By Staff Reporter
DPP leader Antonio Mwanza says tribalism has never benefited Zambians as it has never built a school, created jobs, reduced the price of mealie-meal or ended loadshedding in the country.
In a media statement, Mwanza argued that the destructive trend of tribalism was among the reasons founding president Dr Kenneth Kaunda, in 1972, declared Zambia a one-party state.
He stated that Dr Kaunda feared, rightly, that tribal divisions—fueled by ambitious politicians—could tear apart the young nation.
“Yet, while his intentions were to preserve peace and unity, the underlying truth remains: it was not the people who divided Zambia; it was politicians who exploited tribe for political gain. Tribalism has never benefited the ordinary Zambian. It has never built a school, created a job, reduced the cost of mealie meal, or ended load-shedding. It has never improved a farmer’s yield, lowered the cost of transport, or provided clean water. Instead, it distracts the nation from the real enemies of progress—corruption, poverty, unemployment, inequality, and bad governance. Politicians who weaponize tribe do so to hide their failures, not to serve the people,” Mwanza stated. “Today’s generation of Zambians is different. We are children of intermarriage, raised in towns and schools where our friendships cross every tribal and religious line. We speak each other’s languages, we share dreams, and we call ourselves simply Zambians. We are one people bound by a shared destiny, not by tribal boundaries drawn by politicians.”
Mwanza argued that the country should reject the old generation’s politics of division and build a new Zambia based on unity, merit, and shared prosperity.
“Let us focus our collective energy on the real struggles of our people: the rising cost of living, persistent poverty, lack of jobs, and the unbearable load-shedding that stifles productivity,” stated Mwanza. “Zambia’s strength has always been its unity. Let us therefore rise above tribal politics and stand together as one nation—One Zambia, One Nation—committed to justice, progress, and prosperity for all. The future belongs not to those who divide, but to those who unite.”
