HICHILEMA MUST FOCUS ON NATIONAL DIALOGUE AND RECONCILIATION, NOT THE DIVISIVE BILL 7- Fred M’membe

HICHILEMA MUST FOCUS ON NATIONAL DIALOGUE AND RECONCILIATION, NOT THE DIVISIVE BILL 7

Earlier this month, we stood in solidarity with the Catholic Bishops, opposition leaders and several civil society organizations in calling on Mr Hakainde Hichilema to immediately withdraw the controversial Bill No. 7.

We emphasized that this proposed Constitutional amendment lacks both clarity and sincere public support.

We underscored the dangers of ignoring the widespread demand for the withdrawal of Bill 7, and how the proposed changes to the Constitution were not a viable political strategy but rather a form of self-sabotage. We hold a strong belief that when national leaders choose to disregard the collective voice of the masses, they risk alienating the very citizens they swore to serve. They risk detaching themselves from the very masses who voted them into office.

Nonetheless, in typical fashion, Mr Hichilema and his government have continued to exhibit the alarming behavior of arrogance and rigidity.

It’s shocking that instead of pausing to reflect and consult, they are determinedly marching forward on a dangerous and isolationist mission. But the questions remain: to what end? Where will this political obstinacy lead? What future is being built through their refusal to listen to the collective voices of the people?

What Mr Hichilema seems to misunderstand is the depth of division that this Bill 7, he is clinging on to has already caused. To be honest, there is nothing patriotic, tolerable and inclusive or reconciliatory about this proposed amendment. This is a deeply polarizing piece of legislation that has fractured public opinion across political, social and to an extent religious lines.

In light of this reality, why can’t Mr Hichilema pause and reflect on the urgent need for national dialogue and reconciliation? Why prioritize constitutional amendments through Bill 7, when it’s absolutely clear that these amendments threaten to deepen the nation’s political and social divisions instead of healing and uniting the country?

We have said it before, and we say it again: in politics, as in life, it is both legitimate and necessary to yield, either when one is convinced the other side is right or when doing so avoids greater harm to the whole. What will it profit Mr Hichilema and the UPND to isolate themselves from the people they serve, just for the sake of Bill 7?

Clearly, Mr Hichilema is already overwhelmed by numerous national challenges in terms of economic, social and governance related matters. Therefore, his energy would be far better spent fostering national unity and reconciliation rather than pushing forward with a divisive constitutional amendment that the public neither understands nor supports. Let him understand that his persistence on Bill 7 is tantamount to “lifting oneself in a bucket”. It’s impossible!

We urge Mr Hichilema to listen for once, and the time to listen is now. He must realize that this country’s path to unity does not lie in forceful impositions but in humility, dialogue, and respect for the voices and will of the people.

Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party