Charles Kachikoti
17 October 2008
column
RUPIAH Bwezani Banda is in the unforeseen position of acting President of the Republic of Zambia, and presidential candidate of the ruling MMD.
When the late president Dr Mwanawasa, appointed Rupiah his number two on October 9, 2006, neither could have anticipated such a complete turn of events.
Today, RB is hugely interesting: while he criticises no one, he is the most vilified of the presidential by-election candidates on the platform.
Voters wonder what this fatherly, gentle man has done to plague the front pages of some newspapers everyday. They ask how this presidential stand-in has become the hottest target without doing or saying anything reprehensible.
The heat is on partly because the story of his life in national politics, international diplomacy, corporate business, education and soccer is in contemporary times largely untold. And of course he stands in the way of other presidential hopefuls as a ruling party prospect.
A co-founder of Zambia's first indigenous bank, African Commercial Bank, and a co-founder of Leopards Hill Secondary School in Lusaka, Rupiah is married to Thandiwe and they have twins, Duniya and Temwani. In 1966 he had married Hope Mwansa Makulu who passed away on October 11, 2000, leaving him with a family of sons.
The sons are James, Andrew, Mabusha Masekela (whose mother is the young sister of trumpeter Hugh Masekela), Henry, Nenani and Dingani.
These factors make RB well worth the discussion.
If Rupiah wins the presidency, he will at that level be the last luminary of the Kenneth Kaunda era, bringing Zambia full circle and marking the end of a 44-year epoch.
Issues
Now that he is MMD presidential candidate, what is his take on major current issues? Here are his answers to my questions.
HIV/AIDS
"HIV/AIDS is a modern disease and I think it is true to say that it caught us unawares. I think Africa in general was too slow to react in tackling this killer disease. The main problem was of course that it was never regarded as an ordinary illness but something not to be mentioned. Thankfully, it is no longer a taboo subject and we can discus it openly. It is pleasing that during the last few years, significant progress has been recorded in dealing with HIV/AIDS.
"Breaking the infection cycle is most important. Deaths from AIDS peaked in 2003 and since then it has been falling at a steady rate. The percentage of infected pregnant women receiving anti-retroviral drugs has risen from around 20 per cent in 2004 to just below 50 per cent as of 2007.
"Medicine alone is not the answer, education is also most important. In this case ignorance is a killer. The Government will continue with its information campaign so that ignorance does not cost you your life."
Street kids and orphans
" Even with our economic progress, tackling poverty is still our main priority. The only way to break the poverty cycle is through education. We must find innovative ways to get our most deprived children, street-kids, off the streets and into the classroom.
As a father, I understand that education is a passport to prosperity and my Government will work to harness local and international expertise to find a real solution to a problem that has plagued our nation for far too long!
Fuel prices
"In the past two years, the global price of crude oil has more than trebled. This shock increase in the price of oil has had a knockon affect on almost everything we purchase here in Zambia. As I said on Thursday at the launch of my campaign, I am deeply concerned at the rising prices of mealie-meal, bread, milk and other staples.
"We have already reduced fuel prices and now we are working to ensure some stability in the supply and price of fuel. We are presently looking at all the policy options and I will be speaking about this in greater depth during the campaign."
Energy crisis
"The inadequate state of Zambia's infrastructure is a major hindrance to growth. Transport costs are high, partly because we are a landlocked country, but also because of inefficiencies and structural weaknesses in the transport network.
"Meanwhile, electricity shortages are having a detrimental effect on industry. This should not be so, especially when one considers that Zambia has abundant hydroelectric potential, but the building of extra generating capacity has failed to keep up with surging demand. That demand is due to an expanding and growing economy.
"We must look at new options which will make Zesco more efficient and better able to distribute electricity to all homes and businesses. What I really want is to see load shedding become a thing of the past. But as I have intimated before, this may need us to rationalise the rates we pay to encourage new investment."
Christian nation
"Zambia is a tolerant nation and all are welcome irrespective of race, religion or creed. I believe that a man's religion is his own business and long may that remain so.
"My only concern is that any religion must conform to the laws of the land and must also be tolerant of other religions. Providing that is so, then you are free to practise whichever religion you desire."
Foreign investors
"The economy has grown steadily over the past seven years. The combination of our policies on privatisation and surging international prices has provided a dramatic boost to copper mining in Zambia over the past few years. This has also had a positive knock-on effect on the manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors.
"This has made us one of the most stable countries on the African continent. With this stability we have attracted even more foreign investments which in turn have modernised our industries and made our farmers more productive. This is a cycle I'm keen to maintain.
Unlike others, we welcome foreign investors to Zambia - all foreign investors - as long as they obey the laws and regulations of our country, particularly those protecting our environment.
"This investment is the engine which will make our industrial and agricultural sectors more productive and creating more jobs at better wages.
"Not only am I keen to attract finance but also expertise. I am keen for Zambia to engage in a knowledge swap process as we have more to gain in the long term. Only this week did we sign a deal with the Argentineans, your readers will have seen it reported in your paper.
"Africa is often referred to as a Third World continent, and this may be true, but I want Zambia to aspire to be a First World nation. My Government will always strive for the highest levels so that we can achieve this status.
"We want investors to feel protected so that they have the confidence to invest even more. But we also want investment which benefits Zambians in terms of jobs."
If voters usher Rupiah into office, will he bring along any advantages? What is his background?
Experience
Born in Gwanda, Zimbabwe, on February 19, 1937, he has since 1964 been vastly exposed nationally and internationally. This alone empowers him uniquely to interpret and manage delicate and dynamic international relationships.
In an age of regionalisation and globalisation, a head of State as equipped as Rupiah becomes a bonus.
The son of Northern Rhodesian migrant workers, Bwezani and Sarah Banda, RB spent his formative years in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.
A prominent family, the Naiks, took RB under their wings and sponsored his early education. The Naiks, activists for majority rule in Southern Rhodesia, sparked his early political interest.
While at Munali Secondary School, he became a member of the Zambian African National Congress (ZANC) headed by the late Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula. Rupiah left the too-moderate ZANC and joined the youth wing of Kenneth Kaunda's United National Independence Party (UNIP).
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