Thursday, March 28, 2024

UPND to meet soon to discuss the Catholic Bishops’ plan to meet HH

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UPND president Hakainde Hichilema (left) interacting with his lawyer Jack Mwiimbu
FILE: UPND president Hakainde Hichilema (left) interacting with
Jack Mwiimbu
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) plans to meet soon to look at the overtures being made by Catholic bishops to help initiate dialogue between its incarcerated leader, Hakainde Hichilema and President Edgar Lungu.

In a terse response to a query from the Sunday Times about the UPND’s position on Friday’s decision by Mr Lungu to allow the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) to meet Mr Hichilema in efforts to help defuse levels of political tension in the country, the party’s legal affairs chairperson Jack Mwiimbu said yesterday a meeting was being planned to discuss the matter.

“We will meet soon as a party,” he said.

And when contacted for comment UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma declined to comment on the matter.

A 14-man delegation of the ZCCB met with President Lungu on Friday to discuss a wide range of issues and underscored their commitments to working with the Government for the good of the nation.

They offered to mediate between Mr Lungu and Mr Hichilema and encouraged the President to seriously consider engaging in a genuine face-to-face dialogue with the UPND leader and asked the Head of State to help facilitate their meeting with the opposition leader, which request was granted.

Mr Hichilema has been in prison since April this year having been charged with treason arising out of an incident that happened in Mongu when the UPND leader’s convoy taking him to the Kuomboka ceremony was deemed to have obstructed the presidential cavalcade which was heading in the same direction.

Meanwhile, some political parties and civil society organisations have commended the Church for facilitating efforts of reconciliation and dialogue between government and incarcerated United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema.

Speaking in separate interviews the opposition political parties and the civil society said the effort being made to foster dialogue are a step in the right direction.

New Congress Party president Peter Chanda said his party commends the role the church has continued to play over the past years in promoting national peace and unity.

“The Church has always given the country direction and guidance in times of difficulty. As New Congress Party, we pray that the outcome of the meeting of the bishops with the UPND leader will be successful,” he said.

Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) national secretary Raphael Nakachinda said every effort to seek peace and unity for the country must be encouraged.

“As long as there is no abrogation of the laws of the land, the move is very much welcome. Besides, it is the duty of the Church to mediate over such issues,” he said.

United National Independence Party (UNIP) president Tilyenji Kaunda said the need for dialogue and national reconciliation could not have come at a better time than now.
He said Zambia has a good track record of peace and unity in the Southern African region.

“As a party, we would like to commend the Church for the step it has taken in facilitating dialogue and peace-building,” Mr Kaunda said.

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) executive director Chimfwembe Mweenge has commended President Lungu for meeting with the Catholic bishops at State House.
Mr Mweenge said President Lungu has shown true statesmanship and the value of democracy.

“We commend the President for taking the bold step. We also expect the UPND to support the idea so that the country can be united and focus on development,” he said.

And PF secretary general Davies Mwila says President Lungu has always been willing to meet various stakeholders to discuss matters affecting the nation, COLLINS PHIRI reports in Ndola.
He said the head of State values the peace and democracy Zambians have enjoyed since independence.

He further appealed to the opposition leaders to receive President Lungu’s willingness to dialogue and national unity as being without attached conditions.

Mr Mwila was speaking in an interview in Ndola on Saturday. He said the country is bigger than individuals.

Mr Mwila is on the Copperbelt for a two-day party mobilisation programme.

81 COMMENTS

  1. Matters before our courts should never be agenda items, let the law take its course. Hakainde needs more of psycho-social counseling than dialogue

    • We are trying for a baby and not ,much luck so far sadly

      First thing first, they are officially broken and they are on their knees to recognize.

      They will have to RECOGNIZE the President,

      Thou shall call the President father and recognize them

      I have a PhD

      Thanks

      BB2014,2016

    • The ides is to disrupt the meetings so that hh doesnt get chance to be released. This move will therefore prolong hh stay in prison so that jack can raise as many preliminaries as possible and milk hh before he comes out. They’ve sensed that the outcome of the meeting will lead to hh been released thereby ending their cash cow.

    • YOU ARE RIGHT, ITS NEVER LATE EVEN AFTER 5 OR 10 YEARS, WE WILL SEEK JUSTICE FOR ELECTORAL FRAUD AND TREASON FOR ABROGATING THE ZAMBIAN CONSTITUTION. JUST KEEP THE EVIDENCE IN THE CLOUD.

    • AFRICAN PROVERB: “Beware of the naked man who offers you clothes” is a proverb used to call out hypocrites;

      PF is a violent party. The Malawian Dictator was voted in by raising of pangas. PF was named after ZANU-PF, the Zimbabwean violent party that has kept Mugabe in power for 37 years through genocide of ndebeles & cadre violence to the point of even destroying the once vibrant economy just to stay in power.

      Any form of dialogue will end up in regret & loss of lives.

      The only language the Malawian Moslem Dictator understands is violence that affects him directly or his immediate family.

    • “…efforts to help defuse levels of political tension in the country,…”.

      THERE’S NO POLITICAL TENTION IN THE COUNTRY. PEOPLE ARE GOING ABOUT WITH THEIR OWN BUSINESS. HOW CAN ONE SAY THERE’S POLITICAL TENSION IN THE COUNTRY? THERE’S POLITICAL TENSION IN TELESPHORE’S MIND AND UPND. PLEASE, DIFFUSE YOUR POLITICAL TENSIONS IN YOUR MINDS.

  2. I would be interested to know what matters should be on the agenda for discussion in this dialogue. Having discussed with PF and UPND, the body of catholic priests should help with formulation of dialogue items which in my view should be of national unity and preservation of peace in the country. Also to be inclusive and in order to ensure national character in dialogue, all political parties should be invited in my view and it shouldn’t just be PF and UPND. Thanks

  3. It is funny that all the pf rats seem to think that hh needs to grab this as an opportunity to get his freedom but what they don’t understand is that hh is not after his freedom but rather the economic, social and developmental freedom of the 13 million Zambians. If it means hh been subjected to inhumane treatment to achieve that then let it be. Don’t you think if hh was concerned about himself he would have simply apologised to the illegal rat and been released? My brothers it is called having integrity in what you believe in. We thank you president hh. Meanwhile lungu cares so much for u such that he is busy buying suits that look like pyjamas

    • That is what is paining these green PF sh.it flies on LT, HH has categorically stated he is not interested in being forgiven by anyone , he wants the law to take its course.

      That they have failed to break HH and UPND is perplexing many a green PF sh.it fly.

      All the PF flies seem concopaduluxed that every one has stood firm in the UPND..

    • I know for sure hh is not fighting for me because come 2021 we the majority are not voting for him again!!! This initiative was hatched by the catholic bishops and has no connection to the president; ECL simply welcomed the bishops to listen to their concern and support them in their cause. At no time did he ask the bishops to deliver any message to Kaili1!! The loser in Mukobeko still has to go to court and face the law for his unruly behavior and evil schemes, full stop!!
      @Spaka like a donkey: upnd has stood firm??? Is that why your top leadership went to report ECL to Juju Malema??..kwekwekwekwe….

    • NEZ, consider this, “Pride comes before the fall” and again, ” A prudent man sees danger and take refuge but the simple keep going and suffer for it”

    • Who feels it knows it.You can’t feel the pain your so-called president is going through because you are still enjoying your freedom.What liberation are you talking about? Do you know what it means to be sodomized in prison cell.?Tone down the long arm of the law can be vicious.

    • HH is fighting for you NEZ and Spaka lilo not for me. I have not recognized him too and will never recognise him. So on the 13 million people you are mentioning remove me and others who don’t recognise your HH.

  4. Enacting stinking evil statutes & to record unjust decisions are acts always followed by chickens coming back home to roost. Lungu & his unintelligent PF MPs should have first asked one Brig. Gen. Miyanda how the reinvigorated Public Order Act he enacted after the courts outlawed it came back to destroy his political career. His MPs were lured away from him & he couldn’t hold any political rallies or meetings without police authority which was always denied. His foolish dictatorial act came back to haunt the *****. As for Lungu, the chickens could come back to slay him & his MPs. If the fear sparked by soldiers in the streets of Kasama is anything to go by, Lungu and his goons are running scared already. The dice is cast!

  5. ha ha ha HH alapila nomba.prison teinobe ba HH.I’m sure you have leant how to be humble.
    We also thank ba Catholic for their work of reconciliation.

  6. Worse still for lungu is the growing realisation by people that the fires were the work of PF to get a SOE.

    Only the PF thugs were buying into the narrative that it was UPND doing the fires.

    It will be interesting what will come out of these talks because HH is not begging anyone for forgiveness and is will to let the Zambian judiciary make a mockery of it self by going to trial.
    It is becoming cl

    • So why do upnd urge their fellow upnd members to cause fires? Been following a couple of upnd chaps who were always posting and urging upnd to do wrong things? Including burning of Election billboards. Now that what they have been urging others to do has happened, you want to make me believe upnd had nothing to do with it? Come on!!! Think.

    • Maureen Nkonde

      Going by the lies PF have been telling including the bweengwa kidnappings and the burning of the VPs house in mongu only die hard caders can trust what PF say…..it is mostly lies.

  7. WHEN I JUST READ “JACK MWINBU” I REALISED THAT THE SO CALLED DIALOGUE WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE. MR PRELIMINARIES WILL BOG DOWN EVERYTHING.

  8. I AM REMINDED OF WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE PETITION HEARING. HH ASKED THE COURT TO ALLOW HIM ASSEMBLE A NEW SET OF LAWYERS. BUT TO THE SURPRISE OF EVERYONE THE SAME GANG CONVERGED ON THE CASE LIKE VULTURES……THANK GOD IT NEVER WORKED..kikikiki

  9. What shall b agenda for that dialogue? how shall hh address ecl in that meeting? Does it mean dialogue will erase pending cases? Is it only of and upnd who need reconcilliatian only? are both parties bold enough to confess their wrongs if at all they are there? what concrete assurance is there that those wlll repent genuinely? is it a portray that dialogue is a must or formality? where is that dialogue going to take place,I hear one is in cells? will leaving out the rest opposition parties ? is a line going to b drawn between reconciliation and court Cass? some things are avoidable,there wouldn’t have been time for now to dialogue but to progress as a nation had people listened….just retarding our mother zambia

    • @Ba mwine DON’T MIND THEM- THE CATHOLICS. THEY ARE TRYING TO APPEAR TO BE MAKING THEMSELVES USEFUL SINCE MPUNDU FVCKED UP BY CLAIMING ZAMBIA SLIDING INTO DICTATORSHIP. THEY ARE RYING TO RECLAIM THEIR RELEVANCY.

    • UPND has been around for many elections and we never have we had such divisions and violence in Zambia until the fraud convict lungu appears.

  10. Thanx zccb and not those bishops who are milking ecl,then will run away the day he will be out of office.Even there organisation (christians for lungu) will disappear in no time.watch the space

  11. Comment:
    Be wary of the Catholic Church. Remember Rwanda? And then of course there are the rampant cases globally of paedophilia cases among the rank and file. Not everything they say and do is to be trusted.

    • Why the Catholic Bishops and not the Pentecostal leadership for in most cases involving governance the state is never in tandem with the Catholic leadership as it is with that of the Pentecostals! So where do the likes of Imakando and Banda stand on this unfolding effort?

  12. The first reconciliation should be for the church mother bodies first. ZCCB can’t rush to reconcile political leaders when their leader lost the moral right to do so by aligning himself with politics. Infact UPND and PF can have a better reconciliation without the involvement of ZCCB. Personally I think the ZCCB want to use UPND and PF to sort out their differences after a number of Bishops disassociated themselves from Arch-Bishop Mpundu statement of calling Zambia a dictatorship. We all know why HH is not happy. Its about the election results. ECZ should be the ones to mediate between PF and UPND and show how PF won the elections and UPND should produce the evidence they could not produce during the 14 days, if they have any. FULL STOP.

  13. Jack Mwiimbu is capable of jeopardising this initiative so that chief Kaponya (HH) rots like the fly he is.

  14. @3 NEZ, underfive is “fighting for social economic developmental freedom of 13million Zambians”, you tell me torching Zesco pylons, DEBS offices, local courts and markets is fighting for tge people?

    As if I didnt know the answer, I ask you again, what is the matter with you UPNDonkeys?

    • It is PF behind the arson attacks, that is why no one has been arrested just like the bweengwa kidnapping and the burning of inonge winas house in mongu. No was arrested for those because it was PF lies.

  15. Regarding the proposed meeting between underfive and bishops, it is for underfive to decide that and NOT the UPNDonkey party. Or is Jack telling us they can stop underfive from that? Dont pretend ba Jack, it is you and the rest to wait for instructions from underfive and NOT tge other way round. By the way is the UPNDonkey party meeting to be chaired by acting presidenT GBM? Kikikikiki lets hear from underfive and NOT these sorry adult donkeys led by an underfive donkey.

  16. H.H has always mentained that even if come rain or snow he won’t bend to his earlier statement of not…… . The man is strong! Wakapya, wakayembela alimwi he has been moulded by PF to be a strong guy because if it was that man l not mention we could have been talking something by now. By just going through all these harsh times, H.H has God’s protection by his side. To all those who wish him BAD, l say may God forgive you. leaders come and go. Mobvotu was so powerful to an extent that even mugabe was afraid but when time came, mobutu was no more. Praise Edgar chagwa Lungu today but when time come, he might end up regretting if His actions are bad. Dr.FTJ did the same and his ending was terrible. Bye bye.

  17. These guys lost the election and are in no position to dictate terms. A precedent should not be set where losers will always refuse to concede defeat. Our law is straight forward; one who gets 51%+1 has a mandate for 5 years and others just have to wait that long for another chance. Unfortunately we’ve poisonous snakes like Nevers Mumba who are too ambitious to let go.

    • What law do you know? Would you please stop your diarrhea of the brain.

    • A President should not be set where there is doubt of election theft.
      People should go to the polls free of violence in the knowledge that the one with the most votes wins.

  18. God will not allow HH to come out before he pays for his sins. Privatization issue still hangs on him.

    Bishop Mpundu and not all bishops, want HH out. This is the fact.

    If Lungu accepts to reconciliation with HH, that will be seen by many that HH was in prison due to political reasons and not that HH broke the law.

    Bringing HH out of prison by any means rather than through the court will be dangerous to Lungu and PF as a party.

    Lungu don’t agree to this idea. You are being tricked by Mpundu and the Tongas . Think before you agree.

    • What are you talking about? You yapping about privatization, treason, tonga, bishop mpundu, etc, are suffering from cholera? Such that your sphincter muscles can’t hold your stu pidoty anymore?

    • Attack the argument not the person.

      HH should only come out of jail through court processes. Anything before that will be dangerous to Lungu and PF as a party.

      Mpundu is using other Bishops to fight for HH. God will not allow it

    • DJ7

      That is what HH has stated , he wants to go to trial but lungu is now refusing to take him to court….

  19. Meanwhile the likes of wanka like lilo, chiyaya(inbred), new evil zombia (Nez) and co are enjoying their freetime blogging on the internet whilst their tribal lord Human Hyena’s masusu has become the permanent residency of 12 species of lice…HH is slowly becoming a scapegoat for the likes of Jack Mumbwe whom I see as being used by external forces in the form of Greg Kills …
    Good will always win against evil…what UPND did last year after the elections would’ve plunged this country into a civil war so anyone who believes these blood thirsty United Dunderheads mean well is either ignorant or a born arrogant Dunderhead or a combination of both!!! Lets see if HH means well for the nation..if not and he wishes to continue down the same path then the lice will just have to keep…

    • 2020munyelo

      You are just perplexed HH has not been broken , even from his cells HH is giving you PF rats sleepless nights wondering what he is thinking….

  20. Fair enough, reading all the comments from the under five sect. One can easily tell that they don’t appreciate the proposed meeting and the have elaborated on how HH is more than able to handle the prison.
    Well and good we now know what he meant when he said they was going to be mayhem. His strategy of being lawlessness was to poke government so that he can be thrown in prison so that people perceive the current president to be a dictator.
    The ball is now in hh’s court it either he takes it or leave
    By doing so no one should complain of the matter taking long in court.

    • He will take it but he will not beg anyone to be released for a traffic offence.

      HH has said let the courts decide but now lungu does not want to start the trial….making a mockery of the judiciary and showing how compromised it is…

  21. If you are doing mediation, an agenda has to be set. Of course the recognition of Lungu as Presido should not be on the list of discussion. If this is included, then everything will be lost. For sure, HH will refuse. He stated before, he would rather remain in Prison until Concourt makes a ruling on this subject, (did PF genuinely win the elections). On the way forward, the Court should take a blame as well for fuelling tension in the country, they are biased.
    Honestly, how can a traffic violation be turned into a treason case??
    Kwena law yapa Zed kuti waseka!!!!!

  22. The Catholic Bishops have no Power or Leverage to mediate the Zambian Election Dispute. In Gambia Ecowas and AU successfully mediated the Election Dispute. SADC and AU need to mediate the Zambian Election Dispute without fail. The Presidential Petition needs to be heard and a Court after determination will declare the Winner of the 2016 Election duly elected President. There will Never be peace without Hearing the Election Petition in Zambia. U cannot reconcile the two sides without knowing what the two sides without identfying the Problem by the two sides and in their view what the solution is. What is the Agenda of the Dialogue and what is Lungu stance on the Agenda items?There is No way HH can concede defeat without Lungu proving in Court how he won the 2016 Election. The Hearing of…

    • Lungu is so afraid of that petition to the extent he would rather be called a theif and rule over a divided nation……this is very bizar for some one who claims to have won as if after 14 days the results and numbers changed.

      As the saying goes if a suspected rapist refuses a DNA test , he is hiding something.

  23. @ Chuma : I AGREE WITH YOU ON ONE POINT. THE FACT THAT THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT HH HAS REFUSED TO ACCEPT HIS LOSS OF THE 2016 POLLS. AND THIS IS THE SOURCE OF THE CONTENTION. HOWEVER WHEN YOU COMPARE WITH THE GAMBIAN SITUATION YOU WILL NOTE THAT THE ECOWAS AND AU DID NOT ALLOW THE RECOUNT OF THE VOTES NOR DID THEY SUPPORT A RERUN OF THE POLLS. ON THE CONTRARY THEY ACCEPTED THE RESULTS AS PRODUCED BY THE ELECTORAL BODY AND INFORMED THE LOSER THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO RECOGNISE HIM AND ORDERED HIM TO LEAVE THE PRESIDENCY IMMEDIATELY. THE LOSER YAHYA JAMMEH WAS CHASED AND HE RAN INTO EXILE. THEREFORE, SIMILARLY IF THE SADC AND AU ARE TO BE BROUGHT INTO THIS IMPASSE IN ZAMBIA, IT WILL ONLY BE TO ORDER THE LOSER HH TO STOP HIS WILD CLAIMS OF RIGGING AND BE INFORMED THAT THEY ONLY RECOGNISE…

  24. To be clear about everything let the petition be heard after which the outcome will be final and acceptable to all concerned and the natiin at large. Y fear to hear the petition?

  25. Mrs Hichilema, my dear baama ba Mutinta, listen to me. This IS an olive branch, this is about underfive your beloved husband and father of your beloved children. This is not about UPNDonkeys or politics, it is not about UPNDonkey party which is incarcerated in Mukobeko. For once think of your husband and not the politics. Your husband is looking to save face in all this by having someone with a strong will to convince him. He wants the perfect excuse, that “my wife and children pleaded for me to come back home”. That role is you Mutinta, Mrs Hichilema.

  26. its sad how most educated people on fb with degre=s, phd’s, masters arent employed.

    yet wit ma g12 certificate am doing well.

    #education on facebook is stupidness

  27. @27 Chuma, there is no election “petition” on the table for this dialogue.

    For the sake of discussion and clarity seeing that you are a UPNDonkey, THE President His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu has no constititional or other powers to overturn
    1. The ECZ decision
    2. The Concourt and its decision on the dead petition
    3. to increase the 14 days
    4. the swearing in ceremony
    5. Override the local and international election monitors
    6. Or bring back the lawyers who surrendered and abandoned U5 (and his baggage called running mate) after he failed to give them the required evidence fir tge “petition”.

    Try Mars instead not Zambia okay you Donkeys?

  28. Catholic bishops have proved to be very mature. Other bishops can not do this because of taking sides. Working with the government does not mean that you have to support everything that the government does including wrong things. Real men of God rebuke governments for doing wrong things than mere endorsement. Samuel rebuked Saul for not obeying God, Nathan rebuked David for impregnating another man’s wife and eventually killing the husband. That rebuke made David repent before God and thus save his life from destruction. That’s true Christianity. God bless the Catholic Bishops.

  29. PEOPLE WHO DONT WANT PEACE CAN BE SEEN EVEN FROM AFAR.
    PEOPLE ARE TRYING HARD TO BRING PEACE AND STABILITY,YOU ARE THERE MAKING STUPID AND FOOLISH COMMENDATIONS INSTEAD OF ENCOURAGING.
    WHAT COURTS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT.
    IF U HAVE NOTHING GOOD TO TALK ABOUT,SHUT UP JUST AS SLAIN LUCKY DUBE SANG.
    MOST OF U HERE IRRITATE ME WHEN ALL U THINK OF IS HATE AND HURT FOR SOULS.
    FOOLISHNESS IS BY CHOICE………U FOOLS.
    ALLOW PEACE TO REIGHN AND LEAVE PEACE MAKERS DO THEIR MANDATE

  30. The sooner politicians realize that Zambia is bleeding from hate and rage the better.There is a point in life when we need to let go and embrace each other as children of one family.It is pointless calling ourselves as children of God when we cannot hold each others hands.Children of the same family differ but at the end of the day,they resolve issues as on family.Love will always conquer adversities that surround a united family.Hate is a bad vice that divide and break the core foundation of a good family.Without love,those who build families build in vain.A nation that builds its foundation on a platform of hate is bound to fail.There is no point in out doing each other especially if you have a goal of rendering a service to mankind.Love cover a diversity of sins.

  31. Where are hh’s fellow sdas. I have never heard them say anything about their incarnated deacon. Their silence speaks volumes.

  32. The SDAs do not fight for vanity because we know who we are. We get instructions from God through the bible. Stop hate let us love one another. God bless.

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