By KETRA KALUNGA
THE dwindled levels of intolerance and high divisiveness being witnessed among Zambians have worried veteran politician Katele Kalumba.
Dr Kalumba said segregating citizens based on the 2.8 million who voted for President Hakainde Hichilema in the last election was very divisive and childish.
He said the “2.8 million, 1.8 million” infamous talk must be stopped because people voted for the Republican and not the partisan President.
Dr. Kalumba said Zambians should realise that the country doesn’t have the people who belong to the 2.8 or 1.8 million but people who voted for Hakainde Hichilema as Republican President.
He said in an interview every Zambian is counted in the 2.8m votes that voted for President Hichilema as the Head of State because the people made the decision which is bound to everyone in the country.
“Let’s stop the nonsense, this talk is dividing the country, we don’t have 2.8m or 1.8m people, what we have are Zambians who voted for their President as a republican President, not as a partisan President,” he said.
Dr. Kalumba who is a former finance minister said he finds the talk childish because Zambia doesn’t have two nations of 2.8m and 1.8m people hence the need to stop entertaining such careless talk.
He said Zambians should endeavour to maintain their integrity as a democratic nation because it is good for everyone.
Dr. Kalumba has warned against dividing the country into classifications as such those the 2.8 million and 1.8 million people because no one knows who voted for the UPND or PF.
“It’s unfortunate we have gotten to this level of cadrism where we need to throw dirt at each other, each and every day, it’s a measure of intolerance to keep labelling each other as if you are trying to demonise others, it is bad politics,” he said.
Dr. Kalumba has called on other statesmen to come out and speak against such developments aimed at dividing the country because Zambia has always been one nation.
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