The highly publicized meeting between US President Joe Biden and President Hakainde Hichilema has been cancelled after Vice President Mutale Nalumango told Parliament that Zambia will not entertain gay rights.

According to an earlier programme released by the Zambian Mission in Washington, President Hichilema was due to meet President Biden at the White House on Thursday but that meeting has now been called off.

On Saturday, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Stanley Kakubo confirmed that President Hichilema will not meet President Biden but that he will only meet Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday in Washington.

But senior Diplomats at the Zambian Mission in Washington have revealed that the decision to call off the meeting between President Hichilema and President Biden came after Vice President Nalumango’s statement in Parliament on Friday.

The Diplomats added that by snubbing a highly publicized meeting with the Zambian Head of State, the White House wanted to send a clear message that it will take a strong stance against nations opposing gay rights.

“We understand that our colleagues are very upset with Vice President Nalumango’s answer in Parliament largely because since President Hichilema came in, indications from the Chargé d’Affaires David Young have been that Zambia is now ready to embrace gay rights with the coming in of the New Dawn but with that statement in Parliament, our colleagues here are very upset hence cancelling the meeting to send a signal to Lusaka,” the diplomat source revealed.

“Nigeria was recently threatened with financial and travel sanctions over the same issue of gay rights and we will not be too surprised if Zambia gets the same bashing from the US over Vice President Nalumango’s statement,” they said.

When answering a question from Kabushi Member of Parliament Bowman Lusambo on government position on gay rights, Mrs Nalumango categorically stated that the Hichilema administration will not accept gay rights.

Mr Lusambo wanted to know if there was a change in Zambia’s stance on gay rights following the election of President Hichilema.

“When it comes to government position, we respond to official statements that we have made. Social media can say what they want, that is not our position. We have to find it as a fact for us to start finding time on that. I will not come here and start discussing the American President’s statement. The issue of how other nations handle the issues of rights is not exactly how we do it,” Mrs Nalumango said.

She added, “It is very sad that members of this August House know we are members of the international community and within the international community, there is sovereignty of each country and each country has its own laws, rules, regulation, traditions and culture.”

“For these Honourable Members to start thinking because we are friends with one particular nation or we are members of one organization then we pick everything, aint we members of SADC, I will not complete because the Honourable Member who is asking understands exactly what I mean. Nations within the SADC have different positions on gay rights, different members of UN have different positions on gay rights, so is the AU.”

Mrs Nalumango reiterated that Zambia is a Christian Nation and that the declaration will remain on the country’s statutes.

“We are a Christian Nation and that remains on the books. If this government at any one time wants gay rights, you will be the first to know but we are a Christian Nation, we continue to be who we are,” Mrs Nalumango said.

Mr Chishala Chilufya, a politician and devoted Christian has called on the Church to rise to the occasion and defend the church which is under attack from the new government.

He has since advised the church to remain steadfast and brace for harder times.

“Firstly, we want the church to realize that this government has no genuine regard and place for the church going forward. We told the Zambian people to critically interrogate the faith of all aspiring candidates because the church and the entire body of Christ was under threat.

“Now we are where we are because people don’t like to interrogate their choices if leaders. President Hakainde Hichilema had never been categorically clear on his position on many issues relating to the Church. The first act from him was to scrap the Ministry of Religious Affairs. It is clear that the Church must brace itself for harder times under this administration.

Mr. Chishala has also cautioned the traditional leaders to equally be prepared for hard times.

“Look, are we surprised that, the President has scraped off two sensitive ministries. In past governments, these important and critical stakeholders have either had a desk at the state House or a ministry. So what we are witnessing is disgustingly awful.

“These guys dont believe in anything, they don’t want the church or indeed our culture. They are systematically preparing the ground for the introduction of abominable acts such as gay rights. And there will be nowhere we can go. They will abolish the penal code and introduce laws that will create a safe haven for LGBT rights.

He has further challenged President Hichilema to explain to the Zambia people why he has scraped off ministries of chiefs and religious affairs.

“Look, President Hakainde Hichilema must be accountable for his actions. He must explain why he has removed these two sensitive ministries, like the Ministry responsible for traditional affairs. Is it that he wants wizardry and satanism rather than secularism to become a reality. Already we are told that the House of Prayer project will not be completed, we must forget about it. So under this President, we don’t expect respect for the church and our traditional leadership.

Meanwhile, New Congress Party president Pastor Peter Chanda has said that majority Zambians detests gayism.

Reacting to British High Commissioner Nicolas Woolley who said Zambians will decide whether to accept gayism or not, Pastor Chanda said Zambia upholds Christian values as enshrined in the Bible.

Pastor Chanda hoped that Mr. Woolley’s sentiments are not a ploy by the British government to coerce Zambia into coming up with a law that will legalizes gayism.

“We should not open doors to promote gayism in Zambia. This country upholds Christian values as enshrined in the Bible,” Pastor Chanda said before adding “Zambians detests gayism and will not embrace it at all. We can’t have man marrying a fellow man.”

And Pastor Chanda said Zambians expect promises on free education, reduction of mealie meal prices and cost of doing business to be fulfilled by President Hichilema and his Government.

He said it is sad that republican vice President Mutale Nalumango on the floor of the house refused to acknowledge the UPND’s campaign promises prior to the August 12 general elections.

“It is sad to note that Vice President Nalumango stated that she doesn’t recall the promises of reducing mealie meal prices and increase in the maize floor maize price,” Pastor Chanda said.

“President Hichilema should be sincere and come out in the open and say he never understood the governance system of the country when he was making empty promises and be honest to the Zambians about how he intends to govern the country,” he said.

President Hakainde Hichilema will undertake a trip to the United States of America to attend the 76th Session of the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) from 20th to 26 September 2021.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, the president will participate in various high level summits among them the 2021 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) moment, the high level dialogue on energy, the UN food system summit, the global COVID- 19 summit.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Stanly Kakubo has noted that in line with government’s vision of turning around the economy, promoting trade and investment among other strategies, the President will also hold meetings with the Heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Mr. Kakubo said at a media briefing in Lusaka today that President Hichilema will further engage prominent and influential congressmen and women as well as Senators of Capital Hill in order to share Zambia’s vision under the new dawn of administration.

“Other engagements during this important visit to the USA, include the US Institute of Peace, the US chamber of Commerce and the Africa Business Centre where the President is expected to project the vision of the new government in addressing the aspirations of the Zambian people,” he highlighted.

The Minister observed that the high level engagements with strategic partners and think tanks are important to ensure that the new dawn government achieves its goals of economic transformation underpinned by peace and security through the consolidation of bilateral and multilateral relations with countries and institutions key to the interest of the Republic of Zambia.

He added that the Head of State will also pay a courtesy call on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and hold several bilateral meetings with other world leaders including the President of the European Council Charles Micho.

Mr. Kakubo further stated that during his visit, the President is also scheduled to travel to Washington DC, where he will hold a historical meeting with the Vice President of the United States of America Kamala Harris.

“This is the first time in more than two decades that a sitting Zambian President has met with top level leadership of the United States of America signifying the mark of confidence in our President Mr. Hakainde Hichilema and his administration,” noted the Minister.

And Mr. Kakubo noted that government remains confident that this landmark visit will translate into tangible benefits for the ordinary people of Zambia.

He said the President and his delegation are scheduled to return to Zambia on 27th September, 2021.