Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has condemned the enslavement of Black Africans in Libya.
Mr Hichilema has since called on the world to act now on the situation.
“In the past few days, World major news networks as well as social media have been bombarded and inundated with harrowing, awful, horrifying and truly sickening images of black African slaves, undergoing unimaginable torture and abuse in Libya. We condemn these abuses and call on the World to act now,” Mr Hichilema said.
“This makes very sad reading and calls on all of us to truly and honestly introspect on why humanity can go to such lengths in exerting so much cruelty, to its own species without any iota of remorsefulnes, empathy or any form of emotion,” he said.
Mr Hichilema said Libya is a country in Africa whose founding fathers believed in African values and traditions based on common goals, as enshrined in the ideologies of Pan Africanism and the original OAU charters, the organisation that is the forerunner of the current AU.
“So what has really gone wrong? We all know that there is currently no real central authority in Libya. It is now therefore a playground of all kind of bands of lawless war lords who have taken advantage of its transit position of human traffickers into Europe.”
He added, “At this point however, blaming Libya is an absolute fallacy because it would be similar to blaming symptoms of an ailment than the disease itself. As long as the World wrongly focuses on the symptoms of the Libyan slave trade without treating the actual disease, we will be missing the real cause.
The cause of the Libyan slave question is that our brothers and sisters are fleeing from economic slavery imposed by African despots and dictators of their countries of origin.”
He said African Dictatorships that are denying their people their civil liberties, freedoms, unemployment and enslave them to economic deprivation due to corruption and bad governance are the real reasons behind this exodus of Africans to the North, in search of a better life.
“Without the World demanding for democracy that will enable accountability to thrive, then there shall be no human rights, no freedoms to allow people to live peacefully politically and economically. This in turn will cause seismic movements to wherever people hope to find survival and freedom,” Mr Hichilema said.
“The World must invest their energies in the promotion of true democracy, a culture of the process of free, fair and transparent elections and the respect of our people’s civil liberties. Once they do that, unnecessary migration will be nipped in the bud as Africa is blessed with abundant natural resources and good climates.”
The UPND leader said Africa is the continent of the future and all what it’s people are asking for from the African leadership is true democracy that will be truly accountable to its citizens.
“Our prayers and thoughts are with our brothers and sisters that are undergoing untold suffering in the Libyan slave trade. We urge the U.N. and the AU to rise to the occasion and take measures that will stop the slave trade in Libya,” he said.
HH, someone with much less money than you have in the name of Samuel Eto chartered a plane for the Libyan sufferers. Eto spoke with actions, please do the same in your best way …
Where the hell is the evidence of the so-called slave trade. Everyone is fuming but I haven’t seen any evidence for the claims.
Waste of space. What would you do in such a circumstance HH. Offering talk only is no solution.
You are trying to link Libya to Zambia. I know you! Don’t deny HH.
That’s why we don’t want white puppets to advance there ego and brings about change. You are the same 1diots who were condemning gaddafi as a dictator and you invited the imperialists to kill him. Libyans wouldn’t have undergone such life had it not being for puppies like hh.
in fact Lybia has better slavery than the abuse at (HH) cattle ranches.
CNN should come and expose the slave labour at his farms this political midget
@Dark Lord.. with the advent of technology all you have to do is google slave trade in Libya and voila you will see all the evidence come alive on the screen right before your eyes. Ignorance is no excuse for denial in this day and age.
Whatever makes HH think he is qualified to comment on each and every topic is the same reason that makes himself always shot in his foot. Among the African Dictators I know is HH himself who had imposed himself as UPND leader by removing the then vice president of UPND. The only reason he gave for not allowing Sakwiba Sikota to take over from Mazoka is that Sakwiba was not Tonga. 12 years down the line they have never been elections in UPND. On top of that he sent miners to their early grave by selling mines for a song so that him gets commissions. I will not go further to mention the slave wages he pays his workers. How does this 1diot link Zimbabwe and Libya to Zambia? Zambia holds regular elections which he regularly loses.
@NSIMBI, It is not true that ETO’O did that. Read the news, or google. Eto’o himself has denied that rumour. Check your facts.
@Sisters of Mercy, Eto had wanted his help to be anonymous and not attributed to him for many many good reasons. However when one works with a lot of agents in the process, the ‘cat gets out of the bag’ before they know it and quite frankly they have no control over it …
DOES THIS MEAN hh AND KAMBWILI CANNOT DO ANYTHING ELSE IN LIFE APART FROM BEING A POLITICIAN??
FOR POLITICIAN PLEASE READ LIAR
WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THEM IN ZAMBIA.
Those who killed Moammar Gadhafi are the ones to blame for all of this. They have turned the Mediterranean sea into history’s largest mass grave. Under Gadhafi, Libya was a destination country in Africa. Many professionals from across Africa used to flock there for greener pastures. Today, Libya has been turned into a transit point, to greener pastures across the Mediterranean sea. And now, Libya has become a slave market, a thing least conceivable under the Libya of Moammar Gadhafi. They hunted him down. They killed him, all because they hate us.
@kci – every Black African is qualified to speak about this issue!!
Very true every African can speak about this but you are disqualified when you play a hand in it… period! It is a no brainer!
Well said Jay.
https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/sport-42158344
PRACTICAL SAUEL. THESE ARE THE SONS AFRICA NEEDS WHO DON’T WASTE TIME TALKING. HH WANTS TO POLITICISE EVERYTHING IN THE NAME OF HIGHTENING HIS POLITICAL POPULARITY. YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE IN SERIOUS DANGER AND ALL YOU ARE SCAVENGING FOR IN THEIR PROBLEMATIC STATE IS POLITICAL MILAGE. UBUPUBA UNDER 5 YUO.
Dark Lord you should be watching CNN. It was an exclusive CNN report a week or so ago.
Zambians, we have to rise above Hate. This is why we have this syndrome of Pulling His/her Down (Ph.D.). HH just like any African person has the right to speak out. When you speak it does not mean charter a plane. Let us not miss the bigger picture that bad governance is what pushes our brother and sisters in West African countries take such risks.
It’s shameful that we are here talking bad about HH than actually share real solutions. I am sure most of you saw the video of a Lebanese locking Zambians in a warehouse, yet none of you have spoken including our own ministers. Evil shameful Zambian mentality.
This is why we need the Africa-Israel summit held in Zambia just to show a finger to these despicable slaving Arabs.
The Israelis aren’t much different my friend, if not worse.
We don’t have friends beyond Africa.
@2.1 Eye-ot-Horus, EXCELLENT AND SPOT ON COMMENT. AFRICANSHAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM OF THINKING THE LIGHT-SKINNED PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO WILL SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS. YOU ARE SPOT-ON TO SAY AFRICA, “don’t have friends beyond Africa”. I DON’T SEE WHY AND HOW ISREAL CAN SOLVE AFRICA’S SLAVERY PROBLEM, ACCORDING TO Enka @2. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WHITE-PEOPLE-SHOULD-SOLVE-OUR-PROBLEM APPLIES TO EVEN HIGHLY EDUCATED BLACK AFRICANS IN POLICS, ENGINEERING, IN MEDICINE AND ON WHATEVER LEVEL. WAKE UP CHAPS- YOU CAN’T CALL YOUR NEIGHBOUR TO COME AND HELP MAKE YOUR WIFE CONCEIVE IN ORDER TO HAVE A BABY.
@ Nsimbi Caught pants down lying. Advice to bloggers only contribute if you adquate data. Not half truths like our brother Nsimbi
What a cheap politicker this ldiot. What despots?
he is the chief despot at the helm of UPND for 12 years without a convention.
Mr Kudos,
Let’s us mind the way language please let’s us not call names people but rather debate constructively. We are all Zambia
“our brothers and sisters are fleeing from economic slavery caused by African despots”
(HH) its thanks to greedy capitalists like you who privatized African assets and led the miners to their early graves.
Today their families are trying to find opportunities in Europe and get caught up in Lybia.
greedy selfish charlatans like you are the root cause. You cant pretend to speak for the poor you monkey rat!
Johnson David your small ‘god’ (HH) used to call our late president an “Ailing Dictator Urine Bag”
Today your ‘god’ is calling President Lungu a “dirty drunkard thief from a garage in Chawama”
His cadres call us PF F0OLS. His wife calls Zambians “cowards”
so who’s doing the name calling? Respect others and they will respect you.
Your small ‘god’ does not deserve my respect.
He can go to the fire pits of Hell.
HH insults us who voted for PF day and night.
Wabetole
You are just a bitther ***** so called Mr Kudos
This makes a very good reading. I agree, it doesn’t take a genius to understand causes of slave trade and inhuman suffering in Lybia as you have correctly put it Bwana HH.
We do not have a better opposition in Zambia that could oust a faltering ruling party like PF as seen through the deals we are seeing today. HH needs to leave so we could have someone credible with less baggage to be a force to reckon with.
Yes the reasons HH describes are the causes but he should also notice that it is not only despots but also those who have willingly assisted despots so the could enrich themselves. Am afraid HH will never run away from this.
As ordered by Chiluba and his cronies, HH was part and parcel of what causes what he is describing. We are no fools sir, we know double standards when…
…. (cont—) we see one.
A lot of families died and suffered at the hands of chiluba’s unintelligible economic decisions which you as a patriotic Zambian with your ntentions to become our ruler participated.
HH states that “African Dictatorships that are denying their people their civil liberties, freedoms, unemployment and enslave them to economic deprivation due to corruption and bad governance are the real reasons behind this exodus of Africans to the North, in search of a better life”.
HH, your involvement in privatisation are a reason I myself am where I am, cause as I was coming out of secondary school, I amassed several qualifications but when I come home to Zambia, I cannot be employed cause the companies have been sold by Chiluba with your help.
However, after failing…
… (cont—) to get employed in Zambia, I fly back to England and within 2 weeks I get employed in my profession. That is a reason many Zambians have left.
In a nutshell, what you have expressed is true but the only unfortunate part is in the not so very long ago past when you were Chief Exec at Grant Thornton, you involved yourself in what causes what you are describing today.
HH is just talking about himself. African leaders who don’t want to be opposed. He has shown us that the man loves power too much. In his party no one is allowed to challenge him. 11 years as party president. No intra party election. Instead of talking about Libya issue alone, he starts linking it to his political agenda and selfishness. He thinks he is the only man who knows everything.
Subtract the year 2006 from 2018.
12 years as UPND leader without a convention.
This clown is a certified failure
Wabebunche
SO What iwe Cadre nao waba PF. Bitter *****.
Foolish opposition leader first start by going for a convention….useless criminal hiding your loot overseas…2021 we are retiring you iwe pompwe..
HH….you will never rule Zambia…NEVER
Unless your father told you that you a GOD otherwise GOD decides who can be President not cadres like you. In fact your father should have worn a condom that night.
Kudos you are leading yourself to an early grave. You have so much hatred for HH that you are blinded from the real issues. The man spoke of African slavery yet you find a reason to insult him. You insult in in every post no matter whether he is doing good or bad. Good luck to you.
This makes a very good reading. I agree, it doesn’t take a genius to understand causes of slave trade and inhuman suffering in Lybia as you have correctly put it Bwana HH.
We do not have a better opposition in Zambia that could oust a faltering ruling party like PF as seen through the deals we are seeing today. HH needs to leave so we could have someone credible with less baggage to be a force to reckon with.
Yes the reasons HH describes are the causes but he should also notice that it is not only despots but also those who have willingly assisted despots so the could enrich themselves. Am afraid HH will never run away from this.
As ordered by Chiluba and his cronies, HH was part and parcel of what causes what he is describing. We are no fools sir, we know double standards when…
SWINE
This is because Gaddafi is no more,so it is better to have a so called dictator than a puppet who encourages lawless.
Some countries need hard men to remain stable. Look at Iraq and other countries. People are not the same and this what the West don’t understand. Sadam knew his people very well and so did Gaddafi. I am glad Syrians have resisted Western imposed regime change.
Very true. Even in Africa, the imperialists created borders without putting into context the tribal factor; They created borders according to minerals. Look at what happened in Rwanda, Sudan, and now Cameroun, Kenya and even here in Zambia. They west don’t understand, even their democracy experiment in Middle East will never work.
That’s why the west imposing these tribalistic, egotistic despots like hh or Odinga on us is not good for Africa.
Special paper 2 time…
IF Crocodile is for Mnangagwa THEN Chimbwi no plan is for…??
A chimbwi no plan can nit get rich , so you are vrry erong HH has a plan hence his richness
Even marketeer GBM is rich, rich don’t mean wise, Akapondo!!
All they want is for us, Africans to turn spears on each other. They like it that way. Those who killed Moammar Gadhafi are the culprits. They have turned the Mediterranean sea into history’s largest mass grave. Under Gadhafi, Libya was a destination country in Africa. Many professionals from across Africa used to flock there for greener pastures. Today, Libya has been turned into a transit point, to greener pastures across the Mediterranean sea. And now, Libya has become a slave market, a thing least conceivable under the Libya of Moammar Gadhafi. They hunted him down. They killed him, all because they hate us.
Well spoken, HH. Any well-meaning normal functioning adult will agree what is happening in Libya is a symptom of a bigger problem. When ubuntu is taken out of human beings, this is what follows. The fact that AU is so silent and lukewarm about this grave calamity of slavery is very troubling.
It is privitisation thieves like you who are imperialists agents in Africa who bring slavery in Africa. Stop posturing when you know deep down that you are a plunderer. Cheat your cheap and ignorant followers, not smart Zambians. Come 2021 ulelila ayee!
Mr Kudos please stick to the topic. Your hatred for HH is infectious. Please be careful the way you talk about him.
We are still as blind as ever, fighting for cures and not for prevention. The African story is one and the same. Our approach has been reactionary – going for the symptoms, while the causes beguile us.
“So what really happened. ..” you’re asking imbwa nge ifwele? It’s people like like you who work with imperialists to impoverish African countries which makes many black people to anything even to cross deserts in search for a better life. .yes even to become slaves.
Just an observation, has the West said anything against the arrest and imprisonment of Catalonians who are seeking independence from Spain. No!!! If it’s in Africa they’re going to suspend aid and take leaders of that country to the ICC for crimes against humanity.
@ Ndanje – Clever observation, they’ve let it go silent and because of doing so, only the Spanish know what’s going on, the rest of Europe is in the dark.
Africa is not free is it? I think these guys still think they can do whatever they want with us.
HH is asking if the dog is naked or dressed? It’s people like him who have been used by their Western masters to make Africa to perpetually carry a begging bowl.
In other Jurisdictions like in the US Inventors or employers are required to mention and disclose adherence to the and actually make a STATEMENT UNDER THE UNITED KINGDOM MODERN SLAVERY ACT, 2015 as whether they have applied
Its soft slavery taking advantage of the less able and such in Zambia must be like in the UK a law that all companies and entities should be made to adhere
What is really wrong with the statement made by HH? We condemning him yet those leaders representing the AU are mute! You are the same people that see nothing wrong with the so called investors locking black Zambians in places of work!!
HH should keep quiet because he is part of the problem.
His FOREIGN POLICY outlook is shocking.
Not long ago,him and his robots were justifying the removal of legit govts by military means.
That’s the same means the US and UK used to remove Gaddafi.
Obama publicly acknowledged this blunder.
So why is HH tip-toeing around the root cause of what is going on in Libya?
The blame falls squarely on the west from which HH is drinking.
Well said HH. It is sad no African country has moved to be a developed country becuase of Misrule. Most of the people insulting HH left Zambia when the economy collapsed under KK and following corrupt racisms. Most Africans never praise a successful fellow and enourage others to do the same but call that person names. How can we develop? HH has invested in all sectors of the economy yet people insult him. Primitive mentality as its best. As you insult him, his investment is mulplying.
UPND inner circles should be advising HH to keep quiet on certain issues sometimes.nobody in Zambia can trust HH on this one because HH is ever with the Western Govnts preaching about change of Govnts in Africa.
Libya was a wonderful country under Gaddaffi whon HH called a dictator.after Gaddaffi was killed,today Libya is ungovernable and its too late to control the hell caused by HH’s white friends there!!!
ZAMBIAN VOTERS MUST BE CAREFUL WITH SUCH POLITICIANS LIKE HH WHO ARE DESPERATE FOR POWER TO ENRICH THEMSELVES AND THEIR MASTERS AT LODGES (MASONISTS!!!sometimes it is better to have a dictator like Sadam Hussein,Gaddaffi,Paul Kagame then enjoy peace and development in the country THAN HAVING THE SO CALLED USELESS DEMOCRACY!!!!Libya is in hell today because of Govnt change and…
You demagogue if you are with Lungu dont think everyone is eating with you. It annoyining to discourage people from voting for progressive Leaders like HH in preference to thieves. Who can buy a fire truck at Ten Billion Kwacha for one and people like like are clapping ant Boma isebeza. Marubbish.
How useless can some bloggers be! Instead of reacting to the issue HH raises and contributing constructively, whether in agreement or not, the immediate immaturity is to attack HH personally – and divert to other matters that are not in topic. Is it a wonder that the perpetuation of these personal selfish idiosyncrasies have been a major catalyst to our lack of progression in Africa?
Of course Libya was rendered lawless by the West who thought they would hide behind the ‘Arab spring’ to exploit the country. But they had no plan B as the circumstances proved to be a thorn. The territory is now a conduit for all kinds of unscrupulous mercenary and primitive activities in the absence of stable authority. The UN and AU should agree on a course of action – a concerted physical intervention…
… is clearly needed to oversee security and revitalise a path to a free political pathway.
When the Europeans saw the opportunity to gain resources from the fall of Ghaddafi, they provided their navies and air power to ensure the “dictator” falls. Why should the UN and AU start making courses of action?? Let the same French and allied forces provide that military force once more and restore order for the mess they created!!
it is not true, Eto did not charter any plane for those migrants
Arabs are so cruel.Even in Zambia these labenese they mistreat our workers.
We need to start fixing them these fi mabunu
What is the difference between what is happening in Libya and the failed Armageddon that this man wanted for Zambia were brother kills brother on a national scale. What hypocrisy! Zambians, beware of political vermin.
Indeed 29 what is the difference arsonist, Armageddon, Namwala barbaric. 1do.it can’t he just quite.