YOU ARE NOW A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT
… Heal, man up and fix the country’s problems as you primised.
WE HAVE been following with interest the reactions of Zambians to yesterday’s farce of a press conference President Hakainde Hichilema addressed at State House.
It is clear that they are disappointed at the behaviour of the man we now have in State House and the shallowness of his address.
Apart from the embarrassing self-praise and public crusification of his opponents he failed to give any hope to the citizens who are being chocked by the high commodity prices.
Many stakeholders have analysed in detail the President’s pronouncements, which were unfortunately marred by anger, self-pity and self praise.
We will therefore not bore the public by repeating what other equally shocked citizens and organisations have written.
We however passionately urge Mr Hichilema to come to terms with the reality that he is now the head of State who is expected to protect all citizens, including those who don’t like or support him, instead of attacking them in public.
It is clear now that Zambia has a President who has failed to heal and accept that he is now President of the Republic of Zambia and not the club called United Party for National Development (UPND).
By trying and convicting PF leaders Hon Raphael Nakachinda, Hon. Bowman Lusambo, embattled former KCM provisional liquidator Milingo Lungu and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) innpublic he has put their human rights at risk.
He has inflamed the overzealous and vindictive elements in the state security wings and the ruling party.
Zambians now know who is behind the arrests and harassment of Hon. Nakachinda and Hon Lusambo. They know who will have hounded the DPP and Mr Lungu out of office for purely partisan reasons.
It is disappointing and frightening that the President does not have solutions to the suffering of the masses but has surplus energy and time to pursue and publicly crusify his political opponents.
How can a republican President dedicate more than half of a press conference to attacking individidual citizens, threatening retribution against the members of the previous administration and singing praises for himself?
He has reduced the much sung about fight against corruption to a vicious witch-hunt against defenceless political adversaries using state power. He is on a self-destructive course, and needs to retrace his steps.
We urge the President to heal and begin behaving and speaking as a republican President, and not as an angry, bitter and vengeful leader of a political party who has no answers to the biting cost of living.
Issued by:
EDWIN LIFWEKELO
PF Deputy Media Director.