By Dr Nevers Mumba
I have listened to the statement made by 6th Republican President Mr. Edgar Lungu at the funeral of our fallen 4th Republican President, President Rupiah Bwezani Banda which brought into debate the word, “HYPOCRISY.” Last night, I could only post the definition of hypocrisy on my face book to give myself time to fully appreciate the meaning and put it into context.
His statement has largely been understood or seen from two contexts.
VIEW #1
That as Zambians, we are generally hypocritical and that there has been a growing trend of hypocricy in the country where people especially leaders, are only appreciated when they die, rather than while they are still with us.
VIEW#2
That President Hichilema is a hypocrite who has been allegedly saying good things publicly and doing bad things behind the scenes as related to how the former PF leaders are being treated.
Regardless of what President Lungu could have meant, we believe this statement has stirred up a lot of debate, some healthy and some proving rather unfortunate.
Healthy in the sense that, it has laid bare a growing concern in which we, as a people never appreciate our leaders while they are alive. We saw this with our Gabon Soccer Heroes, both the class of 1993 Heroes as well as the Class of 2012 Heroes. We saw it with President Kaunda, with President Chiluba to a greater extent, perhaps, we also saw it with Late President Mwanawasa and now, President Banda. On this score, I think we must self-introspect as individual citizens and improve as a nation and accord some semblance of respect to our Leaders, especially after they leave office.
On the other hand, the statement has also caused a negative stir in that the event used to make such a statement was inappropriate. It was a presidential funeral at which words used by leaders must contribute to strengthening national unity and comforting the nation. In addition, in the pursuit of reconciliation and national unity, President Lungu must never underestimate the damage his regime inflicted on Zambians. The damage to democracy. Damage to the economy. Damage to the bond that has held the 72 tribes together. Damage to Zambia’s international image. We are of the view that such intentional damage done to a nation must become prosecutable in future.
Thirdly, President Lungu and PF must never underestimate the grace and restraint that President Hichilema has had to exercise in handling former PF leaders.
To President Hichilema, we applaud you for being magnanimous in the manner in which you have gracefully handled power, and the people that manhandled you. It is you, who reached out to president Lungu to attend the funeral for RB. This gesture has unfortunately been rewarded with the biting accusation of hypocrisy. But in our quest for national unity, we urge you not to take offense but to continue with efforts to unite the nation, including embracing President Lungu.
To President Lungu, it is not too late. The loss of President Banda and just last year, President Kenneth Kaunda has naturally presented to you, an opportunity to step into a role that is larger than partisan divisions, I urge you, sir, to seek God’s strength and face the Zambian people. Ask them to forgive you for any pain your administration could have caused them knowingly or unknowingly. Do not listen to those naysayers that want to continue using your name to advance their own PF agenda, your role is now Zambian. Most assuredly, Both God and the people of Zambia shall forgive you. We know that if you can quickly heal and move on to step into your new role, you can be a huge blessing and an instrument to Join hands with President Hichilema to foster peace, unity and development for our beloved nation.
To continue to complain that you are being mistreated currently does not sit well with most Zambians. Most Zambians believe you should be held accountable.
HELP US TO HEAL AND LET US FOSTER NATIONAL UNITY TOGETHER.
That guy is a failed leader. Not even befitting the title of Former Leader of this country. No nzelu mdala USA.
Only the Banda family had a choice of who to invite and not invite at the funeral. They were the owners of the funeral. I now understand why we say a fool at forty is a fool forever. The only legacy this man who ran away from the pulpit has is being fired as vice president by the late president. He is crawling to upnd hiding behind the dead MMD banner. Nevers never grows abakulu bambi masaka
Ba Nevers Mumba, these are good words to bring leaders and the people of Zambia together because that is very important for the development of our great nation. But just wondering, whether this was not as important for you to have advised HH to cooperate with his friend Lungu when he laboured to develop our great nation? This leads to the second point of hypocrisy. Dr. Mumba are you not being hypocritical to assume that only Lungu must embrace HH when HH conveniently chose not to attend any national functions during the reign of Lungu save for the state funeral of our late founding father of the nation Dr Kenneth Kaunda? MMD crumbled under your reign is it not time for you to do an introspect on your leadership stlye?
Nevers you are also a hypocrite. Lungu may have made mistakes but it’s obvious you are just looking for an opportunity.
For this one Dr Nevers Mumba you are very right. This is a very good advise to both the current and the former president.
Ba Nevers nabukandile bwabo. Bwafya sana. I can’t say much.
So nevers has been reduced to a speech analyst. Chalo ichi
Whether he heals or not that is his own fault, because the truth of the matter is that he never stood on the hill to promise the people of Zambia what he will do for them when he is elected as the president. That is why he did know what to do when he was in power and he still doesn’t know what to say when he is out of power. So we understood you man ,the best way for he is to completely keep quiet before we charge you with the case of treason and you will rot in mukobeko.
ECL should stand by his words. There is nothing wrong in what he said. His words were educative and progressive. No need for fevers from anyone. HH praise singers are of no value to Zambian future.
President LUNGU continues to be clueless, and continues to listen to the same PF manipulators that significantly contributed to his demise as a president. Mr. LUNGU risks to be remembered as a dick..tator. A none of those infrastracture things will be remembered.
NEVERS Mumba is right on point: “President Lungu and PF must never underestimate the grace and restraint that President Hichilema has had to exercise in handling former PF leaders”. Therefore, “we applaud” HH for being magnanimous in the manner in which He has gracefully handled power and the people in PF that manhandled him. Indeed, Mr. Lungu has “an opportunity to step into a role that is larger than partisan divisions”. At this point Mr. LUNGU is not ready, he is a PF President and NOT the People`s Leader.
Abakulu Bambi masaka the case of nevers
HH, please give Nevers a job. I feel Nevers has grovelled enough. While you are at it please find something for Musa Indian to do also.
Edgar China Lungu should be arrested first, and charged with whatever we can come up with, and spend the rest of his life in JAIL.
Lol
Bwafya sana
To be perfectly honest everyone of us has some hypocrisy to some degree.And yes Lungu is now behaving differently when out of power.
“….I urge you, sir, to seek God’s strength and face the Zambian people. Ask them to forgive you for any pain your administration could have caused them knowingly or unknowingly…..”
The best advice to lungu……….
But lungu will never admit wrongs……….
We are waiting patiently for lungu to stand before a judge , or face investigators……….
Before that………
Let lungu be man enough to face the press and answer any questions……….
Remove hypocrisy by jailing lungu for six months, then ask for his Ka comments
I find absolutely nothing wrong with what the former President ECL said and he never mentioned anyone’s name as being hypocritical, so to suggest that he was talking about President HH is a total fabrication of his words. There’s no need to make assumptions and uniformed conclusions. Let’s maintain some peace and stability in the Country please.
kachasu hangover; forgive him
kachasu hang over
Hey #17 that’s my name though.Lungu should never be forgiven he sowed division and did great damage to Zambia’s economic and democratic credentials.
ECL is not only easy to be misunderstood but it is also very very easy to underrate him – at your peril.
You may call Dr Mumba names but the man has a point here. ECL’s PF was ruthless and Useless, they embraced thuggery as way to run a country.
Lungu spent more time doing business than running the affairs of the country. Lungu is too dirty to transition to a statesman. He will feel persecuted because he corrupted everything. Lungu is the type who would hand out bags of US Dollars to judges at State Lodge to hijack the justice system. I see him dying a divisive figure, his testament will be no different from Chiluba. Not many will remember him kindly. He took it too far.