By Angela Moonga
Veteran journalist Frank Mutubila Frank Mutubila has congratulated the people of Northern Province for reminding Zambia of what it can and should be following their voting in the Kasama mayoral by-elections which resulted in the UPND victory.
In a statement, Mutubila stated that the people’s actions stood as a moral statement to the rest of the country, a clarion call that national consciousness must rise above narrow loyalties.
”Some will insist this cannot happen in certain provinces. Others will argue it will not happen in August. That resistance itself reveals how deeply the problem runs. The truth is painful, but it must be spoken, because a nation cannot heal from a wound it refuses to acknowledge,” Mutubila stated. “Zambia is divided. Tribalism sits at the centre of that division. It breeds suspicion, resentment, exclusion and quiet hatred. It turns neighbours into rivals, citizens into strangers and politics into a contest of surnames rather than ideas. It rewards mediocrity when it wears the right identity and punishes excellence when it does not. In doing so, it kills merit, destroys trust and poisons national cohesion.”
He stressed that the issue disturbed him deeply on a personal level, as his son Mwamba Mugwagwa Mutubila was of mixed parenthood.
”Which tribe does he belong to. What box does he fit into in a system obsessed with labels. There are millions of Zambians like him today. Children who embody the future of this country, yet are forced to inherit divisions they did not create. A nation that defines belonging by tribe condemns such children to confusion, rejection and silent discrimination,” Mutubila stated. “When votes are dictated by tribal affiliation rather than performance, accountability collapses. Failure is tolerated. Corruption is excused. Incompetence is defended simply because it comes from one of our own. The result is poor governance, economic stagnation, deepening poverty and a growing sense of injustice among citizens who feel permanently locked out. Tribal politics does not only divide us emotionally. It impoverishes us materially.”
He stated that he was aware that speaking this truth invited criticism, arguing the same criticism proved how normalised this disease has become.
”Silence would be easier. Silence would also be dishonest. We cannot continue burying our heads in the sand and pretending all is well. Tribal affiliation must be banished from our politics. Let us differ on ideas, policies and visions for development, but never on identity. To all political parties the message is clear. Speak about governance. Speak about the economy. Explain how you intend to change the fortunes of our people for the better,” stated Mutubila. “A nation only stands tall when tribe dies. As long as tribe lives in our politics Zambia will limp. When love for country defeats loyalty to tribe, Zambia will rise.”
