By Mubanga Mubanga
President Hakainde Hichilema has cautioned the clergy not to use other people’s children to go and protest in the streets.
And President Hichilema said any Zambian can be president and people should not have a sense of entitlement, saying he was being opposed because of where he came from.
Addressing a press briefing yesterday at State House yesterday, President Hichilema talked about various issues among them, the intention by the Oasis Forum to demonstrate over constitutional amendments bill Number 7 at State House.
President Hichilema told the clergy not teach Zambians hatred.
“Don’t teach Zambians hatred and you hide in the name of the Church, don’t do that. What sort of leader would you be sending your children in the streets, and maybe you don’t send your children? You send other people’s children to go and kill each other. Come to the dialogue table,” President Hichilema said. “Any issue State House house is open always. Come to the dialogue table, choose dialogue more than conflict. Choose love more than hatred. You can’t hide behind the Church, and l mean it. Come to the dialogue table, you can’t hide behind ethnicity, you can’t hide behind regionalism to promote violence. You can’t hide a political party. “
President Hichilema said under the UPND government one did not need to be born from a certain region in order to get a job.
“You don’t have to be born in a particular province to get a job, contrary to what was obtaining. I think that is what is injuring some people. Because a select group of people have a sense of entitlement,” President Hichilema said.
“Now we have opened up employment groups to all citizens. When … employ teachers, we make sure there is a bunch for every province.”
And President Hichilema said some citizens had a sense of entitlement that a President should only come from a certain region.
“Don’t hide behind hatred, it is a democracy anyone can be the President of this country. A Namwanga, Mambwe, Lungu, a Nika, a Nkoya, anyone can be President,” President Hichilema said.
“I see some citizens get so unsettled if someone else is head of state. It becomes a daily bread to create trouble. Why? Sense of entitlement only you. Why you?.”
President Hichilema said it should not be offensive to some Zambians, if people from certain regions go into the public sector, because everyone was equal in the eyes of God.
“Let us be inclusive, let’s … this should not be offensive when you see other Zambians now coming into the public sector sphere. We should cherish it, we should not detest it, because, Zambians are equal by the constitution document,” President Hichilema said.
“They are equal in the eyes of God who he made in his own image. I smile that situation and l invite those who don’t want to see others included in their own country. So where would they work ,if they can’t work in this country?”
He warned those who had planned to demonstrate on November 28, over the constitution, saying, “What if you go in the streets and find somebody who is stronger than you?”
He said no thuggery sitting behind a Church will be allowed.
