NATIONAL RESTORATION PARTY (NAREP)
BEYOND CHANGE: TOWARDS TRANSFORMATION
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. INVITED GUESTS. FELLOW ZAMBIANS.
IT IS INDEED BOTH AN HONOUR AND A PLEASURE FOR ME TO
WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH AND
PRESENTATION OF THE VISION OF THE NATIONAL RESTORATION
PARTY – A PARTY THAT WE BELIEVE WILL TRANSFORM THE WAY
POLITICS IS CONDUCTED IN THIS COUNTRY. I KNOW YOU ARE ALL
PROBABLY WONDERING WHY WE HAVE FOUND IT NECESSARY TO
LAUNCH YET ANOTHER POLITICAL PARTY. BEFORE EXPLAINING
THE REASONS FOR THIS DECISION, LET ME SAY A LITTLE ABOUT
THE BACKGROUND TO THE JOURNEY WE FEEL COMPELLED TO
UNDERTAKE.
IT WAS THE CHINESE PHILOSOPHER LAO TSE WHO ONCE SAID:
“THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES MUST BEGIN WITH A
SINGLE STEP”.
THE JOURNEY WE ARE ABOUT TO UNDERTAKE IS AN EXCITING
ONE. IN MANY WAYS, THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR STEP. BUT IT IS
NOT ENTIRELY NEW. AND MINE ARE NOT THE ONLY FEET THAT
WILL WALK IT. IT IS A JOURNEY BASED ON A BOLD AND
AMBITIOUS VISION AND THE DESIRE HELD BY OUR FOREFATHERS
AND OUR MOTHERS IN A TIME GONE BY. IT IS A JOURNEY
TOWARDS THE REALISATION OF A VISION BUILT UPON THE
DREAMS OF EVERY ZAMBIAN MAN AND WOMAN, BOY AND GIRL.
A VISION FOUNDED UPON THE BELIEF THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME
OF OUR INDEPENDENCE:
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- WHEN EVERYONE COULD DARE TO DREAM OF THE FREEDOM
TO CHOOSE THEIR DESTINY
- WHEN THE YOKE OF COLONIALISM COULD FINALLY BE CAST
ASIDE
- WHEN THE FOUNDATION OF A NEW BEGINNING FOR A NEW
NATION COULD BE LAID DOWN FIRMLY WITH EAGER AND
DETERMINED HANDS.
A TIME WHEN WE COULD BELIEVE IN WHO WE WANTED TO BE AS
A NATION BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF OUR DREAMS WAS SO ALIVE
WITHIN US. A TIME WHEN NOTHING COULD HOLD US BACK.
AND IT WAS A COLLECTIVE DESIRE. A FEELING THAT COMPELLED
US TO WORK TOGETHER: BEYOND TRIBE, BEYOND RELIGION,
BEYOND GENDER.
INDEED, THE JOURNEY I SPEAK ABOUT TODAY IS A JOURNEY OF
BOTH HOPE AND FAITH. HOPE THAT THERE IS MORE THAT CAN BE
OFFERED TO THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA. FAITH IN WHAT GOD HAS IN
STORE FOR US, IF ONLY WE CAN BELIEVE THAT HE WILL USE US
TO RESTORE THE NATION TO THE GLORY HE ALWAYS INTENDED
FOR IT. BUT BEFORE I SHARE THE PURPOSE OF THIS JOURNEY
WITH YOU, LET ME FIRST TAKE A MOMENT TO OUTLINE WHERE
WE ARE AS A NATION TODAY IN ORDER TO REMIND US OF WHO
WE ARE; WHAT WE NEED TO DO; AND WHY WE NEED TO DO IT.
OUR NATION HAS NOT HAD A LONG HISTORY. WE HAVE BEEN
INDEPENDENT FOR LESS THAN 50 YEARS. DURING THAT TIME,
HAVING MOVED FROM COLONIALISM TO MULTIPARTY
DEMOCRACY UNDER A FORM OF UNIVERSAL VOTING RIGHTS, WE
TOOK A MAJOR DETOUR ALONG THE WAY – VENTURING INTO A
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PERIOD OF ONE-PARTY RULE. IT WAS A TIME WHEN THE BEST
INTENTIONS PRODUCED RESULTS THAT LIMITED THE
INDIVIDUAL’S DRIVE TO EXCEL IN HIS OR HER OWN THOUGHTS
AND ASPIRATIONS. FOR THE RIGHT REASONS AND WITH THE BEST
INTENTIONS, WE DID THE WRONG THING. AFTER EIGHTEEN
YEARS THIS PATH WAS EVENTUALLY ABANDONED AND WE REEMBRACED
MULTIPARTY DEMOCRACY. BUT AGAIN, AND IN SPITE
OF THE BEST INTENTIONS, RE-EMBRACING MULTIPARTY POLITICS
TOOK SOME GETTING USED TO AND ENDED UP PRODUCING SOME
UNWELCOME RESULTS. WE DID NOT FULLY EMBRACE THE
RESPONSIBILITY THAT SHOULD HAVE ACCOMPANIED THE PURSUIT
OF OUR RIGHTS. POWER BECAME A GOAL IN ITSELF RATHER
THAN A MEANS TO AN END. PERSONAL ADVANCEMENT AT THE
EXPENSE OF THE MAJORITY DEFINED THE RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN US.
THE RETURN TO MULTIPARTY POLITICS PROMISED THE TYPE OF
PROSPERITY AND PEACE WE SHOULD BE ENJOYING IN 2010 AND
BEYOND. BUT ANYBODY LIVING IN ZAMBIA TODAY KNOWS THAT
WHILE WE ARE INDEED A RICH COUNTRY, OUR HUMAN INDEX
STATISTICS PORTRAY A NATION THAT IS POOR. AND WHILE WE
ARE NOT AT WAR WITH ANY OF OUR NEIGHBOURING STATES, WE
ARE NOT REALLY A NATION THAT IS AT PEACE WITH ITSELF. OUR
POLITICIANS SEEM TO BE AT CONSTANT WAR WITH ONE
ANOTHER. WE CALL OURSELVES A CHRISTIAN NATION YET OUR
CONDUCT IS MORE REFLECTIVE OF A NATION THAT NEVER HAS
THE LOVE OF CHRIST AS ITS GOAL.
AND WHILE ALL THE SHOUTING IS GOING ON, DEVELOPMENT
REMAINS STUNTED:
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- DEATH AND DISEASE KNOCK ON THE DOOR OF EVERY
HOUSEHOLD THAT IS UNABLE TO AFFORD DRUGS TO TREAT
COMPLICATED AS WELL AS COMMON AILMENTS
- POOR FEEDER ROADS CONSTRAIN RURAL DEVELOPMENT
- FLOODING AND RELATED DISEASES LIKE CHOLERA OCCUR
EVERY RAINY SEASON IN HIGH DENSITY AREAS WITH NO
SOLUTION IN SIGHT
- CONSTANT DISRUPTIONS IN ENERGY AND FUEL SUPPLIES
HAVE BECOME AN ACCEPTED PART OF BUSINESS AND DAILY
LIVING
- EMPLOYMENT REMAINS ELUSIVE FOR THE MANY
INCLUDING OUR YOUTH AND THE NATION’S SCHOOLLEAVERS
AND IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS, WE SEEM SHAMELESSLY PROUD
THAT WE CAN STILL CONVINCE FOREIGN NATIONS TO PAY FOR
THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE LARGELY BROUGHT UPON OURSELVES.
OUR POLITICIANS SEEM TO HAVE NO LONG TERM VISION OR PLAN
TO TAKE US TO NEW HEIGHTS AS A NATION. AT A TIME SUCH AS
THIS, EVERY ZAMBIAN SHOULD BE ASKING THE QUESTION: WHAT
CAN I DO FOR MY COUNTRY?
MANY OF US SIT IDLY BY AS OUR POLITICIANS FIGHT WITH EACH
OTHER; WHEN THE NATION IS BEING TORN APART AT THE CORE.
WE CAN NO LONGER BLAME ONLY THE POLITICIANS FOR THE
STATE OF POLITICS IN OUR COUNTRY. WE MUST ALL EXAMINE
OUR LIVES AND SEE WHERE WE HAVE INDIVIDUALLY FAILED OUR
NATION. EACH ONE OF US REGULARLY FACES THE CHOICE ABOUT
WHETHER TO EMBRACE OR REJECT A CULTURE OF HATE;
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WHETHER TO EMBRACE OR REJECT A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE; WHETHER TO EMBRACE OR REJECT A CULTURE OF INSULTS.
EACH OF US CAN DECIDE TO DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN IT
BECOMES CLEAR TO US THAT OUR ACTION CAN MAKE A POSITIVE
DIFFERENCE. WE CANNOT TAKE SATISFACTION IN BLAMING
CORRUPTION AND INTOLERANCE ON OUR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
WHEN IN OUR VERY OWN HOMES; IN OUR VERY OWN
WORKPLACES, IN OUR CHURCHES AND SOCIAL COMMUNITIES, WE
REMAIN SMALL DICTATORS THAT REJECT CORRECTION AND WISE
COUNSEL FROM THE PEOPLE AROUND US WHO SEE OUR FAULTS
ALL TOO CLEARLY. WHEN WE OURSELVES LIE TO, STEAL FROM
AND CHEAT ONE ANOTHER DAILY.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION OF OUR
NATION MUST BEGIN. IT MUST START FROM WITHIN; WITH EACH
ONE OF US SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE WE HAVE
PLAYED IN HARMING OUR COMMON INTERESTS. WITH EACH ONE
OF US SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN MAKE THINGS
BETTER. WE MUST ASK OURSELVES WHAT IT IS WE HAVE TO DO
TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS AND CREATE THE ZAMBIA
THAT WE ALL WISH TO LIVE IN.
A NEW BEGINNING
TODAY, WE STAND ON THE BRINK OF A NEW BEGINNING – A TIME
TO CALL UPON THE BETTER INSTINCT WITHIN EACH ONE OF US TO
MAKE THE SACRIFICES THAT WILL SEE THIS NATION BECOME
GREAT AGAIN. THE DREAMS WE HAVE FOR THE NATION TODAY
SHOULD ENCAPSULATE THE DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS OF
EVERY ZAMBIAN:
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- EVERY GRANDMOTHER THAT DREAMS OF A BETTER LIFE
FOR HER ORPHANED GRANDCHILDREN LEFT HOMELESS BY
THE RAVAGES OF LIFE IN A COUNTRY THAT HAS FAILED TO
ADEQUATELY PROTECT THE VULNERABLE
- EVERY NEGLECTED OR ABUSED CHILD THAT LONGS FOR A
CARING HOME AS HE OR SHE WANDERS FROM STREET TO
STREET SEEKING SAFETY FROM A CRUEL WORLD
- EVERY HARDWORKING MINER, WHO WANTS A BIGGER
SHARE OF THE PIE WHILE HE SWEATS AND LABOURS FOR
INVESTORS IN FOREIGN CAPITALS YET IS NOT ABLE TO
PROVIDE A DECENT WAY OF LIFE FOR HIS FAMILY
- EVERY SECURITY GUARD WHO LONGS TO ACQUIRE A HOUSE
AND IS FORCED TO LIVE ON A MEAGRE SALARY WHILE
PROTECTING PROPERTY HE OR SHE CAN NEVER HOPE TO
OWN
- EVERY RURAL DWELLER THAT YEARNS FOR THE TIMELY
DELIVERY OF FARMING INPUTS BUT HAS NO DECENT FEEDER
ROAD TO HIS OR HER COMMUNITY LIMITING THE CHANCE
FOR PROGRESS
- EVERY FAMILY MEMBER THAT SEEKS A LONG LIFE FOR ITS
LOVED ONES BUT HAS TO ENDURE THE UNBEARABLE NEWS
OF YET ANOTHER FATAL BUT PREVENTABLE ROAD TRAFFIC
ACCIDENT
- EVERY POLICE OFFICER THAT WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT
THING BUT HAS TO FIGHT THE URGE TO TAKE A BRIBE WHEN
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