Don’t use military, laws to cover flaws

By Daily Revelation Editor

President Hakainde Hichilema says if the police fail to ensure stability in the country, he would involve the army to do so.

He also says that Cabinet has resolved to enact the law to introduce stiffer punishment tribalism and hate speech convicts.

Hakainde has also directed the police to arrest the UPND thugs who ran amok last Tuesday, terrorising people in Lusaka’s Bauleni area.

We don’t think any sane person would oppose any moves aimed at strengthening the laws to punish hate speech. But we don’t think Hakainde is doing so genuinely. We feel he wants to take that path in order to cover his own flaws in the manner he is going about handling national affairs under his administration.

When Hakainde justifiably voiced concerns over how public appointments were being handled by his predecessors – Rupiah Banda, Michael Sata and especially Edgar Lungu – which he felt were more tilted in favour of some regions in the country, no law was introduced to curtail his freedom to speak on what he thought was wrong.

When Zambians are now raising genuine concerns about how he is governing the country, the President should not come up with laws to muzzle them and threaten to bring the military upon them. Instead of introducing laws to punish the complaining Zambians, the UPND government should instead listen carefully to such complaints and propose solutions; not stiffer punishment.

The police, on the other hand, are playing double standards. Only members from the opposition are being arrested for alleged hate speech or tribal remarks while those from the ruling party making same or similar statements are ignored with impunity.

It is, therefore, irresponsible for President Hichilema to start threatening citizens with arrests using the Zambia Army. The President is clearly attempting to silence the complaining masses against the dictates of democracy. He is now introducing dictatorial tendencies in the country.

What does Edgar Lungu’s walk in the Lusaka Central Business district or Chishala Kateka’s plan to hold, or even Danny Pule’s move to host fellow opposition leaders at his Church have to do with the supposed break down in the rule of law? How many times did he himself talk about early elections during his time in opposition? Why should the same become a problem now that the opposition are using similar language to the one he used?

In our view, President Hichilema and his administration have largely contributed to the complaints and noise going on in the country. It was not the oppostion parties which, the other day, armed those machete wielding thugs to run amok, hands and glove working with the police to stop Chishala Kateka’s planned rally. It is not the oppostion that are making appointments in public service.

Just do the right thing and stop involving the army and the law to cover your flaws.