The law has adequate punishment
for tribalism, says Kakoma
By Fanny Kalonda
UPND member Charles Kakoma says the tribalism card should have been buried a long time ago as forefathers like Kenneth Kaunda succeeded in uniting the country through the One Zambian One Nation motto.
On Monday, deputy police public relations officer Danny Mwale announced that Kambwili had been warned and cautioned, and later detained for hate speech and tribalism which he peddled ahead of the August 2021 elections.
“Police have warned and cautioned Dr Chishimba Kambwili aged 53 of Woodlands in Lusaka for the subject offence of expressing or showing hatred, ridicule and contempt for persons because of race, tribe, place of origin centrally to section 70 subsection 1 and 2 chapter 87 as read with Act number 2 of 2021, of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes of the laws of Zambia,” said Mwale.
Commenting on the matter, Kakoma said tribe should not be seen as a tool to discriminate against others.
“Chishimba Kambwili’s case is sending a signal that it is an offence to use tribe or tribalism to campaign or to do anything in Zambia to disadvantage other groups in society. In fact, this is in the Penal Code of the laws of Zambia, which makes it an offence to make any utterances that border on tribalism. So, I hope that my good friend Chishimba Kambwili is able to exonerate himself to clear his name. Otherwise, if he fails to do so, there is adequate punishment,” Kakoma said.
“…I think that there are so many issues politicians can talk about to convince Zambians or people to follow you. To vote for you. There are so many issues like poverty, health, roads, agriculture, food. There are so many things that politicians can talk about instead of the tribe. This issue of the tribe is just used to steer up hostility among voters. Otherwise, it is an issue that should have been buried a long time ago. If you have issues that should not surface again, they should not. Founding fathers like Kenneth Kaunda succeeded in uniting this country through the One Zambia One Nation motto. And therefore, we should all stick to that kind of ideology that we are all one regardless of where we come from, regardless of the tribes we speak.”
He said the bottom line is that “we are all Zambians”.
“Our tribe is Zambia. Tribes should not be seen as things that can be used to discriminate fellow Zambians,” said Kakoma.
