The president of Zambia’s Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), Dr Nevers Mumba, has spoken out about the long overdue debate on democracy and commended the co-hosting of the summit. However, he has also advised the western world not to use democracy as a pipeline to impose certain values against the country’s norms.
During the sidelines of the summit, Dr Mumba challenged the western world to respect the country’s cultural, religious, Christian, and social values. He further stated that there is a lot of business with the western world to help propel development, and that is why the business should not be hindered by other agendas.
“We think the discussion and debate on democracy is long overdue. Africa is ready to take on this debate. What we are against is interference from the western world or anywhere. We do not want democracy to be used as a pipeline to impose certain values. If this continues, there will be a huge divorce from the pipeline,” he said.
Dr Mumba emphasized the need for a strong partnership with the western world, but one that respects the country’s cultural values. He said that Zambia has a lot of business in democracy and remains committed to it, but they do not want anything to come in between that.
The issue of western interference in African countries’ affairs has been a point of contention for a long time. Many African leaders have accused the western world of imposing their values and systems on them, which they believe are not always in line with their cultural and social norms.
Dr Mumba’s comments come at a time when many African countries are grappling with issues of democracy and governance. Zambia, for instance, has just emerged from a hotly contested presidential election, which saw the incumbent Edgar Lungu defeated by opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema. The election was widely praised as free and fair, but there were concerns about the impartiality of the electoral commission and the safety of opposition supporters.
Dr Mumba’s call for a debate on democracy is, therefore, timely and important. It is crucial for African countries to discuss and find ways of improving their democratic systems without external interference. This will help to strengthen the institutions of governance and ensure that the will of the people is respected.
Dr Mumba’s comments on democracy and western interference are important and timely. African countries must take charge of their own destiny and find ways of improving their democratic systems without external interference. The western world should respect the cultural, religious, Christian, and social values of African countries and work with them to achieve their developmental goals. The summit co-hosted by the MMD is, therefore, an important step towards achieving this goal.
