HH SHOULD EMULATE KAUNDA AND GIVE ZAMBIA FRESH START – DR MUKUKA
By Thandizo Banda
POLITICAL Researcher Dr Cephas Mukuka has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to emulate founding President Dr Kenneth Kaunda by giving Zambia a fresh start through dialogue with opposition leader Brian Mundubile.
Dr Mukuka said HIchilema is fortunate to have lessons from all past presidents on record for free application.
“Dr Kaunda chose national interest over personal power when he cut short his tenure, sought counsel and prayers from Dr Nevers Mumba, announced multiparty elections on 31st October 1991 and pardoned suspected coup plotters to hand over a united and peaceful nation to Dr Frederick Chiluba,” he said.
“Prior to the 1991 tripartite elections, Kaunda engaged in some meaningful dialogue in search of peace and a fresh start for our nation. He requested for the counsel of Dr Nevers Mumba and subsequently for his prayers. Kaunda had to cut short his tenure just to facilitate this fresh start in the great interest of the nation,” he said.
Dr Mukuka, citing Kirbey Lockhart’s book Zambia Shall Be Saved, said President Hichilema should not miss an opportunity to be on the right side of global history.
“President Hichilema should give Zambia a fresh start as things stand. He should take a bold step and look eye to eye with his brother main opposition leader Brian Mundubile for the great purposes of healing and uniting our nation at an opportune time,” he said.
He noted that Hichilema himself is a product of dialogue, recalling his treason incarceration under the Patriotic Front regime of late President Edgar Lungu, which critics argued was a road traffic incident.
“This was that hard period for Hichilema. The late Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu spearheaded a crusade of freeing Hichilema. We saw the world respond as former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo came into our nation for the very purpose of letting Hichilema off the hook. The then Commonwealth Secretary Ms Patricia Scotland equally arrived in Zambia to engage authority, and Hichilema was set off the hook,” Dr Mukuka said.
Quoting former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that sometimes history, fate and destiny connive to shape the future,” Dr Mukuka said Hichilema is fortunate to have lessons from all past presidents on record for free application.
He warned that inflammatory statements from some UPND officials are fueling division.
“Some statements coming from named UPND officials are very worrying. These statements are inflammatory and alarming. Zambia must heal and subsequently unite. The UPND should guide on who to speak and on what topic. Censorship of media statements by the secretariat is the word as of now for the UPND. Statements of love, unity and peace should make headlines in our daily news,” he said.
“Fellow citizens, I come in peace,” Dr Mukuka said.
