Washington D.C. — When the oppositon United Party for National Development (UPND) ran an ad using a Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) soundbite of President Chiluba promising to honor the constitutional prohibition against seeking a third term, ZNBC head Duncan Mbazima was called in by the Minister of Broadcasting who demanded to know how the UPND got hold of the tape. Mbazima was forced to resign his government position.
In developing nations like Zambia where government is the primary employer, says UPND presidential candidate Anderson K. Mazoka, longevity in office puts rights at risk. "History has shown us that if you let a person stay for a long time, that person wields a lot of power. He holds the purse strings of the nation because government is the biggest employer; it is the paymaster and it is difficult to say that people are free to make decisions on their own."
Mazoka, in the United States on a private visit, spoke to allAfrica.com. He is now retired after eighteen years with the Anglo-American group, including four years as the company's general manager. Mr. Mazoka is known for not mincing words. "One cannot annoint oneself in perfume but be surrounded by garbage and expect to smell good," he said, announcing his candidacy.
Many Zambian parliamentarians protested President Chiluba's seeming intention to seek a third term. Mr. Mazoka would also like to see debate on term limits for members of parliament. "It is something we would like to bring a debate on. Why should someone be a member of parliament all of his life?"
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The need to hold onto power has long stymied Zambia's potential, says Mazoka. "[former president] Kaunda must be given credit for trying but Kaunda and his group wanted to manage everything, and that is not possible. The whole economy centered on one person.... Political patronage became very important."
In Mazoka's view, "free enterprize" is key to bringing down Zambia's staggering 94 percent unemployment rate. But not absolute corporate freedom. "Companies are corporate citizens. You can't allow them just to 'free-wheel' without some regulation. But that is different than 'interference.'"
Observers and analysts calculate Mazoka's chances of winning a national majority as slim. His party and other opposition groups are under pressure to form an alliance aimed at capturing the power to govern. "...They all stand disadvantaged when compared to the ruling party in regard to resources and the segmented support if they go it alone," wrote The Post newspaper in an editorial.
