Urgent national indaba needed!

By NATION REPORTER PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema should convene a national indaba to resolve outstanding matters arising from the August 13 elections and give aggrieved citizens an opportunity to be heard, Brebner Changala has said. Mr Changala, a civil rights and political activist has appealed to President Hichilema to bring together traditional leaders, labour unions, professional associations, civil society organisations and other national stakeholders to discuss election grievances, political tensions and the state of governance following the August 13 disputed general elections. He said the dialogue should provide answers to questions surrounding the suspension of vote counting, the presence of soldiers at polling stations and the reported closure of courts during the period when electoral grievances could have been presented. Mr Changala argued that these matters could not be resolved by ignoring citizens who remained dissatisfied with the electoral process. “These are issues we need to discuss as a people. Zambians are ready to talk to each other. Zambians are ready to develop their country. Zambians are more than ready to live as one people,” Mr Changala said. He proposed that Government organise the indaba through the Secretary to the Cabinet or another appropriate government institution, providing a platform where citizens could speak freely and receive responses from their leaders. He described voting day as peaceful but was quick to state that developments in the hours that followed had shaken public confidence in the country’s democratic institutions. Mr Changala questioned why counting had been stopped and demanded an explanation for the deployment of soldiers to polling stations, who were reported to have taken custody of election materials such as the Gen 20 forms. He also called on Chief Justice Mumba Malila to explain the circumstances surrounding the closure of courts, saying the issue raised serious concerns about judicial independence and the separation of powers. According to Mr Changala, citizens deserved to know how security personnel could restrict access to institutions responsible for hearing their grievances. “President Hichilema has a responsibility to govern for all Zambians, including those who questioned his electoral victory or disagreed with his administration. You have a constitutional obligation to unite this country,” he said. Mr Changala warned that sections of the population felt excluded and under suspicion, alleging that law enforcement was being applied selectively against individuals from northern and eastern regions. He urged the President to address those perceptions through dialogue and equal treatment, saying national unity required the concerns of aggrieved citizens to be taken seriously. Mr Changala also expressed concern over the prolonged detention of suspects without police bond or appearance before a court. “President Hichilema had opposed such practices while in opposition and had spoken against them in office, yet they have continued under his administration,” he said. Mr Changala argued that the UPND’s promises to restore freedoms and reform the police, judiciary, civil service and other public institutions should be reflected in the government’s conduct. He criticised the weakening of independent voices in the labour movement, student leadership and some religious organisations, explaining that some leaders who should scrutinise government and represent their members had become too closely aligned with the ruling party. Mr Changala said fear had narrowed the space for political expression, prompting some citizens to voice their preferences at funerals and football matches. On the President’s Grow Zambia agenda, Mr Changala said development required public participation and national agreement, which would be difficult to secure while political grievances remained unresolved. He also questioned the delay in constituting a full Cabinet and called for an explanation to the public and urged President Hichilema to receive his appeal as a message of national unity. “Please don’t look for sedition in this message. I plead with you that find the message of national unity,” Mr Changala said.

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