Socialist Party leader Dr Fred M’membe and some officials in his party are seemingly hugging international limelight, with his daughter Akende Chundama, being the latest one whose story is featuring among the main stories on Russia’s major international TV network, RT.
Not too long ago, the father was also interviewed on the same network. Yesterday, it was South Africa’s main trade union, NUMSA, which was quoting his stance on state ownership and denouncing western imperialism.
Featuring among the main stories on RT’s website today is his daughter Akende, who was telling the network that African nations want to be treated as equals.
RT quoted the chairwoman of the Zambian Socialist party saying that Africa doesn’t need to succumb to the “bad deals” offered it by Western nations, because it now has more choice geopolitically and wants to be treated with equal respect.
Speaking to RT on Monday, Chundama claimed the West “does not want a united Africa.”
The US “wants to dictate to us [Africans] who our friends should be, who Africa should cooperate with,” she explained, adding that Washington is “willing to topple governments, to assassinate our leaders for this.”
Chundama noted that Russia had come to help Zambia fight for its independence at a time when Zambia had “nothing” to offer Moscow.
Asked about the Western narrative of an African “debt-trap” with China, Chundama said the notion is “laughable,” dismissing it as “Western propaganda.” She pointed to the fact that 70% of Zambia’s foreign debt, for instance, is to the West, not China, and argued that the terms of investment African nations receive from China are “much more favorable” and result in more tangible results on the continent.
Africa can see where the debt is going, she said. “It’s for infrastructure development, we can see hydropower stations being built, we’ve got roads, schools and hospitals being built.”
Meanwhile, the network said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky is on a five-day visit to Angola and Zambia. This trip is aimed at reducing cooperation between African countries and both Russia and China and restoring European influence.
Lipavsky admitted on the trip that Europe needed to be more “present” in Africa and to “pay more attention” to the continent.
