OCiDA can’t endorse HH for presidency – Changala
By Charles Musonda
IT WILL be total madness for OCiDA (Our Civic Duty Association), a credible organisation, to wake up one morning and endorse President Hakainde Hichilema’s presidential candidacy, says member Brebner Changala.
In an interview yesterday, Changala said such endorsement would be malicious, unthinkable and betrayal because OCiDA could never support Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) in its current form when it was exhibiting dictatorial tendencies.
“Those people were fans of OCiDA and its charismatic leader Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu. The desperation of the UPND is so amazing. It came as a shock because the leadership has not changed,” he said.
“For a very long time we have never given any position on any one matter. It must be clear that OCiDA supported the UPND and Mr Hakainde Hichilema in 2021.”
Changala accused the UPND government of abusing people’s rights and freedoms, passing draconian laws in Parliament and arresting people for merely holding divergent views.
He was reacting to a group of what he called “fake old men” who presented themselves as members of OCiDA and endorsed Hichilema and the UPND on Wednesday.
Changala said the nation woke up to a rude shock that elderly citizens who are from one region were used by the desperate UPND leadership to masquerade as official OCiDA leadership.
“But it must be clear that OCiDA supported the UPND and Mr Hakainde Hichilema in 2021. After the elections of 2021 the leadership of Mr Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND became and behaved in a manner that was outside what the membership of OCiDA and trustees supported. And many people who supported the UPND and Mr Hakainde Hichilema who were disappointed have disengaged from UPND and Mr Hakainde Hichilema,” Changala said.
He said OCiDA could not support an administration which had shown the ugly face of tribalism, favouritism and collapse of the Judiciary.
“OCiDA is independent and focused on the restoration of the rule of law and equal application of the law. OCiDA is there to promote equality in all sectors,” Changala said.
“OCiDA is firmly in charge of its mandate supporting a government that stands tall with the governed and the UPND and Mr Hakainde Hichilema are not in that circle.”
