Chris ZUMANI: How can HH be motivated to dialogue or reconcile with people who don’t recognize him as president?Brian Mundubile must publicly recognize HH as the sitting president regardless of what happened in August

Recognition of HH as Sitting President Versus Meaningful Dialogue and Reconciliation with BM: Why Complex Political Problems Are More Resolved Through Dialogue & Mediation, Not in Courts

By Dr. Chris ZUMANI Zimba

…..Politics is for everyone, but political strategy, divine humility and intellectual wisdom is for very few. When you see people demanding for justice before local and international courts to resolve complex political problems like the one for BM and team, then know that they have zero knowledge of the role, relevance, legacy and power of mediation in Post Election Conflicts. Be aware that not everyone coughing politics on social media has credible professional roots, heart for motherland and the best interest of the masses. Many are good at empty political talking, misinforming, misleading, gossiping, defaming and damaging human reputations and relations….

1. In the past 5 years, many Western countries have sanctioned Russia politically and economically after their invasion of Ukraine. President Putin and many Moscow politicians have been called war criminals and reported to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for arrests and justice. But up to now, all these judicial court measures and media outbursts have yielded nothing meaningful for Ukraine apart from worsening tensions, antagonism and hostility context between them. The universal proven fact is “complex political problems such as wars of nations are resolved mainly through meaningful dialogue and mediation, and not judicial arbitration and court justice”.

2. Last Friday, Russian President, Vladimir Putin ordered a 3 days ceasefire with Ukraine in order to respect and allow peace negotiations with US mediators, Mr. Steve Witkoff and Mr. Jared Kushner sent by President Donald Trump to Moscow with the aim of ending the war. On Sunday, the two US peace mediators also held talks with Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy who equally welcomed both the ceasefire and peace negotiations. When meaningful dialogue and mediation is effected, warring parties positively respond for peace as shown by both Putin and Zelenskyy here. Russia and Ukraine have demonstrated that meaningful dialogue and mediation is the most effective means to ending their complex conflict as opposed to judicial litigations or ICC vain interventions.

3. The complex political problem such as the post election arrest and detention of BM and MZ is one that demand careful, wise, sober and mature approach. Comparatively, the most appropriate approach is dialogue and diplomatic mediation than fighting for justice before local, regional and international courts. To avoid dialogue and mediation by taking President HH or UPND government to global courts in New York, Hague or London is not just citizen folly and radical antagonistic politics of worsening the situation of the victims, but it is also missed opportunity to help unite and heal the country. Today, we have seen key opposition leaders in Uganda, Cameroon, Tanzania, Rwanda or South Sudan who have chosen the BBC or CNN path of seeking antagonistic justice and confrontation in local and global courts and have either delayed or denied their own political freedom, peace and reconciliation with their governments.

4. Complex politics disputes must never be resolved in courts especially here in Africa but through political dialogue or mediation. Dialogue helps to birth multiple possible solutions for the mutual benefits of everyone on the table. To the contrary, court proceedings have two specific outcomes, either acquittal or conviction. Demanding justice before African courts to resolve complex political disputes is a high stake gamble, a risky approach well meaning people must not advocate for BM and MZ. Recognizing that President HH welcomed reconciliation and national unity in his inauguration speech on 1st September, 2026, it critical to prioritize dialogue and mediation in the case of BM and others as opposed to court proceedings if we truly understand politics especially in Africa.

5. On 5th September, 2026, Sierra Leone’s former President, Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma returned to his country after spending more than 2 years in Nigeria. Mr. Koroma left his country in 2024 after being charged with treason over an alleged failed coup in November 2023. Since January 2024, Nigeria has been leading the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediation team aimed at promoting peace, stability and political understanding in Sierra Leone between the sitting President, Mr Julius Maada Bio and the former president. On Saturday, the Sierra Leone government confirmed that Koroma’s treason charges were dropped in order to promote national unity and he is now safely back in Freetown as a free statesman with dignity. This is what meaningful mediation and reconciliation can achieve to resolve such complex political problems.

6. In April, 2017, Zambia Police arrested HH as lead opposition leader then and charged him with treason after alleging that his vehicle convoy created a security threat to a sitting president then, Mr Edgar Lungu in Mongu. After being detained for over 127 days at Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison, Lungu’s PF government dropped the treason charges, and HH was released following meaningful dialogue involving the state, church, chiefs, civil society, SADC, AU and the Commonwealth. Had the UPND leadership insisted on seeking justice before the local and global courts for HH as opposed to mediation, it is very possible that this story could have been different today. As we speak, HH is Zambia’s Republican President today now serving his second term up to 2031.

7. Every time Israel and Palestine engage into a ceasefire over Gaza war, just know that mediation is at play either by USA, Egypt or Qatar. For decades, the idea of reporting Israel or PM Benjamin Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court (ICC) has never stopped the heavy guns from pounding Gaza or Lebanon because litigating politics does not generally work. From 28th July 1914 to 11th November 1918, the First World War saw over 15 million people killed in a historic global conflict. However, wise global leaders led by the US President then applied the role, relevance and legacy of dialogue and mediation to end the devastating international war. Through the Paris Peace Conference, a set of diplomatic meetings in 1919, the First World War was ended. Even in South Africa, Great Nelson Mandela and his ANC comrades had their political cases dropped and got independence in 1994 only after meaningful negotiations were activated everywhere and not through the courts. Mediation and dialogue never fail the settlement of political disputes!

8. But how can meaningful dialogue for reconciliation and national unity be enhanced or attained between HH and BM at this stage? Any meaningful dialogue and reconciliation is the hands of HH since he is the sovereign leader and sitting president while BM has the key to fast track it, delay it or possibly deny it depending on his attitude and posture. Although most stakeholders have called for dialogue and reconciliation between HH and BM including myself, the notorious problem at hand that has slowed the process is BM’s continued delay or refusal to recognize HH as ECZ declared Winning Republican President. This acceptance from BM should not be about his feelings, what happened or did not happen or the right or wrong election results. It is about strategic political survival to foster dialogue, his freedom, national unity and healing.

9. How can HH be motivated to dialogue or reconcile with people who don’t recognize him as president? The fastest way to get HH’s attention to dialogue is for BM to publicly recognize HH as the sitting president regardless of what happened in August. For BM and MZ supporters, the idea of attacking, insulting or denouncing HH will not and will never help to resolve the problem of BM and MZ either today or tomorrow. Instead, accepting HH as sitting president and respectfully appealing ( not demanding) for dialogue with his government is the best way out for the freedom of BM and the team. To painfully accept that HH is the ECZ declared winner and Republican President for the 5 years is both critical and important if we desire to see faster progress on dialogue, national unity and healing.

10. In Isaiah 1:18, God said “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”. God’s first offer to humanity is dialogue and forgiveness as opposed to justice and rule of law because His judgment is final and non negotiable. In order for God to hear our prayers and forgive our sins, the first step is to acknowledge that He is God and our only Savior. Whenever God is worshipped and adored, God is automatically moved to forgive and bless you.

11. We must note that whenever a Republican President is recognized regardless of how he won by his competitors, he/she feels comfortable, free and confident to be engaged for any national political discourse. This attitude helps to create a meaningful dialogue between the government and the losing opposition or contending actors. It also increases the possibilities of getting favorable mediation outcome. The opposite is also true; any sitting president who is so politically denounced or openly hated by rivals is not likely to entertain or listen to them. That is why deliberate political recognition of the established government is critical and central for meaningful dialogue and mediation anywhere.

12. Hence, we vehemently appeal to the Zambian church, chiefs, regional bodies like SADC, Great Lakes, AU and global bodies like Commonwealth not to give up on facilitating for dialogue and reconciliation between President HH and BM. This is the desire and pray of most citizens across Zambia in order to foster a united, peaceful and reconciled nation. As Tonse Alliance Secretary General with other like minded alliance members and noble citizens, we shall continue to support, facilitate and coordinate any meaningful dialogue and constructive mediation between President HH and BM so that true political settlement, national unity and reconciliation is attained for the benefit of our beloved country. Comparative empirical data show that dialogue and mediation has resolved more post election conflicts globally than court proceedings and judicial interventions. Let mediation and dialogue reign

Dr Chris Zumani Zimba is Tonse Alliance Founder, SG and NRPUP Chief Presidential Advisor. He is a Zambian Political Scientist with Certificate, Bachelors, Masters and PhD in Political Science specialized in Comparative Democratic Governance and Public Policy Analysis. He served as Political Advisor to late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu from December 2019 to June, 2025. Dr. Zimba is a researcher and published scholar with more than 10 books to his name.