Let us say “NO” to regionalism and tribalism

Mwape Musonda

By Mwape Musonda

Results of the just ended presidential election have shown the growth of our democracy as much they have highlighted the regionalism and tribalism that currently exists in the country.

I say this because I am proud of the generally civil way in which we conducted the campaign and elections as much as I am ashamed of the regionalism and tribalism reflected in the results.

I am proud because even though the election was sudden and unplanned, we managed to hold it in a free and fair manner despite a few pockets of violence recorded and delay in the announcement of results which efficiently justified by the electoral commission of Zambia.

Many other countries in the world and in Africa specifically would have degenerated into widespread pandemonium and violence if they were faced with the same set of circumstances as we were because of selfish leaders wanting to take advantage of the situation and impatience from the citizens.

A lot of people could have lost their lives but as Zambians we managed yet again to choose our leader the best way we know how, that is through the ballot and we did it without losing any one of our brothers and sisters. For that I would like to say congratulations to us all and may we always keep it up.

However the issues of regionalism and tribalism that were exposed in the results of the election in terms of voting patterns have robbed me of the pride and joy in the continued growth of our democracy.

The results have laid bare the division which currently exists among the people through the voting pattern which was mainly regional and based on tribe. The million dollar question is “what caused the people to vote the way they did.”

There are two effective answers to this question the first one being the relatively ineffective rate at which government has been distributing our country’s wealth due to the resources being limited. And the second answer lies in how the politicians manipulated the first reason to gain political mileage in the regions of their origin by telling voters that development would only come to their area if they voted for their own tribes or region mate.

Through the above reasons politicians have managed to bring divisions in our country based on tribalism. I would like to urge all of you my fellow Zambians to say no to regionalism and tribalism because they pose a very big threat to the democracy and unity of our country. We should all reject any proponents of these ideas.

Democracy gives us freedom to make choices about our lives, it gives us the freedom to choose a leader of our choice but it also gives us the responsibility to choose our leaders on the basis of merit and not on region of hailing or tribe.

Personally I have a profound love for my country and all of its peoples, my list of friends and family is not restricted to one region or tribe of this country and I am not ready to lose any on the basis of region or tribe.

No one chooses to what parents we are born of because we are all victims of nature. My tribe, region of hailing or country was no selection of mine but of God himself and therefore I should not be ridiculed of persecuted because of it.

We are a Christian nation and our Christianity should not just be on the lips but in our lifestyles. Jesus Christ in John 13:34 gave us a new commandment to love one another just as he loves us.

Yes we are bound to have frictions in our co-existence as humans but our differences cannot become greater than our unity. We all have a responsibility to preserve the unity of our country and therefore should condemn in the strongest terms those advocating for anything other than the abandonment of regional and tribal politics.

I am making a special appeal to the youths work extra hard in condemning these divisive elements because we will be the ones to endure the consequences of disunity if we allow our peace to be breached. Some of these old folks sowing seeds of division will not even live beyond the next few years.

Let’s all responsibly preserve our peace and unity. One Zambia, one nation.
God Bless!

The author is a Christian Humanism activist and a member of ZICA