Today's letters

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 10:53:36 +0000

The two tongues of Hakainde Hichilema

Dear Editor,

When UPND cadres attacked PF supporters in the post-election violence that took place in Namwala, Southern Province, they acted as if the Commonwealth never existed and as if its election observers never confirmed that the August 11 election process was free and fair.

They bypassed the world body and the victims they displaced.

I was therefore surprised to read about the UPND president Hakainde Hichilema telling a Commonwealth delegation that his victory was stolen and that only his effort to restrain his supporters stopped them from taking to the streets to cause mayhem and chaos in the country.

That’s when I asked myself the question: “When does the UPND leader do things via the Commonwealth organs, and when does he bypass this world body?” When it suits him perhaps (“Victory stolen – HH”, Daily Nation, March 1, 2017).

It is worth mentioning that the Commonwealth election observer mission on Zambia’s 2016 general elections spoke of the process being credible, free and fair, but not in order to support one of the sides taking part in the polls.

The Commonwealth cannot take sides, but that is de facto what the UPND leader was asking from the Commonwealth delegation led by Deputy Secretary General Josephine Ojiambo.

As a consequence, most patriotic Zambians have serious questions for the UPND leader. They think this is a very dangerous tendency.

However, Hakainde Hichilema’s continued claims that his victory was stolen would not heal the cancer of divisive nationalism and ethnic politics that has fundamentally crippled the UPND nationwide.

In fact, if his presidential election petition in the Constitutional Court prevailed, it could have quickly proven to be a Pyrrhic victory.

Whether he legitimately lost the election or not would hardly matter much to the millions of Zambians who voted for his opponent as they would like to move on with their lives.

They now view him as the candidate in denial with a post-election bruised ego.

The UPND president’s failure to accept defeat would also keep him from claiming the mantle of a democrat.

Instead, he would be viewed as the contender who lost faith in the democratic process and stormed his way into the Judiciary for forum shopping through a motley array of courts and election petitions.

His 5-time failed attempt to the Zambian presidency would be perceived more as an exercise in futility rather than a repeated loss at the ballot box.  At this juncture, Zambians need a national healer as much

as the country needs a visionary leader. But what is unfolding in the UPND leadership now guarantees neither.

Mubanga Luchembe,

LUSAKA

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Let’s stand with Israel

Dear Editor

Israel’s enemies are more determined now than ever before to annihilate the Jewish State.

However, Israel is equipped to fight her own battles and sadly alone.

But Christians can stand with Israel by defending our friend against the anti-Israel “lies” that have infected our churches, college campuses, and the media and have made the instruments of our salvation to become the most hated race on earth.

As Christians, our agenda for life should be determined by God’s word; the Bible and not well calculated Arab propaganda which is only intended to cause Christians in Africa to denounce the God of Israel and embrace Islam.

Christians should come to the understanding that the Arab-Israel conflict is beyond the mere claiming of the land of our Lord and Saviour Jesus.

Rather this is all about whether Islam is the final revelation of God or not.

Sadly, Arabs are surely winning the propaganda war against Israel and Jews.

Africa in particular is being influenced far much more by Islam, the fastest growing religion in the continent.

Conflict in Israel has been a reality whenever Israel has existed as a nation.

Whether it was Egyptians, Amalekites, Midianites, Moabites, Ammonites, Amorites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Scribes Persians, or the Romans, the nation of Israel has always been persecuted by its neighbours.

The current persecution began when Israel was reconstituted as a nation in 1948 after more than 2000 years of exile across the nations of the world.

Israel is now being persecuted, surrounded by enemies; Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbolla and others, but because of oil, the world and Christians are blind to this.

According to the Bible, this all because God has a special plan for the nation of Israel.

Satanically influenced hatred of Israel has always been the reason Israel’s neighbours have always wanted Israel wiped out from the face of the earth.

But whether it is Hitler of Germany or Rouhani of Iran, or even the UN Security Council led by Russia and China, attempts to completely destroy Israel and its history will fail.

Mukuka Chilufya.

For Friends of Israel in Zambia

Chambishi Mine Township.

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Chongwe municipal council: what next?

Dear Editor

The upgrading of Chongwe district council into a Municipal council will have merits than demerits.

In the first instance the Council will have more land unlike in the recent past when much of the land was under the traditional leaders,and as such we hope the Town clerk and mayor and the team to woo investors to construct modern buildings to suit the municipal status.

The Chongwe primary school which lies on the main Great East Road needs a complete facelift and maybe upgrade the school to have storeys to accommodate as many pupils as possible.

Let investors set up shopping malls in the interior of the district and make a proper housing unit for the council  to increase revenue base.

The council can do well to market Chongwe as a tourist destination as it hosts the famous Kalumba crocodile farms, and the Chaminuka Lodge which has a variety of wild animals and boat cruises on its artificial lakes.

A few kilometres away from Chongwe to the East is the popular Chinyunyu Hot springs.

The district already has standard Lodges and Hotels to accommodate tourists. There is also need for a border bus station and a market as well as room for construction of mealie- meal processing plant since the district is maize producing area.

We can also set up a saw milling plant as can be evidenced by the illegal logging of mukula trees and charcoal burning. We are sitting on “gold” as hence have the capacity for job creation only if we work together. Yes together we can!

CHAKWIYA BORNFACE

CHONGWE

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Irvin Jim will be  exposed soon

Dear Editor,

We Zambians wish to assure NUMSA that as long as it continues to meddle into our internal affairs we will also not stop attacking and educating it.

In fact someone in South Africa has offered to tell us more over how the relationship between Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary and Fred M’membe started.

That’s the trouble when one talks too much you arouse the curiosity from others who may know one or two skeletons   about you.

We are watching you Jim and soon Zambians will know who you really area and your business in Zambia.

As for M’membe, he has to pay back the money he owes Zambians.

Concerned citizen