Preserve Zambia’s peace - SACCORD

THE privileged peace that Zambia has enjoyed since independence requires more work and constant deliberate platforms that seek to address all sources of conflict, Southern Africa Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) executive director Boniface Chembe has said.

Mr Chembe said it was important that encouraging messages of peace advanced by Zambia's partners were embraced by all stakeholders.

He said stakeholders from the government to civil society should continue to play their role in the preservation and maintenance of peace, security and stability.

He said SACCORD had noted and supports the observation made by the Canadian High Commissioner to Zambia on the need for the country to address all forms of violence that may be confronting the country.

“The history of peace in Zambia is not an accident and it has taken different generations and leaders to work at the maintenance of the nation's peace and stability.

“One way that this has been done has been through taking care of violence at the household or family unit level so that women, girls and boys are not subjected to harassment and discrimination of a violent nature,” he said.

Mr Chembe said Zambia had managed her peace by ensuring that the leaders conduct themselves appropriately especially where matters of hate speech were concerned.

He advised leaders to embrace and practice nonviolence communication as a way of building peace and ultimately avoid hate speech being a source of conflict in the country.

“This means that our leaders have to base their engagements on issues as prescribed in their manifestos as a way of winning the hearts and minds of the people and potential voters,” he said.