Opposition UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema says his party outside or inside the government, has neither intention nor capacity to interfere in the selection, continued reign nor removal of any traditional leadership in this country.
He says the UPND simply has no legal, moral desire or other basis to carry out such a mission.
Mr Hichilema says in as far as the UPND is concerned, this is unattainable and well outside the party cherished values, virtues and aspirations.
“Our duty is to work with all traditional leaders (headmen, chiefs, paramount chiefs and others in the traditional hierarchy of our nation), and other stakeholders in fostering economic and social development to benefit all our citizens in the whole country regardless of ethnic, religious, political, and other affiliations or artificial boundaries”, he said.
“For the record, I as Hakainde Hichilema, have never said or done anything against the Chitimukulu or the Bemba Royal Establishment”, Mr Hichilema added.
He said when the Patriotic Front was harassing the Chitimukulu with Edgar Lungu as Home Affairs Minister deployed hundreds of police officers to prevent his ascension to the throne; he stood by the Chitimukulu and rendered support to him.
“As a country, we would rather use our time and focus discussion on more serious and pressing issues affecting our citizens such as finding solutions to the economic meltdown and the COVID 19 pandemic, as these do not spare anyone from whatever background or political affiliation”, he said.
Mr Hichilema said he is aware of the desperation by some of his opponents who have no messages for the masses, other than driving hatred against fellow citizens.
He said Zambians find these misplaced efforts to drive a wedge between citizens, tragic, retrogressive and a danger to national unity.
Mr Hichilema said within the context of democratic dispensation, it is the UPND’s duty to jealously guard the peace Zambia has enjoyed as a country since independence, and focus on seeking unity than disunity, love than hate and honesty than unnecessary innuendos.
He said there is so much work to be done and the UPND are preoccupied with ways and means of how citizens can put food on their tables and send their children to school.
“We believe that the above response should put to rest this unnecessary digression from critical national issues”, he added.
What a feeble response! Mr. Hakainde HICHILEMA should have dissociated himself from the comments of James Lukuku and Patrick Mucheleka to show he does not agree with what they said. But what do we hear? No reference to them. This response is just as good as not saying anything at all.
The president has spoken, oh! the president of UPND, the incoming party in government, Oh! some party cadres may begin to throw missiles.
Well said. I’m beginning to like this under five. I think I will vote for you in place of my “mole rat” traditional cousin. This is political maturity. Well done.
Well spoken, lets focus back on the real issues
You must also tell your cadres in Southern Province to respect those who are not UPND. Tell them to stop treating people who are not UPND as enemies. Tell them not to repeat what they did in Namwala in 2016. We are one Zambia one Nation. But unfortunately sir, you have said nothing on these issues which confirms that you are in support.
Zambians are no longer useful *****’s incapable of being analytical with the pertaining situation! Only ones choosing the ostrich style are in denial.
Well spoken (HH). Similarly we want you to distance yourself from Ackson Sejane and Mutinta Mazoka’s evil statements which ushered you into power of UPND 15 years ago.
Indeed, let’s focus on real issues and not tissues….Sosala is a very ungrateful person who easily forgets those that walked with him in the cold stormy nights and stood by him when his palace was under siege. Such short memories makes him undeserving to rule over any tribe let alone Bembas. I should know since I am from ‘Kwisano’.
Let’s focus on what puts bread and butter on people’s tables, after all, with or without the chief, Zambia still needs to go FORWARD….
Sosala and Chikwanda are fighting to pave way for Ngandu but they have realised that biggest threat to his schemes is HH. No one can buy into chief’s ascensions. He must know that ‘ubufumu bucindika umwine’.
It’s not like he was going to come out and own up to it. In the same way that he continues to refute his evil deeds in the privatisation saga and the tribal tag of his party. This man lacks integrity and is a born liar. Zambian can see through him.
The Bemba King has just issued a fatwa . . . .bemba land is now a no-go area for ka hh. All headmen will be given strict instructions on how to punish this tonga tribal idy.ot and his cohorts. GBM will supervise the project..Go back to your COWthern province and preside as a god.
Ba kachepa have you ever been to southern province? Or just Livingston where chief mukuni is..you will find mixed languages there with Bemba’s all over dambwa north, central and south and here you are speaking rubbish.
@Kachepa in lusaka ( soli land )or copperbelt (lamba land) okay if you dont want to come to bemba land can you geographically draw it up on the zambian map. bane lets learn to live as one in this british dream called zambia formerly nothern rhodesia.
Even if he speaks well, a lot old tribal statements which he ignored will always haunt him. People will remember more of bad statements from his party than goodones.
When a te.st!cle talks it sounds like this Kachepa !mbec!le.
Lusakatimes this is where you make a mistake. Post the whole statement we read for ourselves dont choose what you want to protect that dishonourable fellow.
LT this is where you make a mistake. Just put the full statement we read for ourselves. dont summarise to protect the chief.
Akainde insoselo shobe ngashina e imichitile yobe nganali nakutotela
@ Kachepa: will the Bembas also confine themselves to “their” boundary? Please stop this childish talk. I hope you just intended to pass a banter, if not grow up and think beyond your village. Wars of genocide are started by careless people like you; those that don’t know when to joke and when not to
There lies in the problem with HH and his minions. Why this evasiveness? The Chitimukulu has been on record citing you with Mucheleka of demeaning and insulting him. Why not take him on directly rather heap the blame on others? Echo ulushila iwe mbuli mataba.
Presidential statement!
He has cleared the air and let’s hear from the chitimukulu himself.
Let’s hope chief chitimukulu will show maturity and no more this and that.
PF must go!
Coward statement
I think chitimukulu should just recall back all the Bembas to northern and muchinga provinces then the problem will be solved.
Excellent comment my presido
Things are not panning out. The whole point of this discourse was to win confidence from Chiefs but looks like the chiefs like to look at gift horses in the mouth!
It’s painful watching someone trying to befriend and meeting up with a stop sign.
It’s wise to be cautious, I suppose. Bet they’ll reach a consensus not to believe each other soon, and drop this going nowhere dialog.
Really unifying and mature statement.
Reminds me of Obama addressing the racial tensions and divide between majority whites and blacks before he ascended to the presidency.
I still understand to this day why some Zambians continue to shoot themselves in the foot by not giving this guy a chance purely on petty tribal grounds. They think their Bemba and Nyanja affiliated guys m, unqualified as they may be, would develop their areas… wrong! You move around from Eastern to Luapula, Northern, Muchinga, Copperbelt and witness the poverty levels, it’s a sorry state. These cr0oks are just after enriching their selfish selves and it doesn’t matter what tribe they are.
Wake up from narrow mindedness slumber of tribalism and vote for competent people to move this country forward. Look…
HH WAS NEVER FOR OUR CHITIMUKULU.
Akainde never agreed with SATA, always ANTI SATA.
If Sata had chosen the Capitalist Route, Akainde would go Socialist or Communist
Well spoken! Not fufuveve we here at airports!! Mfwiti, mfwiti….haha this haha that, rich man this rich man that…..not going to loose him but I will loose her since she is guilty…..@ shameless and shallow!
It’s good that HH himself has responded…rather than third parties. I dont think the Chief necessarily wants friction with political leaders.
However, it would appear that certain individuals in the Bemba Royal fraternity disgruntled with the Chief, seek to use political clout, to bully & threaten the Chief. I think this is wrong. Like it or not – he is the chosen head of the Bemba – custodian of Bemba heritage, respect this fact.
PF has become very unpopular because they have only achieved corruption. The only challenge hh has is: does this unpopularity of lungu translate to votes for him? The problem the rest of Zed has is that his tonga supporters don’t support any other tribe. Tongas only support a tonga, so why must other tribes support a tonga? This hh must tell us
Quality Presidential talk. HH the next presido for Zambie. PF is using chitumukulu, and you Chitimunono stay away from politics you will loose respect like ECL and KZ. Who talk nonsense all the way.
HH has a Kirimanjaro to climb before he goes to plot 1. This response does not help his cause either. Contrary to this screaming title, HH does not respond to this situation. HH is slowly running out of time and lost opportunities to show cause why he needs statehouse more than other political players in Zambia.
Zambian politics are rubbish. Zambian politics do not inspire but on the contrary, they promote tribalism and hatred.
All chiefs and chief doms must not engage in open discourse with public and more so come out political because their subjects belong to different political parties yet under their care and political leaders must also refrain from drawing their royal highness es into mad There is no chief more superior than the other They should all refrain and speak matters in house of chiefs and comment through indunas and never direct They should learn lessons from one chief who has since sold his chiefdom and now in rented house in garden compound Lusaka l like the wisdom humility and fatheriness of the mwata
You can see the leadership in the statement, thanks HH. ZAMBIANS ARE DECIDED. We are sick and tired of the jokes going on, you find the economy in a decent place and you go and ground it.
LT is now rubbish they block most of the comments it’s useless to even read their news.
It is unattainable and well outside the Upndead tribal cherished values, virtues and aspirations to rule.
PF 100%
ECL 100%
Patriots 100%
Zambia overdrive 100%
Suntwes must not rule.
Ba kachepa mukwata amano…go to Livingston and see if you will find Bemba’s being mistreated
Kaizer Zulu is the last person to talk of integrity. WHAT INTEGRITY IS THERE IN BEATING PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU HAVE POLITICAL POWER!