24/05/2026
REFLECTIONS ON SUNDAY - 20 YEARS ON, TRIBUTE TO ANDERSON KAMBELA MAZOKA
On May 24, 2006, I was in Kitwe as PRIDE Zambia¹'s CEO on a national tour of duty when I got a call at 01:35am informing me that Anderson Kambela Mazoka (AKM) had just died at Morningside Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.
I was totally devastated by the news. From 1998, I had developed a great relationship with AKM and he had come to appreciate my "external advice³". Intuitively, I knew that AKM's death was a harbinger to an ominous future canceling a very promising one. It was a dark day which I am still paying for today.
Later in the morning, I informed our Chairman Dr. Henry Mwenda that I had to, intermittently, curtail my tour in order to mourn the people's President. We set off for Lusaka with my Team. I also informed my wife and children who had all met AKM in 2005.
The trip to Lusaka seemed long but it gave me time to reminisce on my association with this great man AKM and our achievements. I thought about a lot of things including:
- Listening to him on Radio Phoenix in 1997 pondering his retirement and joining politics, I thought to myself - this is the man Zambia had been waiting for.
- Attending the ZIM⁴ Pamodzi Hotel Media Meeting in November 1998 where AKM announced the formation of the United Party for National Development (UPND).
- During the ZIM Meeting, having been ejected from the MMD⁵, AKM committed that "I am ready to die for this cause" but, from the audience, I challenged him instead to ensure that he stayed alive as that would kill the people's hope.
- In early 1999, at a Garden House Members Fundraising Braii, following his address, I briefly chatted with him as we were enjoying the braii packs. I advised AKM to call the UPND "your or our" party and never my party. We agreed that the Party should be de-personalized and always inferring a people's party.
- We also agreed that AKM would stop talking about creating wealth but instead talk about jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities so that citizens could relate to it.
- From 1999 to 2001, UPND consecutively won 7 parliamentary seats but failed to take political office in the presidential race of Dec 2001.
- AKM took the matter to the courts but when I got an opportunity, I informed him that there was no chance to win against an incumbent.
- Once he dropped the case, I visited him and explained how he "lost" the election. My projection showed that he had at least 45% of the national vote. He was visibly shocked.
- Secondly, having funded the party for 3 years, AKM informed me that he had no resources to fund the party any further. I proposed that both his allowance and secretariat expenses should be funded by the new 48 MPs. He was elated and NMC approved. This has become a standard support system in African politics. Short of this measure, it is doubtful that the Party would have survived.
- Eventually, AKM became indisposed for quite some time following a suspected poisoning episode.
- During that period, arising by-elections were won by MMD. I expressed concern and put up the Mapatizya Polling Booth strategy (under a Committee) that became known as the Mapatizya Formula. Against all odds, UPND defeated the ruling MMD. The formula was the precursor of the 2006 Alliance and 2021 PVT⁶.
- In 2004, AKM was returning from treatment in south Africa after a long hiatus. After persuading the leadership, I managed to pause AKM's return for nearly two weeks while we informed the public of his impending return. AKM's arrival sparked intrigue across the nation and he was met by a thunderous multitude of supporters at the Airport and along the way to ku-Malende. This set the tone for the next election of 2006.
- Subsequently, learning from the 2001 election "loss", mid-2005, I suggested that UPND create an alliance to protect the vote in the eastern half of Zambia. UDA⁷ comprising UPND, FDD and UNIP was established.
- After the formation of UDA, AKM became concerned about his level of fitness to carry out the demanding job of a Republican President. We agreed on action and the Committee I led produced a governing strategy modelled on management strategy and lessons from U.S. President Ronald Reagan's reign. The strategy was focused on clearly identifying challenges, defining resolution course, implementation, reporting and remedial action. We presented it to AKM and Mrs. Mazoka in early 2006. AKM was thrilled to bits with the strategy.
- In November 2005, we held a fundraising dinner where we raffled a vehicle secured on credit but managed to recoup the funds and contribute to campaign funds. The poster headlining this article was titled by AKM himself.
- In March 2006, AKM informed me that he was reminded by his doctor to go for a review but I was very sceptical as I found it unusual. Sensing danger, I requested him to ensure that he was accompanied by someone who would be with him at all times during the review period.
- Sadly, that was the last time I would see him.
- We buried AKM at his ku-Malende Residence in May 2006.
- AKM, Continue Resting In Eternal Peace.
- I strongly recommend that Anderson Kambela Mazoka should be awarded the Order of the Eagle of Zambia.
- After AKM's passing, he was succeeded by Mr. Hakainde Hichilema (HH) who persisted beyond the Zambian norm and remained an opposition leader for 15 years.
- In 2007, my renewed contract was strangely terminated after one month. I sued, won the case but the company closed. However, the new Director managed to hand me the company vehicle that I had used for 3 years but I lost all other benefits.
- My family and I went through a harrowing period including evident attempts on my life.
- In 2007, after receiving confirmation that an order had been given for my elimination, I went on an eight month fast. That is the only reason why I am still standing, God prevailed.
- In December 2008, the order was removed by Republican President Rupiah Banda.
- In 2014, after Mr. Michael Sata died, I had become concerned about the direction of the country. I presented myself and worked with teams carrying out PVT for 2015 and 2016 respectively. Interestingly, nothing had changed since the 2001 elections. The eastern half of Zambia was still the issue and that's why UPND lost both elections.
- In August 2020 (one year before the 2021 elections), in a team, we visited HH on an appointment at Community House. For close to an hour, I explained in detail how UPND had been losing elections and then explained the strategy that was required. HH eventually agreed that we carry out the mission.
- At 8:30 on Sunday 15th August 2021, after the work of a core team of 25 working from a remote location coordinating a national network of hundreds of members, we delivered the result to the Alliance Chairman stating that: HH had 2.8m votes versus ECL with 1.8m votes and that the remaining votes which were less than 100,000 even if all them were given to ECL would not change the result.
- At 11:00 hours the Chairman conveyed the message to the nation.
- The Electoral Commission of Zambia and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation stopped the announcement of results on public platforms.
- At 3 am on Monday 16th August 2021, ECZ declared HH as the winner of the election.
- Finally my life long mission was accomplished.
Now, why did I involve myself in all this?
After secondary school, I spent most of the following year running the family butchery business in Limulunga and nursing my father, Smith Mundia Kawana, who had succumbed to a stroke in February 1984. Consequently, I spent a lot of time with him especially into the night for six consecutive months especially that he had developed insomnia. Prior to that and through my teens, my father endured my constant questions about Zambian leadership and politics in general.
- Having worked in the civil service from 1956 in different provinces (Mansa, Kasama, Livingstone, Kabwe, Mongu and Lusaka) he had insight and valid concerns over Zambia's economic regression and a mis-responsive leadership.
- He observed that at Independence, the new government was a "musical chairs" of some sort, taking over of running Zambia's affairs without carefully establishing the new nation's priorities nor developing an effective national action plan.
- He believed that consequently, the leadership failed to strategically empower Zambians in the long-term.
- in 1982, after a breakthrough in his investigation of a $5m fraud in the Ministry of defence, he was seriously threatened. After consulting widely, he opted to retire four years earlier, a decision which carried heavy ramifications leaving the family in complete disarray.
- In his opinion, over the years, stagnant Zambians resorted to fraud, corruption & collusion to empower themselves. This seems to have become Zambia's culture.
- He repeatedly said that it will be impossible for Zambia to genuinely come together under an objective leadership running the country.
- After this persistent talk, one early morning of September 1984, I promised my father that I would do something about it!
HH has been running the country for the last five years and he has done extremely well. Of course there remains a lot of important work, inter alia, to be undertaken on:
- Tackling fraud, corruption and collusion.
- Meaningful Indigenous ownership of the economy
- Inclusiveness of citizens in economic activity
- Productivity of Zambians
- Competition- geared Decentralization
- Synergy at SADC and Africa levels on transport networks, commerce and trade
- Ensuring that the leadership calibre for succession becomes a matter of national interest and therefore codified to obviate incompetence, mediocrity, exclusivity and self-interest. Perhaps like we have the Diplomats Course, we should develop an "MBA" for a Zambian President.
To my father, I say Continue Resting In Eternal Peace!
And now, I will leave these matters for others and I will focus on my grand children.
I wish Zambia well, please remain united and shape and support progressive leaders.
Lutombi Mundia Kawana
INDEX
1. Promotion of Rural Initiatives and Development Enterprises - where I lost my job in March 2007 on account of supporting the UPND
2. Microfinance Institution
3. I did not hold any official position in the UPND.
4. Zambia Institute of Marketing
5. Movement for Multiparty Democracy
6. Parallel Voter Tabulation.
