Today's letters to the editor

Sat, 01 Jul 2017 11:19:12 +0000

The Hakainde Hichilema saga

Dear Editor,

Thanks be to Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba-speaking people, for bringing to the attention of the nation the need for the Church to thoroughly examine the root cause of the current controversy in the country that has left politicians and other groupings divided (“Bickering church seek common stand”, Daily Nation, June 29, 2017).

It is difficult to overestimate what a political disaster the post-election shenanigans have been for the country: instead of unification, Southern, Western and North-Western provinces have politically become a distinct territory; instead of massive economic growth, massive unemployment stubbornly persist; instead of an end to ethnic exclusion, Hakainde Hichilema and his ethnic chiefs and supporters claim that he won the 2016 presidential election, contrary to the view of many local, Church and international election observers.

Though the post-election crisis has repeatedly shown an ability to endure for longer than anyone dared imagine, it is hard to see how the current situation can last for even a few more months when all church mother bodies have finally agreed to work together on matters relating to the state of the nation and in maintaining peace in the country following weeks of intense bickering triggered by a lopsided condemnation of government and President Edgar Lungu in particular.

I hold no brief for the incarcerated UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and believe his hands are neither dirty nor clean but he must have been culpable of a crime for him to get arrested and arraigned.

But whatever the rights and wrongs of the UPND leader’s incarceration may be, to demand for his immediate release as per Catholic Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu, smacks of impudence and impunity and is completely contrary to natural justice which must be seen to run its natural course.

Nor can I see there being any justification for the incarcerated UPND leader to refuse a transfer from Chimbokaila Central Prison, in Lusaka to Mukobeko Maximum Prison, in Kabwe, where his wife and children could still have a continuing relationship with their father and husband.

After all, his wife and their children have not been incarcerated of any crime.

Please Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, continue to expose the injustices and render advice about them whenever and wherever they occur, including the root cause to the current controversy in the country that has left politicians and other groupings divided – the Hakainde Hichilema saga of this nation.

Mubanga Luchembe,

LUSAKA

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Ghana President spot on

Dear Editor,

The speech by the Ghanaian President at the Trade Fair was most refreshing and inspiring. He hit the nail on the head: we can never develop for as long as we remain producers of primary products.

We can produce millions of tonnes of copper and equally millions of other natural products, the scale of our underdevelopment will not move an iota, what we need is industrialisation to add value to our own products or indeed to the products that we might import.

Our efforts as a nation should be geared towards raising the level of competence of our human capital to attain skills that will produce secondary products rather than engage in traditional production.

I also valued his vision for each District in Ghana to host an industrial hub. This is brilliant. There is not a single district in Zambia which does not have a predominating product from which a trade cannot be developed.

We must do everything possible to emulate what Ghana is trying to do.

Evaristo Mwanza

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PF should focus on party mobilisation

Dear Editor,

I concur with our PF Lusaka Province chairlady honourable Margaret Mumba over her building words on our PF members. The chairlady’s advice discouraging all peace loving PF members from any kind of fighting even if provoked by UPND cadres could not have come at a better time than this.

It is true our President is a Christian and does not want PF members to engage in fighting with provocative UPND cadres because it dents the image of our party. I urge all PF members to desist from fighting even if provoked by cadres from the UPND.

Let us work on recruiting more members for our party not engaging in fighting. We should work as a team to build our party PF and no infighting should be entertained. We should speak one language of loving one another like our President who talks about love to develop our country.

Julius Chilufya Kazembe

Branch chairman Meanwood N

An appeal to Mr Aliko Dangote

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Dear Editor,

Allow me to write to you through the Daily Nation newspaper. The reason I have done so is because I am not sure where you may be found since you are a world class businessman. Through this system, I hope someone will bring it to your attention.

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for joining other cement producers on the Copperbelt province. Before your arrival on the scene, prices of cement were too high. You indirectly helped stabilize the cement prices, your production costs are lower I do believe, hence the affordable and fair pricing.

How I wish you cloud consider investing in another area of production and processing essential commodities like rice, cooking oil and sugar which could benefit the silent majority of the Southern and Central African region.

I strongly feel that you can use the same strategy of production, transportation and sales which can stabilize the prices of the above mentioned essential commodities. Once you take this challenge, the vast number of our people will highly appreciate this investment just as they do the stabilized cement prices.

Benjamin Gondwe,

Luanshya