LISTEN TO MPUNDU

THE disclosure by Roman Catholic Church emeritus Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu that former President Edgar Lungu has no intention of seeking to return to State House is very welcome news.

According to Archbishop Mpundu, President Lungu told him that he had served the country to the best of his ability and that he was not going to be available again but only as somebody who could provide advice to those who were in government.

This should put to rest the incessant insinuations particularly from the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) that Mr Lungu was living in denial and was still bitter over his loss in the August 12, tripartite elections that ushered into office President Hakainde Hichilema.

Archbishop Mpundu, an ardent critic of the former president, says Mr Lungu is not a bitter man and that he is ready to reconcile with his successor, President Hichilema for unity and the good of the country.

The cleric, who visited Mr Lungu at his invitation said it is the wish and desire of the former head of State that the Church should work towards bringing the two leaders together for the good of the country.

We feel this is an avenue that the Church should take and bring the two leaders together to ensure that there is unity in the nation.

The former Head of State has been accused of being bitter since his electoral defeat and that he has been living in denial.

The new dawn administration has not helped matters with some senior officials implying that Mr Lungu’s presidential retirement package should be put on hold, claiming that he was “active” in politics.

“He has no grudge against anybody. He is not a bitter man and all he wishes for now is the best for Zambia. He says he served his term to the best of his ability and he is not coming back,” Archbishop Mpundu said.

If anything, Mr Lungu’s message through the Archbishop is a tacit plea to the new dawn administration to reconcile and they need to pick it from there.

And we feel Archbishop Mpundu is best placed to be the intermediary between the two sides. The onus is on President Hichilema and his team to make overtures to his predecessor.

There should not be this open animosity that the nation has been subjected to as portrayed by some key officials in the new dawn administration.

Yes, mistakes were made but the country needs to move on.

For example, the country is divided in the fight against corruption which is mainly targeted at those who served under the Patriotic Front regime while ignoring that occurring in the present government.

What most people see being waged is lawfare, using the law to go after perceived political enemies.

We note that in Botswana, the former president, Ian Khama has accused President Mokgweetsi Masisi of using state resources to politically persecute him while there is a warrant of arrest issued for Khama back home related to the alleged illegal possession of firearms.

Khama, who is in self-imposed exile in South Africa called the deterioration back home, also cited by numerous think tanks and human rights defenders, a “tsunami” which had “overturned decades of democracy and the reputation we had earned ourselves as a country.”

He said anyone viewed as an associate of his back in Botswana was a marked person, adding this compromised free speech and association.

Khama rolled out a script that is evident in many of Africa’s failed democracies. “The state security has been weaponised in order to go after his (Masisi) opponents,” he said.

We do not think Zambians want to go this route, but this can only be avoided when there is mutual respect among key stake political holders in the country also anchored on the rule of law.