By Revelation Editor
UPND media director Mark Simuuwe has defended ex-Finance deputy minister and former Katuba member of parliament Jonas Shakafuswa, saying he did not say that “the Bemba people are the problem in the country.”
Indeed, there was no statement in the post by Shakafuswa to the effect that “Bemba people are the problem in the country.” However, Shakafuswa stated that the region most aggrieved with the outcome of the 2026 general election was the northern region, as they saw the election as an opportunity to get back power in the hands of “their region.”
For those who may not have read the full statement that was posted by Jonas Shakafuswa, here it is:
”THERE SHOULD BE TRUTH FOR A NATION TO RECONCILE.
The so called election fall out is manifestation of a very polarized Zambia. Let us be honest. The most aggrieved party is the northern region. Not all Zambians. This elections offered them the best opportunity to “return power” in the hands of their region. You will remember a Catholic Priest, Father Lupupa preaching in church that it is better to rig elections than allow a certain tribe be in power? It failed. That tribe got power. That’s when the fight started. Nothing the tribe could do was seen as being right. The tribe also started reacting to maintain “law and order”. This has been the Genesis of our problems in this Country. As long as we believe only our tribe is entitled to hold power over other tribes, we will never experience true democratic rule. We have to come out and be true to ourselves. This Country does not belong to any ethnicity. It belongs to all Zambians. There is no superior ethnic group in our Country. We all are equal. Removing the superior ethnicity tag from your life will be the bigining of reconciling our Country to a true one Zambia one Nation. A nation without regional borders. A Country which does not employ on ethnicity lines. A Country which moves together as one people. The ethnic tag should not be imported in the civil service. Defense Forces and all quasi government departments. All those who seek Justice should remove their tribal coat for all of us to experience true Justice.”
It is very true that some of the people in the northern region are actually aggrieved with the outcome of the 2026 general elections, because going by the election results, majority of the people there actually voted for Mundubile ahead of President Hakainde Hichilema. Actually, most of Mundubile’s supporters across the country and beyond are aggrieved on account of the election outcome, not just those Shakafuswa has targeted in the north for his own convenience.
But Shakafuswa should actually be commending the people in the north for how they voted, than having a go at them for allegedly having wanted to use the 2026 elections to return power to their region.
Clearly, the manner people voted in these same regions as compared to the other regions should give Shakafuswa pause for thought. Because the manner the people of the north voted did not show them like a region that was so desperate to have wanted to use the 2026 general elections to return power to themselves. And there are many examples we can cite, but for lack of space, we shall just cite one. In Mporokoso, Northern Province, where Mundubile hails from for instance, the presidential vote showed him getting 12,619 to President Hakainde Hichilema’s 5,854. Then at parliamentary level, the ruling UPND’s Wedden Chileshe emerged Victorious after obtaining 7521, while independent candidate Nick Nkole came second at 5017, relegating NRPUP’s Bridget Chitundu to third at 4626. This is not how a region that desperately wants to retain power to itself votes.
And besides the north, there were other regions of the country whose vote pattern was almost similar to the northern region, such as Eastern Province for instance. Mundubile won Eastern Province with almost similar percentages as the northern provinces. One would wonder if those in the east were not aggrieved with the outcome of the elections for Shakafuswa to have picked on a whole region and people’s from the north. Was it on account that only the northern regions have produced presidents in this country, according to the thinking of those who think myopically? Far from it. Because Eastern Province has actually produced two heads of states in this country. Other regions that have produced presidents include Southern, Central/Copperbelt and indeed the same northern regions.
Therefore, rather than attacking the people of northern, Shakafuswa and those who think like him should actually be commending the northern region for showing progress in the manner they have been voting. Yes, the vote regionally still favoured the opposition, but atleast notable and speedy progress should be appreciated by encouraging the region to direct their votes more on the policies and programmes of candidates as opposed to the regions they hail from. As the northern and a few other regions are moving along that path, the rest of the country should take a leaf and follow along that progressive path. That’s how votes in a unitary state are supposed to be cast actually.
One may argue that Shakafuswa’s divisive and regional talk is no different from the remarks Chishimba Kambwili was charged and imprisoned for. We expect every reasonable Zambian to denounce Shakafuwa’s divisive remarks while demanding penalties against him.
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By Revelation Editor
UPND media director Mark Simuuwe has defended ex-Finance deputy minister and former Katuba member of parliament Jonas Shakafuswa, saying he did not say that “the Bemba people are the problem in the country.”
Indeed, there was no statement in the post by Shakafuswa to the effect that “Bemba people are the problem in the country.” However, Shakafuswa stated that the region most aggrieved with the outcome of the 2026 general election was the northern region, as they saw the election as an opportunity to get back power in the hands of “their region.”
For those who may not have read the full statement that was posted by Jonas Shakafuswa, here it is:
”THERE SHOULD BE TRUTH FOR A NATION TO RECONCILE.
The so called election fall out is manifestation of a very polarized Zambia. Let us be honest. The most aggrieved party is the northern region. Not all Zambians. This elections offered them the best opportunity to “return power” in the hands of their region. You will remember a Catholic Priest, Father Lupupa preaching in church that it is better to rig elections than allow a certain tribe be in power? It failed. That tribe got power. That’s when the fight started. Nothing the tribe could do was seen as being right. The tribe also started reacting to maintain “law and order”. This has been the Genesis of our problems in this Country. As long as we believe only our tribe is entitled to hold power over other tribes, we will never experience true democratic rule. We have to come out and be true to ourselves. This Country does not belong to any ethnicity. It belongs to all Zambians. There is no superior ethnic group in our Country. We all are equal. Removing the superior ethnicity tag from your life will be the bigining of reconciling our Country to a true one Zambia one Nation. A nation without regional borders. A Country which does not employ on ethnicity lines. A Country which moves together as one people. The ethnic tag should not be imported in the civil service. Defense Forces and all quasi government departments. All those who seek Justice should remove their tribal coat for all of us to experience true Justice.”
It is very true that some of the people in the northern region are actually aggrieved with the outcome of the 2026 general elections, because going by the election results, majority of the people there actually voted for Mundubile ahead of President Hakainde Hichilema. Actually, most of Mundubile’s supporters across the country and beyond are aggrieved on account of the election outcome, not just those Shakafuswa has targeted in the north for his own convenience.
But Shakafuswa should actually be commending the people in the north for how they voted, than having a go at them for allegedly having wanted to use the 2026 elections to return power to their region.
Clearly, the manner people voted in these same regions as compared to the other regions should give Shakafuswa pause for thought. Because the manner the people of the north voted did not show them like a region that was so desperate to have wanted to use the 2026 general elections to return power to themselves. And there are many examples we can cite, but for lack of space, we shall just cite one. In Mporokoso, Northern Province, where Mundubile hails from for instance, the presidential vote showed him getting 12,619 to President Hakainde Hichilema’s 5,854. Then at parliamentary level, the ruling UPND’s Wedden Chileshe emerged Victorious after obtaining 7521, while independent candidate Nick Nkole came second at 5017, relegating NRPUP’s Bridget Chitundu to third at 4626. This is not how a region that desperately wants to retain power to itself votes.
And besides the north, there were other regions of the country whose vote pattern was almost similar to the northern region, such as Eastern Province for instance. Mundubile won Eastern Province with almost similar percentages as the northern provinces. One would wonder if those in the east were not aggrieved with the outcome of the elections for Shakafuswa to have picked on a whole region and people’s from the north. Was it on account that only the northern regions have produced presidents in this country, according to the thinking of those who think myopically? Far from it. Because Eastern Province has actually produced two heads of states in this country. Other regions that have produced presidents include Southern, Central/Copperbelt and indeed the same northern regions.
Therefore, rather than attacking the people of northern, Shakafuswa and those who think like him should actually be commending the northern region for showing progress in the manner they have been voting. Yes, the vote regionally still favoured the opposition, but atleast notable and speedy progress should be appreciated by encouraging the region to direct their votes more on the policies and programmes of candidates as opposed to the regions they hail from. As the northern and a few other regions are moving along that path, the rest of the country should take a leaf and follow along that progressive path. That’s how votes in a unitary state are supposed to be cast actually.
One may argue that Shakafuswa’s divisive and regional talk is no different from the remarks Chishimba Kambwili was charged and imprisoned for. We expect every reasonable Zambian to denounce Shakafuwa’s divisive remarks while demanding penalties against him.
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