The Zambia we are Losing, The Zambia we must Restore

THE ZAMBIA WE ARE LOSING, THE ZAMBIA WE MUST RESTORE

By Douglas Leroy Namafente

Zambia caught a rare glimpse of its truest self in Kasama today 9th Dec. The funeral of the late Mayor Theresa Mulenga Kolala Khumalo became more than a moment of mourning. It became a reflection of the country’s oldest and most cherished virtue: unity. For a brief period, the noise of politics faded and the nation remembered what it once was, and what it must remain.

The Vice President stood alongside senior opposition members. Rivals within the Patriotic Front, including those competing for the party presidency, set aside their contest and gathered as one. Supporters of the ruling UPND and the PF consoled each other without hesitation. At Chiba Cemetery, there were no factions, no colours, no slogans. There was only Zambia.

This unity was not by chance. It echoed the character of the woman the country came to honour. Mayor Kolala was remembered by Community Development Minister Doreen Mwamba as a leader who balanced demanding public duty with devotion to God and family. Youth, Sport and Arts Minister Elvis Nkandu described her as someone who treated every person with dignity, regardless of party. Permanent Secretary Nicholas Phiri noted her ability to work in harmony with national vision, even without belonging to the ruling party. These tributes were genuine, and they carried a lesson the country cannot afford to ignore.

There was also public expectation that Hon. Chabinga would attend. His absence highlighted an uncomfortable truth. When political resentment becomes too heavy, it limits a leader’s ability to walk into spaces of truth and humility. Zambia deserves leaders free enough to stand with citizens during national moments, not bound by grudges that serve no one.

What happened in Kasama must not remain an isolated scene of unity. It should be a mirror through which this country re-examines itself. Zambia has drifted into a culture of hostility where political identity overshadows national identity. We have begun to forget that before PF or UPND, before tribe or region, we are a nation that has long believed in love over hate and respect over division. Our Constitution begins with acknowledgment of God. If God is supreme, then hatred cannot guide our politics.

It is time for citizens to rethink how they relate to leaders. Disagreements with a President belong at the ballot, not in personal hatred. Hakainde Hichilema is human. Edgar Lungu is human. Each has made decisions that gained praise and decisions that brought criticism. No President meets every expectation, and none ever will. Governance is a relay race. One leader hands over to the next, and the country moves forward by building on what was done well and correcting what went wrong.

Zambia should appreciate the contributions made by the Lungu administration and acknowledge its failures. It should recognise the achievements of the Hichilema administration and question its shortcomings. This is the balance on which democracy stands. It does not require hatred. It requires maturity.

As the nation prepares to bury former President Lungu, Kasama offers a powerful lesson. Let the country extend to him and his family the same unity shown at Mayor Kolala’s funeral. Let us bury him the way we buried Kaunda, Chiluba and Sata, in dignity and without political poison. Zambia does not gain from quarrelling over the dead. It gains from honouring them respectfully and guarding the peace they leave behind.

This country has never survived on the strength of political parties. It has survived on the strength of its people. The spirit of Kasama must therefore guide us forward. We must choose unity over division, humility over pride and love over hate. Zambia is a nation that has always stood with God at the centre. To honour that tradition, we must restore the peace and togetherness that has defined us for generations.

The funeral of Mayor Kolala reminded us of who we were and who we must become again. The choice is ours.
One Zambia. One Nation.