PRESIDENT HICHILEMA IS DESECRATING TRADITIONAL CEREMONIES BY TURNING THEM INTO UPND RALLIES
Lusaka- Monday, 25th November 2024
We have observed with deep concerns how a clear pattern has emerged that President Hakainde Hichilema has quickly turned noble traditional and cultural events and ceremonies, into public rallies and meetings for the United Party for National Development (UPND).
This is visibly demonstrated by political activities that have taken place at all traditional ceremonies that President Hichilema has recently attended or officiated.
They have become political ceremonies to gather traditional leaders and opposition MPs to endorse him and pledge support for him for his government and for his 2026 re-election.
The pictures from the ceremonies confirm and show a sad depiction where UPND regalia litter the crowd.
Further, at these ceremonies, President Hichilema openly shows contempt by recognising Mafinga MP, Robert Chabinga as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Patriotic Front Acting President even when he knows that these matters remain active in the court.of law.
He also uses the events to parade members of the Opposition and Patriotic Front renegade MPs. This is sowing seeds of discord, confusion and helps fracture the unity in the Opposition.
Yet this is hypocrisy of the highest order.
During his time in the Opposition, Presodent Hichilema punished UPND MPs, Mayors and Council Chairpersons for merely receiving President Edgar Lungu.in their constituencies or districts.
The cases of Council Chairpersons of Kaoma, Bindundu Mutti, and Kafue Council Chairperson, Thomas Zulu are examples of Hichilema’sintolerance. He expelled them from the UPND for receiving President Edgar Lungu who was on national duties in their districts.
For example, President Hichilema suspended Prof. Geoffrey Lungwangwa and Hon Teddy Kasonso for merely supporting a Parliamentary Bill, Bill 10, an action that defiled parliamentary sovereignty and independence.
President Hichilema punished MPs and others severely for merely sharing the principle of co-existence and tolerance for national duties and events.
THE CASE OF THE 2024 CHABUKA TRADITIONAL CEREMONY HELD ON SUNDAY,24TH NOVEMBER 2024
The ceremony was preceded by a gathering of Luapula chiefs by government.
A letter dated 18th November 2024 invited all their Royal Highnesses from Luapula. It read;
“Luapula Province will be receiving six (6) Cabinet Ministers. They are coming in the province to discuss various developmental projects to be undertaken in all the Chiefdoms.”
“In view of the above, we are cordially inviting you our Royal Highnesses to attend this important meeting with the Cabinet Ministers,” reads the letter dated November 18, 2024 signed by Luapula Province deputy permanent secretary Prudence Mwansa Chinama.”
“Provincial Administration will cater for your travel and upkeep logistics. The meeting will take place at SALI RIVERSIDE RESORT in Mansa on Wednesday; 20th November, 2024 at 14:00 Hours. There will be lunch provided before the meeting.”
Further it became clear that Chief Mukuni, the chief of the Toka-Leya people in the Livingstone, Zimba, and Kazungula districts of Southern Province, was a political emisary of President Hichilema and was coordinating, behind the scenes, the chiefs attendance for this upcoming political event.
We wish to express gratitude and show solidarity with Senior Chief Mwata Kazembe, who heads and leads the Lunda Kingdoms, who stayed away from this politicised event.
We also thank the four chiefs in Mansa who. despite tremendous pressure, also openly expressed concern and reservations at the desecration of the preparations of the event and boycotted the trafitional ceremony they have attended for decades, altogether.
PRESIDENT HICHILEMA HAS TAKEN OVER THE PATRIOTIC FRONT AS DEFACTO PRESIDENT
At his direction, State House organised and supported a sham Patriotic Front Extral-Ordinary General Conference.
After this we saw a process headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police, Milner.Muyambango where changes at the Registrar of Societies were made that saw Matero MP, Miles Sampa installed as Patriotic Front President a provess that illegally replaced President Edgar Lungu.
Again at State House direction, we saw fresh changes at office bearers of the Patriotic Front. President Hichilema has recognised Robert Chabinga as Acting President of the Patriotic Front as his recent remarks in Mansa show.
We will not be surprised that more changes may be effected to change from Robert Chabinga to whoever President Hichilema will be comfortable with.
Clearly President Hichilema is the defacto President of the Patriotic Front as he makes changes as he wills.
We have previously stated that President Hichilema has attempted to destroy democracy and the Multi-Party character of Zambia by frwquently sponsoring confusion in the Opposition and restricting their activities.
REMARKS BY MANSA MP, DR. CHITALU CHILUFYA PLEADING THE CASE OF HON. NIXON CHILANGWA AND HON. RONALD CHITOTELA
We have noted the remarks made by former Minister of Health and Mansa Member of Parliament Dr. Chitalu Chilufya where he said there was anger by the people of Luapula.regarding the cases of Hon. Nixon Chilangwa and Hon.Ronald Chitotela. He also pleadied for apparwnt leniency for them.
It must be made very clear that Hon. Nixon Chilangwa and five others need is to be granted their constitutional right to the due process of the law and to be granted their right to innocence, bail and appeal.
Infact the two demonstrated that Magistrate Martin Namushi was openly bias and was conducting the trial at the behest of officials from Lusaka.
Hon. Chilangwa proceeded to file an official complaint to the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC) and backed the complaint with audio and written evidence and also sought for the Magistrate to recuse himself.
Despite this mounting evidence and demand for accountability, the Magistrate ignored the concerns and proceeded to hear and jail, Hon. Nixon Chilangwa. Hon. Ronald Chitotela, the Council Chairperson, Hon.Kalumba Chifumbe, Davy Kaniki, Chabu Chitotela and Kunda Chitotela.
Further, the six have appealed against this conviction and unfair incarceration and have sought bail pending appeal.
But this has been patently denied as is the new phenomenon where the courts of law have suddenly refused to grant bail in their case and in the cases of Hon. Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, Hon. Bowman Lusambo, Mrs. Wanziya Kampyongo, Francis Muchemwa and others.
What Hon. Chilangwa and Hon Chitotela require are to be granted their fundamental rights to the due process of the law and other guarantees granted by the Republican Constitution.
CONCLUSION
It is evident that in his desperate attempt to seek re-election in 2026, President Hichilema has chosen to sacrifice the sanctity and respect that these cultural events and traditional ceremonies represent and has without shame, turned them into political rallies and endorsement for his candidacy.
We urge traditional leaders to recognize the threat that President Hichilema now poses to our culture and ensure that the organisation of these ceremony is devoid of partisan politics and campaigns despute the pressure from State House.
Our appeal to President Hichilema is that the desecration and politicisation of traditional ceremonies will have lasting damage, and he is advised to restrain himself and restrict his campaigns in the political arena. He is encouraged to meet us in the field than to conduct partisan politics under the shelter of traditional ceremonies.
Issued by:
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Chairperson of Information and Publicity
Member of the Central Committee
PATRIOTIC FRONT
You are way too young to harbour such intense hatred for a fellow citizen. You must have been initiated by very bad people. Learn to both appreciate and criticise. You tasted power and free things and you went crazy. Learn to pay for your food. We all do that.
Not so long ago, the people of Nort Western Province cried foul when the President did not attend a traditional ceremony due to other committments, and I am sure that if the President did not attend this traditional ceremony, the same Mwamba would say something negative. The people are happy that the President is gracing these traditional ceremonies, most for the first time. There is no more violence by PF cadres so people can were their party regalia and move about freely.
We are now getting tired of ma irrele.We are tired of fake narratives.You now don’t want the president to interact with the traditional leadership sure.Are you serious really or you just feel jealous.
Since when did Mwamba become the spokesperson for what happens at traditional ceremonies?? The beholders of these traditional ceremonies invite different people and organisations to their ceremonies. Which traditional ceremony has cried that president HH is turning their ceremony into an UPND rally?? Mwamba now wants to discredit traditional ceremonies by extending his political hate of HH.
HH is greedy and intolerant
You can also do the same, who is stopping you anyway? Why complaining for things that you can also do? Are you not just ashamed of yourself? You are now realizing that people are not buying your product of tribalism and you are filled with jealous, bitterness and hatred. To your shame and surprise, Bally is dearly liked by Zambians in all the ten provinces of Zambia. Whenever and wherever he goes, he is getting and given the same charming reception. You should always remember that the President cannot attend any traditional ceremony without an official invitation and the traditional leaders or the Chiefs cannot invite the President if they don’t want him or like him. There could be some Chiefs who may not like him, but that’s normal, even our Lord Jesus Christ was not liked by every one. There were some jealous and bitter people like you who hated him for nothing. But as he has demonstrated, HH loves all the Chiefs and has shown that by building them decent and standard palaces, the first of its kind in the history of this country. Zambian Chiefs are honored more than any of their counterparts in the region, for example, In Tanzania Chiefs are not even recognized.
I can assure you, no amount of propaganda from you or anywhere work against HH, your hatred, jealous and bitterness will just consume you but will do nothing to detour the love of people for him, if anything the man is getting more popular every day and countrywide. You don’t need to be told because you are seeing it for yourself, tamwamwene ku Luapula mailo? Come 2026, most of you will get another shock of your lives, developing BP ++. But you are lucky because the same HH has built enough and adequate health facilities to handle all the would be casualties. For your own information, HH has now become the pride of not only Zambia, but the Region and Africa as a whole. He is the model of a good democratic leader working tirelessly to develop his country. HH wakuleka fye, he is already many miles ahead of everyone and if you want to catch up with him, mulimbe bane, politics are not for small boys, they are for mature people.
I hope Lungu is paying you enough and his kasaka won’t run dry. His final retirement is coming soon through the CONCOURT. You might need to look for a job or you won’t be able to afford wifi!
Ba Mwamba mukose, pantu tough days of high BP and insomnia are loading for people like you in 2026! Mulimbe!