Patricia Scotland Should Decline this Award and Must instead hold President Hichilema Accountable

Patricia Scotland Should Decline this Award and Must instead hold President Hichilema Accountable

Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Wrote;

At a special investiture ceremony held at Pamodzi Hotel (very starnge! Where is State House?) President Hakainde Hichilema confered the Order of the Eagle of Zambia – 2nd Division upon the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Commonwealth Secretary-General.

On her last numerous trips to Zambia, Scotland was battling to unite and reconcile President Edgar Lungu and opposition leader, Hakainde Hichilema, who was in remand prison facing treason charges.

She also sought firm commitments from government to secure freer terrain for the Opposition facing violence from ruling party cadres, police harrasment and restrictions.

Scotland has visited Zambia having similar or worse conditions. President Hichilema has been on vicious campaign against his predecessor, harrassing and persecuting him and his family.

The ruthless approach has been extended to the Opposition who have faced arbitrary arrests, harrasment and destabilised the work of the Opposition by banning political rallies, public meetings, pickets, protests and demonstrations.

He has further weaponised laws such as the Cyber Crimes and Cyber Security Act, Seditious practices, Criminal Defamation and Hate Speech to punish and persecute the Opposition.

Look at the case of the former ruling Party, the Patriotic Front. Hichilema has personally and under his stewardship, destabilised it and put stooges to lead the Party, in effect and by his publicly stated schemes of “Imingalato”, is the new defacto, who dictates the existence of the party and its leadership through illegal manouvres and machinations done at the Registrar of Societies, Parliament, Zambia Police and the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

The United Nations Humans Rights Council, the USA Country Report, the Human Rights Watch International and other international human rights organisations have catalogued Hichilema’s glaring human rights abuses and severe restrictions on democratic and media space.

It is therefore imperative that Scotland should have rejected the patronising award as it fights the very principles that brought her to Zambia to battle with the vices of misrule, authoritarianism and undemocratic tendencies.

As evidence has mounted, President Hichilema is actively engaged in manipulative and dirty schemes to undermine and rig the 2026 elections.

Let me remind her of her lofty words at Presidents Hichilema’s inauguration on 24th August 2025.

“This is indeed a high moment for the Commonwealth, Africa part or Zarnbia’s remarkable journey and the whole of the international community. Everyone has
played their part. Zambia’s democracy is a feat to be admired and celebrated, and one which we hope to see emulated in the
wider Commonwealth family.”

“The flame of peace, which was set alight by President Dr. Keneth David Kaunda, which was entrusted to each of his successors, nurtured and kept alive through some of the darkest of times by both former President Lungu and President Hichilema has brought us here today.”

“Many feared that this day would never come. That a peaceful election in Zambia was no longer possible. That It was an aspiration which could not and would not be fulfilled
Feared that there was little upon which it could be based saved unrealistic and unachievable hope.”

“Zambia’s 2021 election will go down in history as an election with no losers. There were two winners. President Hichilema won the vote, and President Lungu won the hearts of every person who loves democracy and peace by gracefully transferring democratic leadership and extending his brotherly
hand to President Hichilema”.

So tell me why she should accept such an award from a man who is abusing human rights and like a previously abused person is now abusing others.with a vengeance!