Tag: Socialist Party

Venezuelan revolutionaries won’t let terrorists win

Venezuelan revolutionaries won’t let terrorists win

We are shocked and angry today by the barbaric attempt to kill the revolutionary Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro.

We are horrified by this horrendous terrorist attack that has left seven Venezuelans injured. Our thoughts are with these injured Venezuelans, their families and friends.

We are confident the Venezuelan revolutionaries will never let these terrorists win, and will never be cowed by terrorist attacks.

Any government or organisation that supports terrorist actions like this is complicit in the attempt to murder President Maduro and injure innocent people and is equally guilty of terrorist crimes.

Today, all revolutionaries and people of good will are united beyond all borders in support of President Maduro and Venezuelan revolutionaries’ courage and determination.

We stand in absolute solidarity with President Maduro and Venezuelan revolutionaries.

We all have to step up the struggle against, and defeat, the ideology that fuels such terrorist attacks.

 

Dr Fred M’membe, Deputy General Secretary of the Socialist Party (Zambia) and the party’s 2021 presidential candidate.

M’membe says Zambia ready for Socialism, discusses religion

M’membe says Zambia ready for Socialism, discusses religion

Socialist Party 2021 presidential candidate Dr Fred M’membe recently spoke to Pan African television anchor Sadia Seiduin an interview over a range of issues. Read the full interview below:

Q- You are presidential candidate for the Socialist Party… do you think Zambians are ready for a Socialist government?

FM- Every country where there is a working class is ready for a socialist government. The challenges that the working class are facing today all over the world today, the only answer lies in socialism – capitalism cannot answer those questions, cannot resolve those problems.

Q- So you feel that people are ready to employ socialism?

FM – The working class is ready but it’s the capitalist class that cannot be ready to employ socialism, together with petty bourgeois and comprado bourgeois that work for capitalist class.

Q – Would you say that when Zambia becomes a socialist country it won’t be stressed coming from the western countries and these capitalist countries – would you say that Zambia will be able to stand strong and firm to the ground?

FM – It will depend on how we organize ourselves – what is needed is building a working class organization, a strong working class movement, entrenching the revolution in the working class, and masses of our people to support it. And also working out a strong internationalist position, we need to mobilize the world, the whole world is running for a socialist revolution, or to support a socialist revolution, in several parts of the world…. but of course, we don’t expect the defeated capitalist to take it like that. Capitalism, when its hit hard it fights like a wounded buffalo and we are seeing that in Venezuela, we have seen that over the last 60 years in Cuba – we will not be an exception.

Q- Since the inauguration of your party you saw some (international guests who were coming for the launch expelled from the country) ….Do you think that Socialist Party is a threat to them?

FM – If we were not a threat they would not have done those things, they did what they did because they fee we are a threat, and indeed we are a threat because we are not just talking in the media, and so forth. We are organizing the working class from where the working class is located, within the poor neighborhoods, we are working from there, we are situated where the working class is and they know it, and they don’t have the means of stopping that other than humiliating our guests who came here to pay solidarity to our cause, which is also their cause.

They sent away Ghanaians, they sent way people from Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and others. They know those comrades came to pay solidarity and they don’t want that solidarity, but they cant stop it.

Q- It feels that you are a threat to them. So, what measures are you putting in place to make sure that they don’t get all your rights?

FM – The enemy creates or never gives freedom to an opponent, we have to win that freedom for ourselves, we to win the space under which we operate inch by inch, we have to liberate certain areas of our country where we can operate freely. Liberate them in terms of mobilizing our supporters. The more of our people support us, the more we become stronger, the more we can crush this.

Q- what measures are you putting in place to ensure that this thing does not repeat itself in subsequent meetings? (arbitrary abuse and harassment of the opposition witnessed a few days earlier when comrades were arrested during a house meeting).

FM – I don’t think they will stop doing that, the only thing that will stop them is the defense of our people for what they are doing. If (we get)into certain areas and our people support us in those areas, they will not be able to come and stop us from holding meetings in those areas or the people will rise against them.

Q – Some people are saying the socialist party is anti religious. Is that the case?

FM – We (Socialist Party) can’t be anti religious, we respect faith, we respect convictions, we respect all the religions, we respect our people’s convictions. Although we are not a religious organization, we are a political organization but a political organization comprising of people coming from various religions and we respect that. Our party spokesperson (Fr Richard Luonde) is an Anglican priest. Nobody in this party is discriminated on the basis of their region or is hindered from professing the region.

We are one party that can say we have Muslims in our formations, we have Christians and we can even say we have some Hindis in some way … we are not anti religion. If you are going to be anti-religion, you are going to be anti-the working class because they are religious. Can we turn against the working class elements because they are religious?. Whats the purpose of anti-religion? Christ was a revolutionary per-excellence, his whole doctrine was devoted to the downtrodden, it was devoted to the poor. How can you oppose that and still remain a revolutionary? Who can question the efforts, the sacrifices of the early Christians? Who was Christ? Wasn’t Christ a working class element, who was Jesus’ father? Joseph, isn’t it, wasn’t Joseph a carpenter, isn’t a carpenter a working class element, so how do you turn against Jesus. How do you turn against Christianity whose founder, Christ was a working class?. How do you oppose what Christ speak for? Christ speak for honesty, Christ speak for equity, Christ speak for humility and Christ speak for solidarity. How do you remain a socialist if you turn against Christ and his doctrine?

Malicious Campaign Against Socialist Party Unnecessary

Malicious Campaign Against Socialist Party Unnecessary

SOURCE: NewsDay Zambia

Socialist Party spokesperson, Father Richard Luonde says the malicious media campaign against the ideologically left party is a sign of cowardice and unnecessary in a multi-party dispensation.

Fr.  Luonde said there was no law in Zambia that barred anyone from exercising his political right through either by association or assembly.

“Part lll, article 21(1) of the constitution states that except with his consent no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of assembly or association, that is to say his rights to assemble freely and associate with other persons and particular to form or belong to a political party, Trade Union or association for protection of his interests,” he said. “Whilst there is a proviso in the law that restricts public officers as captioned under Article 21(2)(c) it is however quite specific on the public officers”.

Fr Luonde said the threats as reported in the media on recruitment of specified persons gives no legal effect to suggest that it was illegal for some members of the public to belong to an association or political party.

He said the SP had every right to admit into its membership anyone irrespective of their status in society.

“The PF government among its members are the retired military personnel and this is a general  practice in most parts of the world and in Zambia the highest serving retired military personnel was General Malimba Masheke as Prime Minister of Zambia in the second republic,” he said. “Socialist Party treats any statements on the alleged expose’ of the Daily Nation article of the 19th January and subsequent threats from government as political”.

He expressed worry that the media could be used to propagate falsehoods when it was not complicated to verify such a story.

“We are comforted however that we are a grass root party and that our fresh and new ideas of political management will inevitably hurt many, especially the political elite,” Fr Luonde said.

He reminded the Patriotic Front government of its commitment to the 1993 Vienna Convention on the programme of Action which states that human rights and fundamental freedoms are a birthright of every human being, their protection and promotion as a first responsibility of every government.

 

PF Threatened by Newly-Registered Socialist Party

PF Threatened by Newly-Registered Socialist Party

SOURCE: NewsDay Zambia

The recently-registered Socialist Party says it is becoming a target of the PF leadership’s Frederick Chiluba-led MMD Zero Option-style political slander because the Leftist-oriented formation was a major threat to the ruling establishment and its funders.

Commenting on the sustained accusations and attacks against the Socialist Party, which was only registered in October last year after more than a year-long validation struggle with the Zambian government, Fr Richard Luonde, the party’s spokesperson, said such attacks were not new on the local political scene and that they will not go away soon.

“The sustained accusations and attacks on newly-formed Socialist Party as reported in the Daily Nation are not new on Zambia’s political scene and will not go away soon. The newspaper in its calculated approach, interviews targeted individuals and this reflects that the paper is not alone in the project,” Fr Luonde said in an interview. “The ruling government has deliberately blurred the distinction between itself and the ruling party. It is worrying that the ruling party militia has assumed the role of the state and the alleged expose is calculated to stop the activities of the Socialist Party as was reported and quoted by the Mandevu PF leadership. The ruling militia wants to use this alleged data to cause mayhem.”

He said Zambia’s recent politics was characterised by unfounded allegations and accusations often targeting personalities and entities considered a ‘threat’ to the ruling establishment and its financiers.

“Threat here refers to potential government through the electoral system. In February 1993, the MMD government-owned Times of Zambia reported that a plot by the former ruling party, UNIP, to overthrow the government, referred to as Black Mamba or Zero Option had been uncovered,” Fr Luonde recollected. “26 citizens that included late Major Wezi Kaunda and Cuthbert Ng’uni had been arrested and charged with capital offences. However, no evidence was provided in court. The government insisted the conduct of the 26 posed a serious national threat.”

He noted that the PF government also had the misfortune of being accused by the United Party for National Development (UPND) of training militias in Sudan, which too, according to the Socialist Party, lacked evidence.

“It is clear that Zambia’s political landscape provides for rumours more than anything else and grossly bent at discrediting political opponents and it is often serious when the accusations comes from the ruling party and government acts quickly as there is no distinction between the two for their survival,” Fr Luonde pointed out. “The recent accusations on the Socialist Party [of Zambia] as reported in the Daily Nation, albeit falls under the description above, unfounded rumours. Socialist Party will not escape these accusations and history shows that they have been levelled at seriously organised parties of the time. Socialist Party should pride itself of this strength.”

Fr Luonde further said the Socialist Party has also come with fresh breath or ideas of political management with leftist orientation that is growing in Europe and other areas where the pangs of capitalism have hit hard.

“One need not be a rocket scientist to appreciate the inroads of socialism in the 21st century. The party organises itself through grassroots recruitment where the people own the party and not the political elite. This is of fundamental importance to the growth which has not been seen in Zambia,” he continued. “The people are trained in political ideology and political management to avoid them being potential political mercenaries as experienced from the ruling PF and other political parties.”

Fr Luonde said those in the Socialist Party will not be apologetic for being socialists influenced by the Marxist-Leninist ideologies as well as those of other progressives.

“We make no apologies that we are socialist! Our fundamental values are anchored on Equity, Humility, Honesty and International solidarity,” said Fr Luonde. “Our existence functions around Justice, Equity and Peace. The party abhors violence of whatever kind. The struggle continues.”

A Revolutionary Party Is Formed

A Revolutionary Party Is Formed

SOURCE: NewsDay Zambia

A revolutionary political formation, the Socialist Party has been formed in Zambia.

Announcing the formation of the Socialist Party in Zambia at Tripple M Lodge in Lusaka this monring, party acting general secretary Dr. Cosmas Musumali said real changes in the miserable social, cultural, economic and political lives of the working masses cannot come only through parliament and a few reforms.

“It would require bringing wealth creation and the running of state affairs under the democratic control and ownership of the working masses. This implies a more profound transformation, i.e. a revolution made by the majority of working masses themselves,” said Dr Musumali.

He said the Socialist Party was a political formation of the working class – peasants, workers, students, the youth, poor people, intelligentsia and others who bear the brunt of economic oppression and suppression.

Dr. Musumali said the SP aimed at building a just socialist society in which equal opportunities for all and a guarantee of democratic rights would clear the way for ending social and economic discrimination and exploitation by creating a societywhere the wealth produced by the toiling masses will not be appropriated by a few.

“The philosophy of Marxism-Leninism is indispensable for charting the path to such a new socialist system. Of course, this path will be determined by the specific historical conditions obtaining, as well as the particular characteristics and features of the Pan-African realities, Zambia’s own history, tradition, culture, social composition and level of development,” Dr. Musumali said.

He warned that this goal could not be achieved without a hard struggle and a firm commitment to democratic norms and values.

Dr Musumali said the socialist society and socialist state of Zambia shall fully safeguard the right of individual liberty, freedom of speech, press, association, conscience and religious belief whilst guaranteeing the right to form opposition political parties and defence to the multi-party system.

He said the socialist state shall always keep vigil and prevent the destruction of democracy and violation of people’s basic rights.

“The Party organises itself and its work on the basis of democratic centralism and on full inner party democracy. It fights for peace and against neo-colonialism. The Party firmly believes that real and basic interests of the people of the world are the same and hence we stand for proletarian internationalism and the causes of progressive popular movements wherever they emerge. International solidarity is in the best interest of our own struggle,” Dr Musumali explained.

He said the principles guiding the Socialist Party include unwavering commitment to socialist values, necessity of self-emancipation, transformative power of socialist democracy and importance of a revolutionary process in bringing real changes.

Dr Musumali said the Socialist Party was building on the long history of resistance and liberation of ancestoral beliefs and experiences.

“In addition, the spirit and commitment of our freedom fighters that made the attainment of political independence possible in 1964 nourishes our passion and zeal. We are the heirs of the revolutionary spirit of Zambia,” he said.

Dr Musumali said Zambia needed a transformative change, but this was not possible under the system inherited in 1991 which had miserably failed.