KAIRA WARNS AGAINST RESURGENCE OF TRIBALISM, CITES RWANDA GENOCIDE AS CAUTIONARY TALE From Front

He cited the 1994 genocide in Rwanda as a cautionary example of the consequences of extreme ethnic divisions. “If tribalism is entertained, Zambia may be on fire just like Rwanda did during the genocide episode which was triggered by tribalists,” Mr Kaira said. He said it was the responsibility of every Zambian to reject tribal politics and uphold Dr Kaunda’s philosophy of “One Zambia, One Nation.” Mr Kaira said the policy promoted national integration through intermarriages and the deployment of civil servants to different parts of the country, allowing citizens from different ethnic backgrounds to live and work together. Reflecting on the country’s political history, Mr Kaira said it experienced serious regional and ethnic tensions during the early years of independence. “A lot of people died and it had to take President Kaunda’s vision that he had to sit down with his brother Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula to see whether they could resolve that issue and fortunately they did,” he said. He described the politicisation of ethnicity as one of the country’s ugliest experiences, citing tensions between Southern Province and other parts of the country. Mr Kaira urged Zambians to jealously guard the national unity that has characterised the country since independence in 1964. He said the Choma Declaration of 1973, which brought the African National Congress (ANC) led by Mr Nkumbula into UNIP, was one of the political developments that helped end intense rivalry between the two parties. The declaration was signed by Dr Kaunda and Mr Nkumbula on June 27, 1973, at Choma Secondary School. It subsequently paved the way for Zambia’s adoption of a one-party participatory democracy under the 1973 Constitution. Mr Kaira’s remarks come amid renewed public debate over tribalism and regionalism in Zambian politics, with calls for political leaders and citizens to promote national unity and avoid rhetoric that could deepen ethnic divisions.

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