By AARON CHIYANZO
It is disgraceful and highly hypocritical for the entire Non- Governmental Organization movement (NGOs) and the Human Rights Commission including those representing women to remain mute over the abduction of the Hatembo family members.
Bogus activists and sanctimonious prelates including a vocal archbishop have also been challenged to speak out for the rights and lives of the abducted Hatembos whose only mistake was to claim for what was rightfully theirs.
Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) president, Robert Mwanza and Zambian DNA spokesperson, Spuki Mulemwa questioned why NGOs had been silent over the disappearance of the Hatembo family in Choma.
“They pontificated and cried loudest and the Human Rights Commission issued long statements when two people were killed by suspected rogue Police, but all have remained quiet over the abduction and disappearance of two people over the same circumstances.”
The two said in separate interviews that despite one of the family members who was abducted being female, NGOs had given the matter a blind eye and deaf ear.
Mr Mwanza said it was hypocrisy of the highest order for NGOs to keep quiet over the missing Hatembos when it was the first time for Zambia to experience such an abduction.
He said NGOs were only there to discredit efforts Government was making in uplifting standards of living for citizens while ignoring serious national matters.
“Our NGOs only speak out when an issue is against government, but where the opposition is implicated, they keep quiet,” said Mr Mwanza.
And Mr Mulemwa challenged the Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Committee (NGOCC) to speak out over the abduction of the Pheluna Hatembo who has been seperated from her 35 year old cerebral palsy daughter.
He said NGOCC should have been in the forefront demanding the release of the Choma family especially that they left behind a sick daughter.
Mr Mulemwa said the lack of patriotism by some NGOs was a big blow to national unity as citizens were denied fair representations.
It is almost two months since Pheluna Hatembo and her brother, Milton, disappeared and now her cerebral palsy afflicted 35-year-old daughter is ill, vomiting blood and pus.
The daughter, Nasilele Nyambe, was last week escorted to the Choma General Hospital by her elder sister Abigail who pleaded with the abductors to release their mother.
The last time they saw their mother was when she was bundled to Lusaka where she signed a statement condemning her lawyers for indicating an intention to appeal against a ruling that dispossessed them of their 200 hectare farm to Mr Hakainde Hichililema.
The family has since disputed the “withdrawal” of the appeal, stating that they had sat and decided to appeal against the High Court judgment.
