NEWS RELEASE
19.03.2022
Contact : UPND Media Director, Ruth Dante, +260976503165
Email: upndzambia@gmail.com
HEALING THE NATION AN AMAZING BREAKTHROUGH BY PRESIDENT HICHILEMA
Lusaka 19.03.2022 The United Party for National Development wishes to express its profound gratitude to the many Zambians who exhibited a great sense of love during the period of national mourning in honor of late 4th Republican President Rupiah Banda in a show of confidence towards the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema and his call for peace in the nation.
Many Zambians using different media platforms have all spoken with utmost appreciation the manner President Hichilema has united the country in mourning the former Head of state late President Banda with love, respect and peace. Listening to them carefully something clearly comes that Zambia is healing.
President Banda deserved to be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged with one heart and one voice by the whole country as a lover of peace. However, what remains something of a marvel to look at was the unity that prevailed during the mourning period across all socio-economic and political divides that not so long fiercely worked against each other.
The convergence of thousands of people from across political divide and their messages of condolences just proves the growth and maturity of Zambia’s Democratic credentials which have reinforced President Hichilema’s consistent call for unity and peace in the country during this period and posterity.
It is further gratifying to note the peaceful atmosphere that existed between the various political players and their followers during the mourning period. As the ruling Party, we wish to commend our supporters for extending their love to other political players by avoiding any form of violence that had previously characterised most state funerals and other functions.
This is a demonstration of the successes scored this far by President Hichilema in his crusade to unite the country. It is a demonstration of his big heart, loving personality, patriotism and magnanimity towards those in opposition.
The nation watched with delight as President Hichilema and his predecessor Edgar Lungu stood side by side during the state funeral warmly welcoming foreign dignitaries in a clear demonstration of President Hichilema’s ability to transform the nation so much within just six months of his time in power.
Broadly speaking, one can discern that Zambians are once again ready to put aside their differences to join hands and move forward in developing this country. During President Hichilema’s rule, peace has been preserved across the country, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere.
From the beginning, President Hichilema has stressed that peace and unity are the foundations for socio-economic development that the country desires, and that without it we cannot reach our national goals. He has on several occasions stressed that for people to work together towards a common cause, we needed peace and unit and that socio-economic development cannot be treated separately from peace and unit.
On 11th March, 2022 during the State of the Nation address at Parliament, President Hichilema stressed his desire to lead a united people. The President’s emphasis has been on healing the nation and ending hostilities against each other as the foundation for development. His peace crusade can thus be summed up as a campaign for concerted action towards ending tribal and politically driven marginalisation at all levels in the community including among others in our health, judicial, and education systems.
As the country watched President Hichilema and former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu standing side by side at Show Grounds warmly welcoming foreign dignitaries to the state funeral and I found myself in awe of President Hichilema’s ability to transform the nation so much within just six months of his time in power. We as the ruling party commit ourselves to the values of love, peace and unity that our President is warmly sharing with this nation
We as the ruling party commit ourselves to the values of love, peace and unity that our President is warmly sharing with the nation and its people.
In the words of former Botswana President Ian Khama, “this country is safe in the hands of President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND and we call on its citizens within and outside the country to rally behind his leadership as he works at uniting this once divided nation.”
God bless Zambia and may it grow into a prosperous, peaceful and united country.
For more details contact:
Information and Publicity Department
UPND Secretariat
Party Headquarters
Lusaka