[allAfrica.com] [Leon_H._Sullivan_Summit] We Shouldn't Slide Into Conflict - Nkomeshya The Post (Lusaka) NEWS May 12, 2003 Posted to the web May 12, 2003 By Noel Sichalwe Lusaka WE should not allow our country to slide into internal conflict, declared a group calling itself concerned citizens led by chieftainess Nkomeshya of the Soli people yesterday. Making a call for unity, peace, dignity, decency and love for truth for Zambia at press briefing in Lusaka, the eight concerned citizens' spokesperson chieftainess Nkomeshya said leaders should not let politics become a tool of self destruction. Chieftainess Nkomeshya who was driven to the Pamodzi Hotel in a government Merce Des Benz registration number GRZ 761 BR was speaking on behalf of foreign affairs minister Dr. Kalombo Mwansa, health minister Dr. Brian Chituwo, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba and lawyer Nelly Mutti, State House private secretary Jack Kalala, Integrity Foundation of Zambia (IFZ) executive secretary Dr. Steven Moyo and UPND Solwezi Central member of parliament Ben Tetamashimba. Former legal affairs minister Vincent Malambo and Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) managing director Dr. Bwalya Ng'andu were supposed to be among the concerned citizens but did not show up. Chieftainess Nkomeshya said recently, Zambia's first president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda spoke from Boston, USA and appealed for unity, love, peace and honesty in the country. She said Dr. Kaunda called on Zambians, irrespective of their political affiliations, social inclinations, or economic status to jealously guard and promote the unity and peace which Zambia had enjoyed since independence. Chieftainess Nkomeshya said even President Mwanawasa had consistently emphasised the need for peace and unity in the nation as a basis for development. She said Paramount chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people together with other traditional leaders have also urged Zambians to be weary of those who sought to plant the seed of discord and disrupt national peace and unity. Chieftainess Nkomeshya said another joint statement by UPND, UNIP, FDD and ZRP condemned those promoting tribalism and called for unity in the nation. "Despite these calls for national unity and tranquillity, there are certain sections of our society undermining these efforts. We have taken it upon ourselves as concerned men and women committed to peaceful development in our nation to add our voice to this crusade in the sincere hope that we shall all resolve to prevent falling prey to those who advocate disunity," chieftainess Nkomeshya said. "The founding fathers and mothers of this nation inspired by patriotism and love and commitment to the people prosecuted a determined fight to free our country from colonial rule and established a united Zambia under the banner of One Zambia One nation. "It is our unity that has made our country the centre of diplomacy, an oasis of peace and a place of asylum. It is our national unity that created conditions for our country to be the birthplace of two important regional organisations - SADC and COMESA." Chieftainess Nkomeshya said as a country, Zambians had always stood together in time of difficulties to chart a common way forward. She said in 1973, the Choma declaration was a collective effort to seal cracks in the social fabric and emerged as a united and cohesive community while in 1991 people resolved to peacefully transform the system of government from a one party to multi-partism. "We therefore, are a nation with rich traditions of rising above problems together as symbolised by the eagle in our national flag. Our challenge is to continue building upon this strong internal mechanism of maintaining social cohesion and move together as one people. It is easy to destroy our social fabric and rip the nation apart but it is difficult to rebuild it," she said. Chieftainess Nkomeshya noted the current tendency towards disunity, founded on false claims and recriminations, misrepresentations and crude appeals to ethnic sentiments by some leaders were appalling. "We condemn them unreservedly. Those politicians and leaders engaged in these divisive tactics should seriously reflect on what they are doing and the damage they are causing to our country. We appeal to our leaders to desist from trading insults and name- calling. Let politics not become a tool of self destruction," she said. Chieftainess Nkomeshya said it was every politician's personal and moral responsibility to work for unity, national integration and development of a country as a whole, and not to divide it. She said the different political, social and economic interest groups had different styles of conducting their businesses and that it was not right to appeal to disrupt the peace and unity for the sake of a group's interest. "We should not allow our country through deed or omission to slide into internal conflict, or consequences that are too ghastly and obvious to enumerate. There is no problem too large to be resolved through mutual respect, trust and honest dialogue," she said. She said in order to resolve a crisis, one should not agitate for measures and strategies that deepened the crisis further instead must demand for dialogue to discuss the issues and differences. Chieftainess Nkomeshya said Zambia had the capacity to rise above any crisis through dialogue and the tendency of resorting to personal attacks could worsen the situation and lead others taking uncompromising positions. She said the current tensions on the Constitution, elections, economy and corruption could be reduced through leaders accepting to compromise in matters of national building. Chieftainess Nkomeshya said commitment to governance through laws should be measured against the superiority of national interest. She said the issue of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) and demand to adopt the Constitution through a Constituent Assembly were not insoluble at this stage. She said the tension over these matters could be reduced through dialogue. Chieftainess Nkomeshya said the nation had scored successes in areas of agriculture, gender equality, education and governance but was far from realising national objectives. "The aspirations from our people are for a better life that comes with increased production, employment generation and responsible management of national resources. These, for our people, make national agenda which should define our political culture," she said. She said leaders who wanted power for personal gratification even at the cost of disrupting unity of people and integrity of the nation could not make it. Chieftainess Nkomeshya said a tenet of a mature and responsible leadership that Zambia wanted was that premised in balance of judgement willing to acknowledge national progress and development. "This for us is essential in arresting the retrenchment of a sense of national parochialism that is only willing to accept contributions attributed to self. The venom which we detect in the present Zambia's political life, and which all patriotic Zambians must fight to obliterate, will only leave us when our leaders are willing to act with a sense of fairness and respect for each other across political divide," she said. She called on the national leadership to respect each other and uphold national unity, peace and lead by example. After Chieftainess Nkomeshya read the statement, all the eight representatives who were present appended their signatures to it. They, however, did not allow questions from members of the press.   =============================================================================   Copyright © 2003 The Post. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). =============================================================================