Lungu Dismisses “Excuses” for Disunity, Offers to Step Aside for National Cooperation

Lungu Dismisses “Excuses” for Disunity, Offers to Step Aside for National Cooperation

Zambia We Want Secretary General Muhabi Lungu has dismissed what he described as “lame excuses” being used to avoid cooperation and unity, arguing that genuine leadership should rise above personal offence in the interest of the majority.

In a strongly worded statement, Lungu said national unity and cooperation cannot be derailed by the words or actions of a single individual, including himself, adding that leadership must remain focused on the bigger picture.

“No one can stay away from genuine unity on the basis of the words uttered by one insignificant individual such as I, who has allegedly been offensive,” Lungu said.

He further stated that if his presence is being used as a justification for failure to cooperate, he is willing to remove himself from the process entirely for the sake of progress.

“If people want to use me, as Muhabi Lungu, as an excuse not to cooperate with others, and for the greater good of the majority, I am prepared to step aside from this process entirely,” he said.

Lungu argued that true leadership cannot be blocked by personal grievances, warning that leaders who prioritise personal offence over collective interests are not ready to lead.

“Those who are prepared to put aside the interest of the majority because they have been personally offended by a single individual are not prepared to lead anyone,” he said.

Using the analogy of a lifeguard rescuing a drowning person, Lungu said leadership demands resilience, patience and sacrifice, even in hostile conditions.

“True leadership requires that you are able to take offence and still look at the greater picture,” he said. “A life saver will grab the victim who is drowning even when the one being saved is in a state of panic and behaving in a manner that threatens both lives.”

Lungu also drew from personal experience, saying his role as a first-born child taught him that leadership often means guiding others through difficult situations, even when misunderstood or opposed.

“Real leadership is really hard,” he said. “If one cannot truly weather the storm of true leadership, and everything must be ‘my way or the highway,’ excuses for that failure of leadership can always be found.”

The statement comes amid ongoing debates within civil and political spaces about unity, cooperation and leadership maturity in efforts aimed at national development and reform.

©️ KUMWESU | January 29, 2026