Favouring fugitive Siandenge, forgetting Chifire and others

Dear Editor,

“SIANDENGE’S armed robbery charges, Gregory Chifire’s Supreme Court six-year sentence.”

President Hakainde Hichilema who partly ran his campaign on being arrested 15 times, one of which lasted for 127 days has re-appointed and promoted some officers based on restitution for his mistreatment or their mistreatment as opposed to merit or qualifications.

Firstly, both HH’s 15 arrests and 127 days treason detention are not even a record.

In fact, HH was but one of more than dozens political party presidents arrested and detained by PF EL regime.

It was not who was arrested and detained but who was not arrested and detained.

Others arrested with HH for 127 days or more than the 15 times are not recognised or mentioned.

For example, Obvious Mwaliteta even as former Home Affairs Deputy Minister, who was with Fanwell Siandenge, was arrested and detained for about 365 days or one year, that is, about three times more than HH’s 127 days.

Mwaliteta and his group are yet to be recognised or mentioned or compensated. In one of an unrelated combination, the U.S, in 2019, and Cuban, in 2017, ambassadors were expelled by PF EL government without UPND HH solidarity.

There were Edward Roy Makayi and Sikaile Sikaile etc were arrested and detained many times and many days.

There are others like Brian Mwiinga himself or Clayson Hamasaka also arrested.

There was a UPND group of cadres arrested and detained in the round-up after HH’s detention.

Kankomba Mumani II was brutalised by both PF and UPND cadres in turns depending on which side he was found.

Gilbert Liswaniso is fortunate to be alive. There are those who even died or were killed.

There is the trio of Bishop John Mambo, Derrick Sinjela and Gregory Chifire.

In the media, beyond Prime TV, is The Post, Lowdown, Bulletin & Record. Muvi TV is on its last IBA warning towards licence cancellation.

So when the President appoints officers for past personal favours without recognition of others who similarly suffered even worse loss and pain or sacrificed themselves, he is making his case difficult and not very different from EL’s personalisation of the State.

One difference between HH and EL is HH is making or repeating the mistakes at the beginning of his term with popular approval while EL made the mistakes at the end of his term with popular disapproval.

Now, former fugitive Siandenge returned from hiding to be appointed or promoted on the basis of restitution or HH’s personal interest than on merit or public interest.

Let the President not continue to play victim but put others ahead and above of him especially, according to Mwaliteta, there are some prisoners who are 10 or 15 years unfairly imprisoned without trial because their files are lost or something.

That is what is called human rights and humanity.

In short, while we all have suffered PF EL brutalisation and humiliation, at different degrees, let’s recognise others who have suffered and are still suffering more than ourselves.