12 Reasons why HH must do a “hate speech swap” between Hon Charles Milupi’s UPND Team versus Hon Munir Zulu’s PF-UKA team for national healing and political reconciliation
By Dr. Chris Zumani Zimba
….Factual evidence show that both UPND and PF-UKA camps have made public statements bordering on “hate speech”, tribalism, and regionalism either as a careless political tactics to intimidate rival camp or a retaliatory position out of anger and emotional outbursts. So only president HH can calm the national divisive storm in the sky instead of blessing Zambia police to swim into a one sided and brutal arrests and detentions of one camp because doing so fuels more ethnic and regional tensions….
1. My proposal of “hate speech swap” is primarily based on the practice of “prisoner exchange” or “prisoner swap” that emerged predominantly during WW1. This is a deal between opposing sides especially states in a conflict to release prisoners captured in war such as fighters, hostages or spies belonging to both sides in order to secure relief and “peace” from both ends.
2. One of the most complex and visible prisoner swaps was negotiated in 2023 involving freeing 10 American spy prisoners in Tehran in exchange with the release of U$6 billion of oil money for Iran withheld for years due to sanctions. This is exactly what President Hakainde Hichilema (HH) need to push for now in order to restore ethnic harmony, regional unity and stakeholders reconciliation. �
3. Following the abduction and disappearance of Hon. Jay Jay Emmanuel Banda last weekend, different stakeholders reacted in different utterances of anger and emotions as Zambia Police “failed” to competently and speedily investigate as well as assure the nation. In response, we witnessed aggressive state arrests and detentions of human rights activist, Mr. Brebner Changala, FDD President Hon. Edith Nawakwi (in a sick condition), Lumezi MP Hon. Munir Zulu, and Mfuwe MP Hon. Maureen Mabonga, charging them with politically of “hate speech” or “seditious practices against the State”.
4. In like manner, CDP President, Apostle Dan Pule was arrested and is equally detained for the same charges. Jackson Chama, “WHY ME” and Dr Chishimba Kambwili are all in legal trouble and in custody due to the crime of “hate speech” against the Tonga people. In his official Facebook post on 25th May, 2024, former President, Dr. Edgar Lungu concluded that “the UPND government seem to be creating a pattern that “hate speech” is only committed against the Tonga speaking people while other tribes have never suffered similar injuries”.
5. However, what is evident is that UPND top leaders including its Secretary General, MCCs and cabinet ministers have also made many “hate speeches” in the recent past. There is “hate speech” and “seditious practices” in the utterances of Trevor Mwiindea, a Livingstone based UPND member who recently declared that Southern Province is “a no-go-area for the people of Eastern and Northern regions”. It is this statement Hon. Munir Zulu was responding to in defence of his region.
6. There is “hate speech”, threat of violence and inciting violence and seditious practices in Solwezi based UPND leader, Bruce Kanema who has repeatedly insulted and threatened former President Edgar Lungu, his mother and his close PF or UKA associates and promised to physically kill ECL if he continues politics. There is “hate speech” in Hon Cornelius Mwetwa, chief Government spokesman when he officially and openly confirmed that UPND sponsored Chishimba Kambwili to champion political tribalism in 2021.
7. As we speak, New Heritage Party led by President Chishala Kateka successfully reported to Zambia Police the conduct of key UPND members-Moses Mokela, Bruce Kanema, Trevor Mwiinde, Phillip Musepa and Honorable Charles Milupi for inciting violence, threatening violence and for hate speech. “Umodzi Kumawa” pressure group equally reported moving from Chelston, Kabwata to Lusaka central police stations in order to report the same UPND members plus other leaders like Gilbert Liswaniso, Hon. D Siakalima, Obvious Mwaliteta, Frank Zimba, etc for the same offenses.
8. This is why it was brutally shocking to see Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) making a biased and controversial statement implying that they have not heard any “hate speech”, threats of violence, regional insults and seditious comments against President Lungu, Jay Jay Banda, PF-UKA camp, government critics, Easterners and Northerners from UPND camp few days or weeks before the abduction of JJ Banda himself. Instead of being professionally neutral to condemn both camps, LAZ failed to catch the big elephant in the room.
9. In a multiparty democracy like ours, it is important to know that many people become politically divided either by race, religion, ethnicity or regions. It’s a known political issue globally that is even worse in presidential governments as well as unitary state systems like in our country. Our government system makes it easier for many citizens to be trapped into political tribalism, regionalism, nepotism or racism as we are witnessing today.
10. “One Zambia, One Nation”, is mere political slogan and cannot be actualized without a president who is neutral, balanced, sober and magnanimous to unite everyone. With the list of political leaders and activists being arrested and detained for “hate speech” and “seditious practices” increasing, HH has a chance to negotiate peace and freedom for everyone involved in both camps by using the “hate speech swap” deal. He will be more respected and adored everywhere!
11. HH can bring both UPND and PF-UKA camps with similar offenses to public apology and foster political reconciliation and unity among them as one people, one Zambia. As long as HH pushes for one sided criminal punishment of one camp, the PF-UKA camp as a show of political vengeance and state power when his own UPND members have committed similar or worse crimes and remain untouchable and free, HH will be directly fueling political regionalism and “state sponsored tribalism” in Zambia.
12. Let HH know that Zambia today needs the wisdom of God by politically applying Isaiah 1:18 which reads as follows: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”. In this war against “hate speech” and “seditious practices”, we need a leader in HH, the SDA church elder to bring this nation to this divine understanding and position.
Therefore, HH must know is that multiethnic Zambia is a not a country that has been at peace for 60 years by chance or magic, it has taken deliberate policy efforts and magnanimous Leadership steps by his six predecessors and past governments to unite these diverse cultural groups and steer the ship harmoniously this far.
Dr Chris ZUMANI Zimba is a Political Scientist, Researcher, Author & Consultant specialized in Comparative Global Governance and Democratic Theories. He holds a PhD, MA, BA and Cert in Political Science. Zimba was President Lungu’s Political Advisor from December 2019 to August 2021. By philosophical approach, Dr. Zimba is a Pan Africanist as well as Afro-Christian by religion.
Email:chriszumaniZimba.cz@gmail.com