Former Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs in the Patriotic Front (PF) administration Chris Zumani Zimba has said President Hakainde Hichilema and his predecessor Edgar Lungu must be in talking terms.
Dr. Zimba, who served under Mr. Lungu, said President Hichilema and his predecessor should enjoy a good relationship as brothers because they are the only two surviving statesmen in Zambia.
He said President Hichilema and Mr. Lungu’s reconciliation should be beyond posing for nice church service pictures.
Dr. Zimba said President Hichilema is lucky because Mr. Lungu did not just willingly concede defeat and handover power in August 2021 but openly respects the seventh President.
“It doesn’t matter the intensity of social divide or extent of political differences at any given time, ECL and HH must be in talking terms as brothers because they are the only two surviving Presidents Zambia has. Moreover, President HH is blessed and lucky because, ECL did not just willingly concede defeat and handover power in August 2021, Lungu openly respects HH and always addresses him correctly as “His Excellency, The President of Zambia. During the seven years reign of President Lungu in State House, HH was stubbornly consistent to denounce the Presidency of ECL and always addressed him only as “Mr Lungu”, not or never His Excellency, The President of Zambia. In like manner, the UPND MPs at their peak in opposition maintained the same position by calling ECL as “Mr. Lungu” and never “His Excellency or The Republican President”. To a greater extent, this created a difficult situation for cabinet every time President Lungu attended a public event where HH was in attendance in fear of possible embarrassment or public ridicule of calling the Republican President a Mr. Lungu,” Dr. Zimba stated.
Dr. Zimba added that the political peace and reconciliation between HH and ECL is easier to execute now.
“Under the New Dawn Administration, the basis for engagement or mediation between HH and ECL is very fertile as all MPs and Lungu himself have maintained a respectful and humble posture by recognizing HH as the only and legitimate Republican President of Zambia. Based on the aforesaid, it is true to pose and stress that the political peace and reconciliation between HH and ECL is easier now to be executed than it was when HH was in the opposition; HH is lucky and blessed for this good political framework,” he said.
Dr. Zimba said it would be joyful to see true friendship of brotherhood and honest peaceful interaction between HH and ECL in order to foster love, peace and national unity.
“In fact, most stakeholders would be happy to see true friendship of brotherhood and honest peaceful interaction between HH and ECL in order to foster love, peace and national unity. As such, our well meaning mediators from the church, chiefs, NGOs, etc must not get tired trying to ensure that the two leaders start talking and develop a true spirit of brotherhood beyond those nice pictures Zambians see when they meet in funeral church services. Lastly, while HH needs the constitutional support and allegiance of all well meaning Zambians in order to peacefully govern and develop this republic, it is also gruesomely true to note that ECL needs the social respect, political dignity and treatment worth a former president and political statesman from everyone,” Dr Zimba said.
Dr. Zimba was appointed as President Edgar Lungu’s Special Advisor for Politics to replace controversial Kaizer Zulu in December, 2019.
At the time of his appointment, Dr Zimba was a strategic thinker and planner for the Constitution Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO), for which he was partly responsible for conceptualizing.
LUNGU ARRESTED HICHILEMA 15 TIMES BREAKING HIS GATE AND HOUSE TRAUMATIZED HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN AND TORTURED HIS SERVANTS IN THE PROCESS OF ARRESTS. WHERE WAS THE BROTHERHOOD THEN???
Sometime LT, please don’t put salt on wounds. This is nonsense. If Lungu has not apologized to Zambians for dividing the country and even arrest his friend 15 times. Where would the brotherhood start from? The Hate speech, Tribalism that Lungu and his Kambwili gung had? They don’t deserve any good. Lungu and his people are Evil. We don’t care about him.
CHIQA LA LUNGU MUST PAY FOR HIS SINS.
A young man like this showing more wisdom and maturity than insecure childish HH. VERY EMBARRASSING TO HAVE A PRESIDENT LIKE HH
SPEAK TO LUNGU ABOUT WHAT ??
HE WAS MERELY A PUPPETB TO HIS MINISTERS
Of course this little boy will say that to protect his former master …this boy was okay before he went to State House its there that he turned into a monster who had the police at his finger tips to detain people just to fix them
“……Moreover, President HH is blessed and lucky because, ECL did not just willingly concede defeat and handover power in August 2021, Lungu openly respects HH….”
Lungu had no choice but hand over power with more than 1 million votes separating him and HH……….he knew it was not possible to over rule such a hudge defeat……
Lungu needs to publicly apologise for the brutality and thuggery he showed HH and zambia
This is just a performance by Chris Zumani Zimba. He knows the hang-up with Edgar Lungu.
First off at the human level he is MR Lungu. Matter of fact, the honorary degree does not entitle him to even be addressed by that salutation. Side note: those of us not in academia but with PhD do not bother about being called Dr. It appears to be an African fixation. Anyway, reconciliation is not a brand; let decorum rule at the end of the day.
Only a fool will say there is no God,this is biblical.And only a …….. will despise the subject above period.