MR LAMECK MANGANI SPOKE ON HIS OWN, WE DISTANCE OURSELVES AS CF YOUTH WING – MAXWELL CHONGU=====================================President Harry Kalaba was on terra firma and as Citizens First Party national youth chairman, with my entire executive and all youth structures countrywide, we are in full support of what our president said with regards to the trip President Hakainde Hichilema made to Tanzania.
Citizens first party youth wing would like to categorically state that we distance ourselves from the statement issued by Mr. Lameck Mangani as we strongly reaffirm and solidly support the position of President Harry Kalaba considering that even SADC called it a sham.
We want to caution leaders in the party, members and party functionaries to desist from undermining President Harry Kalaba with careless statements going against his position.
Since 1964 Zambia has enjoyed a global status of being a beacon of peace, tranquility and stability on the african continent not forgetting it’s key role in helping african countries gain independence another accolade that has landed on Zambia to be recognized as a champion of democracy.
Zambia has a good record of always taking the side of the oppressed and never the oppressors, when South africa was going through apartheid our founding father Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda chose to side with the people of south africa not bilateral or business engagement that will benefit Zambia.
We want to strongly state that no bilateral or business engagement should be more important than human life as such it’s our strong belief that President Hakainde Hichilema could have shun that event or rather delegate a junior government official as one way of diplomatically boycotting the inauguration which saw loss of lives.
We understand that people will argue that his trip was in good faith considering activities of economic value that Zambia benefits from Tanzania, however we want to remind Zambians that the same could have been the reason for him to travel to Zimbabwe considering that our highest records in terms of exports show that they go through Zimbabwe but he chose not to attend the inauguration ceremony but to delegate a government official.
It is wrong to say Zambia needs Tanzania, it’s actually the other way round considering revenue generated by the tanzanian government from Zambia.
To those that insist that Zambia needed to cement it’s diplomatic ties with Tanzania hence the trip our question to you is what will happen when the current President of Tanzania leaves office and those oppressed by the regime take over office what will remain of our relationship with the people of Tanzania ?
MAXWELL CHONGUCF National Youth Chairman.