Today's letters

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 11:45:25 +0000

Catholic Bishops  contradict their own report

Dear Editor,

THE 2016 elections were monitored and the results endorsed by the church mother bodies.

That is why the deafening silence by the church leaders whose mother bodies were part of the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) that
declared their parallel voter tabulation (PVT) results consistent is shocking.

Despite them recognising the election of Edgar Lungu as the president they have unfortunately failed to condemn the UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema who swore not to recognise President Edgar Lungu as Head of State as being criminal.

This is so despite the CCMG having said that their deployed parallel vote tabulation (PVT) estimates were consistent with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)’s official results for the 2016 presidential election declared.

As Hakainde Hichilema’s vitriol, his position on the 2016 presidential election official result and his crude, insolent character assassinations meant to damage both the internal and external image of the PF, the government and Zambia as a whole, a good number of church leaders appeared torn between supporting the  CCMG’s confirmation that its PVT estimates for the presidential election were consistent with the ECZ’s official results and the man whose ill-gotten loot had bailed out some of them at one time or another.

When the aggressive arrest of the UPND leader and his cohorts at his spacious residence in New Kasama by the Zambia Police began turning things around – not in Hakainde Hichilema’s favour who’s been finally arraigned for treason – some church leaders found their voice calling for dialogue between PF and UPND. Some agreed that lawbreaking opposition bashing by the police was the right way forward; if you turn your lawlessness, disrespect, vitriol and invective on your own duly elected president, you must be stopped.

Others, ignoring the urgency of the matter, wondered why dialogue could not be an immediate option to resolve Zambia’s political tension when some opposition political parties had flatly refused to recognize the 2016 polls’ PF winning presidential candidate as Head of State.

Even those who had called for police intervention backtracked momentarily, warning that for the PF and UPND to dialogue as a cure to end tensions between the two warring parties was unattainable without respect and tribute to the incumbent Head of State and that regime change was not part of the CCMG’s ground rules (“PF, UPND dialogue out of question”, Daily Nation, April 24, 2017).

At one point the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) president, Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu called for genuine dialogue between the two political parties which would help reduce political tension in the country. He made assurances that the church mother bodies were ready to participate in the dialogue if called upon. The ZCCB may have set its eyes on shuttle diplomacy, but who does not, including the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ)? Some may wonder, what is shuttle diplomacy?

Shuttle diplomacy is the action of an outside party in serving as an intermediary between (or among) principals in a dispute, without direct principal-to-principal contact. Originally and usually, the process entails successive travel (“shuttling”) by the intermediary, from the working location of one principal, to that of another. So, which way PF and UPND dialogue?

As for those keen to have the incarcerated UPND leader set free before the due judicial process, both his ill-gotten wealth and his brazen disrespectful law-breaking behaviour made him many UPND friends and apparently too many enemies, including the Zambia Police which has for long waited for an opportunity for revenge. Worse still, Hakainde Hichilema’s public arrogance has disconnected him from ordinary people nationwide – a harbinger of worse to come if his vitriol and invective is taken seriously by the same people and PF political players. It is these ordinary people and PF who have the last word on his fate. Those who want to have him set free prematurely can put their energies elsewhere for a while.

Mubanga Luchembe,

Lusaka

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Catholic Bishops anti-government

Dear Editor,

Zambian DNA is disappointed with the Catholic Bishops attitude towards the government as all they ever do is accuse the State of dictatorial tendencies.

The Pastoral letter is anti-government as it paints a real bleak picture of President Edgar Lungu’s government. Which citizens have been victimized and brutalized by the State? Is arresting someone for wrong doing harassment?

The truth is that the Catholic Bishops are on UPND’s side because at no time have they advised the UPND to tone down and stop inciting their cadres from engaging in activities likely to disturb the peace. UPND MPs continue disrespecting the Republican President by boycotting Parliament every time President Edgar Lungu addressed Parliament.

UPND had clearly stated that unless they were declared winners of the august 11 polls 2016, they would not accept the poll results, and truly up to today the UPND don’t recognise President Edgar Lungu as Head of State. The Catholic Bishops have never admonished UPND or any other faction or tabloid spreading hate speech and disrespecting the President.

In view of the foregoing, we can deduce that the Catholic Bishops and UPND are birds of a feather as they flock together. The government is busy taking all inclusive national development to every part of Zambia but this means nothing to the Catholic Bishops and all those armchair critics some of whom are without a party yet they claim to be party president.

Our appeal to all the ill will critics of the President is that they should know that President Edgar Lungu will be in power till 2021, so they had better get used to that reality and start to offer credible and constructive checks and balances.

SPUKI MULEMWA

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Join politics for service

Dear Editor,

I write to advise those who go into politics blindly to know that politics is about service to the people and not about fixing old scores.

I have seen and it is actually bare truth that many fight for political positions for wrong reasons.

What is paramount is that some people go into politics to advance their own welfare or fix those they feel are a threat to them.

No wonder we have many times wrong people for politicians; people who don’t even know that a politician should exhibit humility and servant like behaviour to the people just like Jesus Christ was.

President Lungu, however, has proved these traits of a genuine politician who is not in plot one for his own welfare but for the welfare of the many Zambians who turned out in numbers to entrust him with that challenging job.

Alas, others are not only difficult to advise but take those with progressive ideas as threats to them.

Not until the mind-set of most of our politicians change, we are always going to be faced with wrong leaders for politicians even in most political party structures.

Politicians are supposed to be leaders with open hands, mind-set and heart for the people to easily seek solutions from them.

Today, we have many politicians especially in most political party structures who cannot only write a simple report but also speak the official language fluently and one wonders how such people can even deliberate for the majority Zambians who so much need their services.

Yet these are the people vested with the responsibility of always meeting and engaging technocrats from various Government departments in most developmental issues.

The end result can only be anyone’s guess.

Wisdom Muyunda

CHINGOLA.

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Give respect where it’s due

Editor,

All traditional leaders in Zambia should be given respect as per our culture. Constitutionally, the Republican President deserves reverence. As such, it was otiose for HH to show disrespect to the Litunga and President Lungu. We want to see development in Zambia not fighting. Let’s give respect where it is needed.

Allan

Directed to NAREP 

Editor,

As much as you are calling for the two parties PF and UPND to dialogue, I strongly believe you must first talk to the UPND to change their politics from that of being confrontational to a civil way of doing it. The UPND has refused to recognise the Republican President and this means that these people have no respect for the majority of the people who voted for President Lungu. I don’t know if this is your view because if it isn’t, you would have counseled Hichilema and his group. I have been in politics long and it should be known that PF has very experienced politicians who can give good advice to its leadership.  For me, the insolence portrayed by UPND leadership is what has driven the prospects in infinity.

Micky, Ndola

Is this the predicted Armageddon? 

Editor,

The burning of documents, equipment and infrastructure in Government and public institutions is not a coincidence but a well-planned dirty deed of an opposition party which came barely a few days after its leader was locked up as it was when they lost elections. This is indeed Armageddon, destruction by fire. No other party apart from the UPND declared that to the nation and now it has come to pass and without any condemnation. They promised the nation that they would cause havoc before and after elections. “Ubushi ku bufwile umukote icimbwi cinya imfwi” people know you now!

Change Life Zambia Board

Poor working conditions is some security companies  

Editor,

Some security companies have terrible working conditions. People are getting as low as K500, K600 and K700 as their monthly salaries. Why and how can someone survive? The labour office must investigate this please.

Citizen

UPND should recognize ECL

Editor,

Please, ba UPND give us chance and let ba Lungu work twapapata. The Bible said munshiku shakulekeleshia ifintu fikalundw. Ba Lungu tabakwete amaka yakubwesha ifintu. Please, mwebanangani kosenifye ukubomba. Mr. HH, have respect for the Head of State, Mr. Lungu is a Christian. Go and apologise for what you did, you lose nothing. Forget about it, your time will come.

Evangelist Peter Mecha, Ndola Pentecostal
Holiness

Directed to madam NALUMANGO   

Editor,

Madam Nalumango, your press conference, trying to exonerate your party from the fires that have rocked our nation is understandable because you came from a party which was orderly and you seem to understand the dirty tactics your new party deploys. The biggest problem is, even hippos in Luangwa River know your party is the culprit. You have ignored the confirmations coming from your members namely, Chichi and Larry Mwetwa that the fires are a work of your party. Are they not telling us the truth?

Citizen

Burning of Local Courts retrogressive

Editor,

The burning of local courts by political hooligans cannot be understood. How can anyone aspiring to take over governance begin to destroy the very infrastructure that supports good governance? Do these people want to serve the country when in power or they just want to loot the national treasury? I say so because it surely does not make sense to destroy government property by Zambians who are aspiring to govern.

Citizen

Why are Bishops not condemning
arson?

Editor,

Please correct me if I am wrong. During           Mr. Sata’s rule, a lot of things went very wrong but never did I hear our Bishops condemn especially the riots that were being perpetrated by the PF youths even after a life was lost. It took the current President to restrain these violent youths when he became President. Hichilema declared that he will not recognise the outcome of the elections way back, even before they were held. What did you do as Bishops to counsel him? Infrastructure is being destroyed and nowhere in your pastoral letter have you condemned that. Why? Lastly, whereas Paul said these words, you quoted thus “if you want peace, work for justice”. The same is true, if you want justice, work for peace. I rest my case.

Citizen