OFFICIAL LAUNCHING OF THE DEMOCRACY AND MOTHERLAND DEFENDERS COALITION – DMDC HELD AT MIKA JESMONDINE, LUSAKA ON THURSDAY 24TH DECEMBER, 2020 DELIVERED ON BEHALF OF CONSORTIUM BY ANDREW NTEWEWE, DMDC SPOKESPERSON

Official launching of the Democracy and Motherland Defenders Coalition – DMDC held at Mika Jesmondine, Lusaka on Thursday 24th December, 2020 delivered on behalf Of Consortium by Andrew Ntewewe, DMDC Spokesperson

OFFICIAL LAUNCHING OF THE DEMOCRACY AND MOTHERLAND DEFENDERS COALITION – DMDC HELD AT MIKA JESMONDINE, LUSAKA ON THURSDAY 24TH DECEMBER, 2020 DELIVERED ON BEHALF OF CONSORTIUM BY ANDREW NTEWEWE, DMDC SPOKESPERSON

“For the Zambia We love, For the Sovereign we own, for the Democracy we Chose”

Leaders of civil societies, the media, distinguished youth people, ladies and gentlemen.

ZAMBIA has reached a point in time where critical decisions must be made by its patriotic citizens. Every generation is endowed with God given abilities and capabilities that such a generation of patriotic citizens would evoke in order to defend their territory, their sovereignty, their democracy and their inheritance. As proud citizens and patriotic Zambians, representing various civil society organizations and student bodies, we welcome you all to the official launch of the “DEMOCRACY AND MOTHERLAND DEFENDERS COALITION” – DMDC

Before we share our mandate and resolved direction towards defending our motherland and its democracy, we would like to stand and observe a moment of silence for our dear bothers whose lives were lost yesterday as a result of unfortunate circumstances Zambia must never witness such and the matter should be fully and conclusively investigated.

(After observance of minute)

No one is worth losing their soul because of politics. The deaths which happened yesterday could have been avoided if, in the first place, the UPND leaders acted responsibly and avoided fronting unruly cadres to fight personal battles.

Our country has remained uniquely steadfast and united in overcoming many challenges that we have faced in the past as well as the recent past, together we triumphed over many difficulties against all odds.

Our forefathers and mothers remained united during the struggle for political independence, we would like to build on the foundation laid by them and continue to chart paths for the Zambia we want to remain on a progressive trajectory. This is the duty and assignment that we the Coalition members and many other like-minded Zambians, we are ready to defend at all cost.

During difficulties we have always come together and triumphed. Compatriots let’s not be naïve, cheat ourselves or allow to be cheated that a great Zambia can be attained without the total vigilance, and patriotism of her citizens. For the great Zambia can only be built by the labor and sacrifices of the citizens who genuinely love and have total loyalty to Zambia. As a people we have a duty to chart our own paths by creating democratic governance systems that speaks as well as responds to our unique greatness. The course of Zambia can only be decided upon by the Zambian people.

Fellow citizens we have a duty to defend and protect the sovereignty of our motherland, our heritage, the only land which belongs to us.

As the country draw nearer towards the 2021 Presidential and General elections, there are temptations by some foreign countries and institutions of foreign origin to devise means and ways of directly or indirectly middling in our internal democratic governance affairs. Today our country is faced with the challenges of betrayal and foreign interference in the management of our national affairs. Our country has been betrayed by some selfish, unpatriotic citizens who have ganged up against our country with foreign interests, that are championing and positioning capitalistic imperialism ideals. These foreign interest have no obligations to love or be loyal to our country, their loyalty lies in how much of our God given resources they can take out of our country.

As a patriotic coalition, we would like to categorically sound a friendly and timely warning that any foreign nation, institution or agents of such that who will openly or indirectly interfere with our sovereignty, must be ready to face the patriotic resistance. We are alive to the fact that unfortunate, some of our brothers and sisters have betrayed our country, they have gone to bed with foreign interests. Our brothers and sisters have floated our country up for grabs by foreign interests in exchange for personal riches and selfish interest. We have a duty to protect and defend Zambia from being auctioned. Zambia is not up for sell to the highest bidder.

Compatriots we must refuse to be the generation that failed to defend and protect our motherland from foreign interference. Our fore fathers and mothers with the little resources at their disposal vigorously fought colonies to create the Zambia we have today. This generation has a duty to continue defending Zambia and positioning her to be competitive beyond the 21st century. We have the resources and brains needed to create the Zambia we want, we have the brains to discern, as well as determine our own path.

Fellow citizens as we launch the DEMOCRACY AND MOTHERLAND DEFENDERS COALITION – DMDC, we are alive to the fact that Zambia’s 2021 General Elections is attracting serious attention from foreign entities.

We have information on the schemes to interfere in the 2021 general elections. But let this be clear that Zambian electoral result will be decided by the Zambian people at the polls. Those foreign interests that are corroding with our fellow citizens for purposes of interfering in our national affairs must expect that the DMDC will be equal to the task in defending our motherland.

We equally warn those Zambian citizens that are working with foreign interest to decide the 2021 general elections in the board rooms that the course of our country as well as the selection of our national leadership can only be determined by the Zambian people. Zambia will define its own democratic governance and establish its own systems and institutions as a sovereign state.

We warn machineries working to discredit our governance institutions that we are aware of their activities and we are closely monitoring them.

Yesterday the Electoral Commission of Zambia updated the nation of the just ended voter’s registration exercise, in which it announced that approximately 7.2 million citizens were registered on the new voter’s register.

As the Democracy and Motherland Defenders Coalition, we commend the Electoral Commission of Zambia for the efforts and resources it deployed to ensure available and willing citizens register as voters.

As a coalition, we are aware about some challenges that our government, through the Electoral Commission of Zambia faced during the voter registration period. However, we would like to commend the ECZ for putting up of various checks as well as corrective remedial responses that ensured that the 7.2 million citizens were captured for voter’s registration.

Compatriots Coalition will like to take advantage of this launch to inform the country that, we have officially written to the Electoral Commission of Zambia requesting for us to carry out independent audit of the new voter’s register.

Fellow citizens, this is the time to demonstrate total, genuine patriotism, it’s the time for bipartisan cooperation, we all have a civic duty of vigilantly defending and protecting Zambia. Its everyone’s responsibility to act proactively in defending the land and country of our heritage. Let’s us be watchful, let’s guard the interests of our country, let’s guard our natural wealth, mineral resources including land.

Compatriots, as a country and indeed as a coalition, we must endeavor to trust and develop total confidence in our indigenous democratic institutions such Electoral Commission of Zambia, we are confident that the Electoral Commission of Zambia is more than capable and that it will once more demonstrate its autonomy in the manner it prepares for the 2021 general elections.

The coalition want to make this Ernest appeal to the youth of Zambia, our women and students movements not to be used as tools of violence, tribalism and regionalism. The coalition will embark on a national programme that will aim at conscientizing its gallant youths, men and women on the need to be patriotic and guard jealously the motherland and all that God has endowed us with and demand accountability.

Fellow citizens may I now officially declare the launch of Democracy and Motherland Defenders Coalition abbreviated as DMDC. The Institution will continue to embrace more voices from across the broad spectrum of the Zambians at home and abroad to ensure we discharge our constitutional duties under Article 43 of the Republican Constitution.

May God bless Zambia our heritage land.

Andrew Ntewewe
President
Young African Leaders Initiative
Dr. M. Chirwa
Director
Center for Leadership and Good Governance

Dr. Becky Banda
Director
Center for Community Development and Public Health

Francis Chipili
Chief Executive Officer
Zambian Institute of Governance and Civil Liberties Platform
Ronnie Jere
Vice President
Zambians for Unity, Peace and Development (ZUPED) 

Shadreck Mumba
President
University of Zambia Students Union

Steven Kanyakula
Acting President
Zambia National Students Union

David Mvula
Executive Director
Common Ground Network

Samuel Banda
President
Advocacy for National Development and Democracy
ANDD President

Rodney Katongo
National Coordinator
Good Governance Zambia