Today's letters

Thu, 04 May 2017 12:14:08 +0000

Justifying HH’s Kuomboka action

Dear Editor,

I wish to register my dissatisfaction with partisan civil society bodies throughout the country – trade unions, traditional leaders, conservative church organizations, and lawyers’ groups – pestering the PF government for political dialogue with the incarcerated UPND leader

Hakainde Hichilema without telling him at Lusaka Central Correctional Facility to accept the 2016 election results and wait for 2021.

These pressure groups have made a cleverly veiled attempt to justify the post-election provocative, lawless and impudent actions of what the UPND leader and his opposition party were really trying to achieve in Zambia (“Dialogue is not one-sided, Lungu tells critics”, Daily Nation, May 2, 2017).

In my view, the one-sided civil society’s calls for political dialogue in the face of Hakainde Hichilema’s arrest and arraignment for treason have been used to outwit and do public relations (PR) for UPND and its backers.

Now that is laughable in accordance with the tenets of shuttle diplomacy.

Was the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Chishimba Nkole at the Labour Day celebrations in Lusaka the spokesperson for UPND or was he speaking to shed some light on the Zambian issue of prevailing peace and improvement on the political landscape in the country?

I think the answer is the former and in that regard took the intelligence of all peace-loving Zambians for granted.

Suffice to say, in diplomacy and international relations, 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 in this case State House for President Edgar Lungu, to that of another Lusaka Central Correctional Facility – Chimbokaila in the case of the incarcerated UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

It is high time the pressure groups initiated the shuttle diplomacy process to eventually facilitate the desired political dialogue they’ve been calling for.

The term was first applied to describe the efforts of United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, beginning November 5, 1973, which facilitated the cessation of hostilities following the Yom Kippur War between Israel and the Arab countries in the Middle East.

Negotiators often use shuttle diplomacy when the one or both of two principals refuses recognition of the other prior to mutually desired negotiation. Mediators have adopted the term “shuttle diplomacy” as well.

All in all, political dialogue is unfair to those who would want to know the truth through the judicial process so that history does not repeat itself.

It is worth mentioning that the spate of UPND cadres’ acts of arson too, are not real solutions to ending their leader’s incarceration, impudence and impunity.

Mubanga Luchembe,

LUSAKA

PNU will be better than UPND

Dear Editor,

I wish to congratulate Mr Highvie Hamududu for forming a political party.

And I wish from the onset; to advise him that his Party for Nation Unity (PNU) should be seen and live just for that- national unity not a regional one like the UPND.

It should offer a better alternative to UPND which is nothing but a tribal grouping which has no future.

I have followed Mr Hamududu acts and I have   doubt in my mind that he will perform better than Hakainde Hichilema who is an arrogant fellow.

To the contrary, Mr Hamududu is educated and a gentleman who should be able to attract many of us to his party once he starts selling his workable ideas as an alternative government.

The beginning is always important. He should not surround himself with his fellow tribesmen. That will be a big mistake.

PNU should have a national appeal. It should have nothing to do with the ancient “Bantu Botatwe” idea. That will not work because it is in minority grouping and since politics is about numbers Mr Hamududu should know better.

Rest assured that Zambians will be watching your first central membership to see whether it is truly a national party or not.

After he launches his manifesto he should travel to all 10 provinces of Zambia to convince the people that PNU is for all Zambians.

Mr Hamududu should know that the first cut is always the deepest so he should be wise by doing the right thing unlike what we have seen in UPND.

For me, I think PNU has come at the right time and will successfully replace UPND and give the ruling PF a good run for its money.

Congratulations Mr Hamududu, and the rest is up to you.

Andrew Agabu Mumba

Unclear pastoral Catholic Bishops letter

Dear Editor,

The Catholic Church monitored August 2016 elections and affirmed that President Lungu won the elections.

It’s amazing that in the wake the arrest of Hakainde Hichilema, they seem to suggesting that the elections were not fairly handled.

This is highly contradictory. What the UPND did in failing to clear the road for the Head of State to pass cannot be tolerated anywhere on planet earth.

In some countries, police would have opened fire. One would have expected these Bishops to chide HH and tell him to quickly accept that elections are over and that there is now a Government whose mandate runs up to 2021.

What is so difficult in acknowledging this reality? UPND won three provinces out of ten. Yes, there seems to be some elements of brutality in the way HH was arrested but let’s not forget the real issue that led to the arrest.

Zambia has a Government and all of us including the Bishops must acknowledge that fact.

We may not all have voted for the current Government but it remains our civic and biblical duty to respect the Government and move forward.

Not this gibberish pastor’s letter which is trying to lecture us on history whose facts do not address our current lunacy from the opposition.

The Bishops are a great disappointment.

Concerned citizen

Old Guy Scott, it’s time to quit politics

Dear Editor,

I wish to agree more with your citizen on Guy Scott that he is a dreamer.

Ba Scott like his mentor Hakainde Hichilema called him ‘Mzungu Wopusa’(stupid white man) nothing can change that tag which fits in so well.

He is a white man with no vision, a floating pocket which goes wherever the wind blows.

But you can forgive him; he is an old and tired political battle axe who should just quick politics all together and enjoy his whiskey at his farm.

He no longer possesses what it takes to be a smart politician, especially in Africa.

But of course we cannot stop him from his day dreaming because after all he will be using his bed.

He is not even worthy debating because he is finished. With the arrest of HH, his life has been made complicated even further and for the worse because his political road has just reached the dead end.

Surely who can fail to tell Monday from Sunday? Even their No. 2 strongman Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) knows that his political dreams have been shattered because HH is not coming home soon.

And since UPND is HH and HH is UPND, it is done. Indeed let the dead bury the dead.

Albright Thomas, LUSAKA

Guy Scott should analyze HH’s situation properly  

Editor,

Dr. Guy Scott has not analyzed HH’s situation correctly. The only person who became President through civil disobedience is KK. The reason is that under KK, we were fighting Aliens (colonialists). HH is not fighting aliens! If the arsonists are indeed UPND, then the destruction will not surely work to their favour. Why burn infrastructure in a country whose economy is so much reliant on foreign aid and debt? Frederick Titus.J.Chiluba and Michael C .Sata never burnt public infrastructure in order to attract attention to themselves. Yes, HH needs counseling. HH will be remembered as a despot who destroyed public infrastructure. For this last reason, I can assure you that it will be an uphill battle for him and his UPND to seek a vote from people they hurt so much in the process.

 Senior citizen, Lusaka

Well done Hamududu 

Editor,

I wish the new party by Highvie Hamududu, Party for National Unity (PNU) all the best. It will certainly give us a break from the arrogant UPND leadership which seems to thrive on ‘we know it all’ useless syndrome. Well done badala, show us the way.

Concerned

Ministry of labour  

Editor,

Can the Labour and Social Security Minister hasten to authorize NAPSA to conclude the sale of Kalulushi NAPSA Housing project houses? More than 100 of us have fully paid for these houses but we are unable to take possession of the houses because the minister has not endorsed the sale.

Landlord

Daily Nation newspaper   

Editor,

There goes the guys and dolls of integrity marching at the 2017 Labour Day clad in red and black. Simply beautiful, (front page of Daily Nation of May 2nd). You have brought dignity in reporting facts to the nation except to those who use half of their brains, you are their enemies. Keep it up and to management, please listen to these young gallant men and women whenever they have a grievance. God bless you all, you have made many happy.

Patriot, Ndola

Kafue DEBS fire   

Editor,

Many of us know the UPND hate development in Zambia. They are criminals, plunderers and should not take advantage. Things must be investigated, all inventory, accounts and stock of any kind. Don’t forget to counter check the auditor’s report that might lead us to real arsonists. Destroying evidence could be a reason.

Chali Sume

NAPSA unfair  

Editor,

The policy of NAPSA in which, when you qualify for pension, you get K1, 000 is unfair to those in private sector. How can I build or buy a house this way? It would have been better if it was optional.

TZ

Directed to my fellow youth

Editor,

I would like to make an appeal to my fellow youths on the current behaviors being portrayed by the majority of us. It is very disappointing to see people whose lives can be full of potential taking to the bottle, smoking and having loose morals. What happened to having a direction, a sense of purpose in the short life given to us by the Almighty? I know most of us will say, life is tough and there are very little opportunities for us out there but come on, that’s no reason to waste our precious selves. Why not get involved in some charity work, attend good-clean social gatherings, attend Expos that will be beneficial to your personal growth and above all, spend time with God. Eventually, in time, things will unfold because you have associated yourself with the right path.

Citizen