaitemwe tafwaya nangu umuntu umbi kano umutundu wakwe (and a self-centred person doesn’t want any other person, unless a tribesman). Nomba, elo imwe muno mulelumbula ati UPND kuno mwebantu (now you people here are mentioning the UPND)! Tamwakwata nensoni (aren’t you even ashamed)?” said Yaluma.
Reacting to those remarks, Kalaba complained that Yaluma could resort to engaging into tribalism.
“First of all, I’m surprised that a person of Yaluma’s calibre can think so low as to begin cheap politics that have divided us. People must read history! In 1968, what made Dr Kaunda leave the Chilenje Hall? It was because of tribalism. Read the book of Sikota Wina; Sikota Wina writes a book titled ‘A night without a President.’ It’s because of these same tirades that Dr Kaunda expressed his deepest disquiet,” Kalaba said in an interview. “Ba Yaluma is one of the leaders I have had respect in the PF regime. I don’t know what got to him for him to think so low to begin pushing tribal politics and to begin pushing for an expired product in the form of President Edgar Lungu standing for the presidency next year. President Lungu is not eternal – he was not born a President. God can pick anybody He wants!”
He added that those in the ruling party had been spewing tribal commentary and were getting away with it.
“I want to see the action that President Lungu will take on Honourable minister Yaluma. Honourable Nkandu Luo used the same tribal remarks [but] she got away with it. Honourable Yaluma has used the same remarks…We have had PF cadres who have been using tribal remarks and they have been getting away with it,” he said.
“President Lungu himself has used tribal remarks against fellow citizens and he has gotten away with it. Where are we going as a country?”
The opposition leader asked how politicians could be dividing ordinary Zambians, on account of tribal.
“Inter-marriages in this country are everywhere! The problem we have is that we are being led by a leadership that is not passionate about what they are doing. Where has that spirit of Dr Kenneth Kaunda gone?” Kalaba asked.
“People like Nkandu Luo should be emulating the Mary Fulanos of this world. The Yalumas should be emulating the Elijah Mudenda of this world. Where has that spirit of One Zambia, One Nation gone?”
He asserted that he was, on behalf of the DP, condemning in the strongest terms possible the usage of tribal politics in the country.
“What our people need are ideas which will take Zambia to the next level. As Democratic Party we are saying tribal politics have no space in this country and that’s why we are going to criminalise tribalism in the first six months of forming government next year,” said Kalaba.