The Southern Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes has expressed concern at the level of hate speech prevailing in the country.
Speaking in an interview SACCORD Executive Director Boniface Cheembe said the country’s politicians should realize that most of the continents tribal conflicts are as a result of political leaders creating an atmosphere that paints certain tribes and regions as the causers of problems their nation may be be experiencing.
“As SACCORD we are concerned at the level of hate speech prevailing in the country that seeks to divide and scapegoat certain regions and tribes. Africa as a continent has many cases of many tribal conflicts and often times these tend to stem from political leaders creating an atmosphere of scapegoating certain tribes or regions for the problems that a nation may face. Many examples of this nature are present and one of them is the Rwanda genocide of 1994 and beyond the borders of Africa is the attempt to exterminate Europe’s Jews during the holocaust.
“Nobody should take pride in tribal politics and we must ensure that hate speech from our political leaders are not entertained and we believe that the ruling party and its leaders must set an example to the rest of the country on unity, love, tolerance and co-existence,” Cheembe said.
He said both parties (the opposition and the ruling party) had a responsibility to engage in politics that does not bring divisions in the country.
“The opposition equally have a responsibility to practice politics of unity, but the ruling party has a larger responsibility. Tribal remarks by our leaders are not healthy especially when we are going through a trying time as a Republic. The nation is not in need of tribalism and we need to focus on addressing the challenges that the nation is facing such as job creation, amending the Public Order Act and providing energy among other needs.
“Zambia is and most likely will always remain a unitary state under the Motto of One Zambia One Nation and we must respect the fact that in a democracy people will make a decision on how they should vote. The notion that we must coerce people to vote in a certain way is contrary to the spirit of democracy. In some of the most advanced democracies on this earth such as the United States one will find certain regions that will either almost always vote Democrats or Republicans that is what democracy is about having the right to free will,” he noted.
He further added “as SACCORD we appeal to our political leaders to stop the culture of scapegoating some tribes and regions in Zambia because this is a source of conflict and such behavior has the potential of leading to chaos, disunity and hatred.
This timely warning must be heeded by all peace loving who eschew any manifestations of tribalism or hate speech. More directly, government leaders like Chishimba Kambwili should retract the offending tribal slurs and spleen which he vented on the Tonga speaking people during ZNBC’s Sunday Interview.
We need a naming and shaming strategy to stop this tribal campaigns by the PF. I don’t like to generalize when the culprits and disciples of tribal crusade are well known being desperate PF leaders from President Lungu to their lowest goons.
Why skating around the issue ati leaders blah blah blah just hit the nail on the head say Kambwili did this on Sunday interview, full stop. Another misguided leader does a similar thing name them and ask them to stop or take them to court. These people have thick heads just appealing to them doesn’t work. Look what happened in Rwanda people appealed and appealed and at the end of the day 800,000 people were killed.
We understand SACCORD’s concern. This is CSO run by the BANTU BOTATWE group. From Habasonda to Chembe.
Dull people always talk about tribe
@Zedoc it does not matter what maters is did they get these jobs on merit.After all Zambia has been ruled by northerners and easterners so are you saying HH should base it on the same principle or we are looking for quality.Dull Zedoc.
Just break the country up into northeastern and northwestern Zambia. This will comprise the following; eastern, muchinga, northern, luapula, and parts of central up to mkushi one part and southern, copperbelt, parts of central from mkushi, western, northwestern, Lusaka on the other. One Zambia one nonsense that’s what it is at the moment.
Chembe are you sure Zambia will remain a unitary state. At the rate we are going I can bet you my only buck this project Zambia will disintegrate after 11/08. Take for example the handling of BA’64. This issue alone has potential to tear this country apart. Then politicians like thickneck chimbwili are also stoking the flames. Lazy bum Kadansa should think beyond his days in Nkwazi house & start looking at the big picture.
Honestly speaking the pf government is leading this great country to disaster. The president must show that he doesn’t subscribe to kambwili’s sentiments on the Tonga people. He must listen to what people are saying. Kambwili, mumbi and chama must be removed from government. We also want to hear the bemba chiefs condem the government’s stance on tribal politics and build bridges with their Tonga counterparts. Let’s for once stop being used by politicians.