People’s Pact demands apology over HH hate speech
By Mast Reporter
THE People’s Pact has demanded that President Hakainde Hichilema apologise to the people of Zambia over his recent tribal and hate speech made in Choma during a political rally.
People’s Pact general secretary Dr Cosmas Musumali said Hichilema’s statement in Choma represents a fundamental betrayal of the national unity he swore to uphold.
Dr Musumali, who is also Socialist Party (SP) general secretary, said the remarks by Hichilema violated the foundational principle of equal citizenship for all Zambians.
“…the Head of State, as the nation’s unifying symbol, must never use language that legitimises ethnic division,” he said.
In a statement, he warned that such rhetoric from the highest office dangerously erodes the cherished “One Zambia, One Nation” philosophy.
Dr Musumali said Hichilema and the United Party for National Development had a moral duty to issue an unconditional public apology and formally withdraw the statements.
He highlighted the bloody precedents across Africa, where tribal politicking from leaders led to catastrophic violence.
“The remarks breached the constitutional oath and raised serious questions regarding the president’s fitness for office,” he said.
Dr Musumali said normalising Hichilema’s discourse poisons the country’s political culture and threatens long-term stability.
He called for national solidarity, saying that citizens must reject the dangerous departure from the national ethos.
“Any apology must be explicit and acknowledge the specific harm caused, not merely express regret,” he said.
Dr Musumali said the incident forces a reckoning with the President’s moral authority to lead all Zambians.
He urged civil society, faith groups, and all citizens to defend the nation’s cohesive fabric.
“Our collective silence in the face of such divisiveness would be a dereliction of duty to our nation and to future generations,” he said.
