Hichilema is not a leader. He is a liar, a hypocrite, and an egocentric and highly intolerant individual- Fred M’membe

TRIBAL HATE SPEECH: HICHILEMA AND HIS LOPSIDED JUSTICE

Today, we shared the thoughts below:

It seems that practising tribalism is not wrong, but pointing it out is a crime of hate speech.

And so far, it seems only people from one side of the country are being arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned for tribal hate speech. Why?

Interestingly, we have been vindicated even before the sun goes down.

Speaking in Luanshya today, Mr Hakainde Hichilema vowed to deal with anyone trying to divide the nation by engaging in tribal talk.

“I have been very patient, from today onwards, anyone who divides Zambians, I will [be] tougher, the law will visit them,” he said.

“In two years, eight months, I was saying let me see how these people behave. They don’t stop behaving badly. From today, you start fighting Zambians, you want the country to be destroyed, you are gone”.

Ideally, this statement deserves acknowledgement and acclamation but not when it comes from a two-faced and deceitful individual like Mr Hichilema. In fact, when it comes to discussing tribalism and national unity, Mr Hichilema is not the right lecturer to lecture us. And certainly, his lying lips are not the finest to make such declarations about tribalism and national unity.

Judging by his record, Mr Hichilema should be the last person to insinuate that he cares for this country and its tribes, and therefore, would want to maintain the peace and unity we have enjoyed for almost 60 years now, because his deeds, which seem deliberate by the way, point in the opposite direction. We want to place it on record that there is nothing peaceful and unifying about the way Mr Hichilema is governing this country today.

And to prove this, one doesn’t even need to go far. They should simply take a closer look at his appointees. They should look at the current composition of his government, advisors and aides, civil service, defence and security high command, judiciary, national assembly, parastatal organisations, commissions, various boards, and so on and so forth.

A light and not thorough assessment of these specific establishments and government bodies and agencies will no doubt expose Mr Hichilema and his double speak on this subject. What unity and tribal harmony can Mr Hichilema preach when he is practising naked divisiveness and disunity? What unity can Mr Hichilema talk about when his government is using the police to enforce the law on tribal hate speech in a highly dangerous and lopsided manner? Who will even listen to him? How can it be that only people from one side of the country are being arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned for tribal hate speech and not others? Why should tribal hate speech only be against one tribe and not others? What type of justice is this?

Mr Bruce Kanema, Mr Trevor Mwiinde and many other UPND party officials have publicly issued seditious tribal hate speeches, and threatened to violently attack and murder others in clear terms, and nothing has been done by the police to date. They have done this and continue to do so with impunity. Even Cabinet ministers have made violent and inciting declarations against the opposition in the presence of Mr Hichilema with impunity. So, what country can Mr Hichilema lie about that he wants to unite? Certainly, not Zambia because as things stand today, he is a hinderance to our national unity and peace.

In his heart of hearts, Mr Hichilema knows his major weakness and discomforts and what he needs to do to end this tribal talk, divisions, and tension, except he is in denial. He thinks these difficulties will disappear so long as he keeps lying, pretending and issuing desperate threats of arrests and detentions. Whoever misled him that police cells or prison makes people cowards lie to him. Threats or no threats, prison or no prison, the truth must be faced, and difficulty conversations must be held over tribalism and national unity today because everyone is seeing, feeling and perfectly deciphering the mismatch in Mr Hichilema’s actions and talk. The man can’t walk the talk!

Indeed, tribalism and national unity must be addressed, but not in a one-sided manner. It must be addressed both in speech and deeds or else, let Mr Hichilema prepare more prison space for those of us who are willing and able to tell him the truth he hates to hear. Pantu teti tulebepwa nokututinya ngo twaice. Enough is enough!

Truth be told, Mr Hichilema is not a leader. He is a liar, a hypocrite, and an egocentric and highly intolerant individual. And it’s a pity that this country ended up with such an element as Head of State. We urge our people to prepare for the worst both in terms of the quality of leadership and the social, political, and economic situation.

There is absolutely no ounce of leadership in Mr Hichilema, and anyone seeing otherwise is fooling themselves.

Uwafitala akaimwena!

Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party