HH SHOCKS BISHOPS

WE are shocked that United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has continued to incite his cadres to engage in violence, says Bishops Council of Zambia (BCZ) secretarygeneral Able Kaela.

However, yesterday Mr Hichilema said he was expecting the forthcoming elections to be non-violent.

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Mr Kaela said it was sad that Mr Hichilema was inciting his cadres when the Church and other political parties are working hard to make the planned reconciliation a reality.

Bishop Kaela said Mr Hichilema must tone done otherwise as it stood, the reconciliation and dialogue was headed for failure.

Bishop Kaela was reacting to a video that has circulated on social media were Mr Hichilema reiterated that his cadres defend themselves when attacked by PF supporters.

And Bishop Kaela told the Daily Nation in an interview that it was confusing that when everyone, including Mr Hichilema’s close colleagues were calling for peace, he had decided to continue encouraging violence.

He said the planned dialogue was an opportunity for the country’s two major political parties to iron out their differences, adding that reconciliation was integral to the maintenance of peace.

He said Mr Hichilema should not force matters and try to replace God by not accepting that leadership was from God and President Lungu was the Republican President.

“President Hichilema must realise that all leadership is from God and when you are encouraging violence and failing to accept the current leaders, then what are you doing? You are trying to replace God and select who should be a leader yourself,” Bishop Kaela said.

Meanwhile, authorities have been urged to investigate calls by the UPND leadership for members to defend themselves when attacked to ascertain whether the police are not doing enough or if it is a way of encouraging violence in the name of selfdefence. FODEP executive director Mweenge Chimfwembe has also advised political party leaders to preach peace to their supporters.

He said Mr Hichilema’s statement that members should defend themselves when attacked by supporters from the ruling PF was fundamental in many ways.

Mr Chimfwembe said that the statement should be studied thoroughly to get what was being implied by the UPND leader.