WE are not surprised that the so-called amnesty offered to former officials in the Patriotic Front administration have been received with disdain.
While the idea appears to have good intentions, it is the political rhetoric under which it has been made that raises eyebrows.
This explains why the former Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Professor Nkandu Luo feels that the suggested amnesty offered to former ministers by the new dawn government is malicious and aimed at denting their images.
Prof Luo, who was President Edgar Lungu’s running mate in the August 12 presidential and general elections said the UPND had a habit of bad mouthing their predecessors and that the amnesty was aimed at tarnishing the image of the Patriotic Front.
Ideally, an amnesty is meant to heal wounds and bring opposing sides together for the common good.
But when there is latent animosity and disdain from those in authority to the “vanquished,” then there is likely to be scepticism as whether the amnesty offer is genuine.
This is where Prof Luo appears to have a problem with the amnesty offer directed at former government officials.
The ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) under President Hakainde Hichilema has offered an amnesty to former government officials who return what they allegedly stole while in office.
The UPND has not given any time frame as to when the amnesty will end. It says the offer is open to those who show remorse and protects them from criminal prosecution.
The UPND government, as Prof Luo says, was on a crusade to badmouth the PF and call them thieves and that they had done that even outside the country.
Prof Luo feels the new dawn administration must not paint everyone who served under the PF black, and that this stance defeats the whole purpose of offering amnesty to those who might be guilty.
She said people would have been glad to come forward and return things they got if there was some kind of recognition of the good things the previous government did for the country rather than paint them black as was the case.
We feel the new dawn administration, having been elected on a premise of restoring law and order must not malign anyone when no one has appeared before a court of law.
It must promote the universal principle that one is innocent until convicted by a court of law.
It is important that officials who served in the PF regime must have confidence in the new administration and they can only do so when there is mutual respect from both sides.
“The holier than thou” approach that appears to be the modus operandi of the new administration must be abandoned for the amnesty to yield results.
The amnesty offer, as we have noted, should help to heal and bring unity in the nation after the August 12 elections and ensure all move as one.
But as Prof Nkandu says, there must also be respect from those in government for their predecessors, some of whom served with distinction.
