By Venus N Msyani
‘Kabusha takolelwe bowa’ is a very common Bemba saying. It simply means asking questions is not a sign of being drunk.
On Thursday, President Edgar Lungu ordered police to investigate the killing that happened on Wednesday in Lusaka. He demanded a report to be availed to him by Monday, 28th December, 2020.
The following day, Friday, he tweets something that sounds like finger pointing! Would it be unfair for someone to accuse him of trying to interfere with the investigation?
“The mindless killing of two citizens at Lusaka could have been avoided, if politiking had been kept aside and if we had remembered our values as a country,” President Lungu tweeted on Friday, December 25th 2020.
Still scratching my heard as it is hard to grasp his point. Is he accusing UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema of politicking or is accusing Zambian people of showing support for Hakainde Hichilema at police station?
It can’t be either and that is why saying he is trying to interfere with the investigation he just ordered makes sense.
Accompanying a neighbor to hospital, funeral, court, or police station is among the core values of Zambians.
Every Zambian, including the president himself knows that accompanying a neighbor to hospital, funeral, court, or police station is among the core values of Zambia.
It is very sad lives were lost when people gathered to show support for the main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema when he presented himself for questioning at police headquarters in Lusaka on Wednesday.
However, it doesn’t mean people forgot their values as Zambians by accompanying Hakainde Hichilema to police station. They actually performed their duty as Zambians.
The same has happened with other leaders. For example, Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya was in court few months ago. A huge crowd of supporters accompanied him. They even managed to disrupt the court proceeding. Yet the President failed to condemn the incident.
Because of that, it is clear today the President can’t accuse Zambian people of showing support for UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema at police station.
So, what is the tweet about? Is the President trying to interfere with the investigation on the killing of two citizens at Force Headquarters in Lusaka? It would be nice for the president to explain.