By Chinoyi Chipulu
Socialist party leader Fred M’membe has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to focus on the national dialogue and reconciliation and not the divisive bill 7.
And M’membe said it is shocking that instead of pausing to reflect and consult, the UPND are determinedly marching forward on a dangerous and isolationist mission.
M’membe said he stood in solidarity with the Catholic Bishops, opposition leaders and several civil society organisations in calling on the President to immediately withdraw the controversial Bill No. 7.
In a statement, M’membe stated that political leaders, civil society organisations and the church emphasised that the proposed constitutional amendment lacked both clarity and sincere public support.
He stated that the stakeholders underscored the dangers of ignoring the widespread demand for the withdrawal of Bill 7, and how the proposed changes to the constitution were not a viable political strategy but rather a form of self-sabotage.
“We hold a strong belief that when national leaders choose to disregard the collective voice of the masses, they risk alienating the very citizens they swore to serve. They risk detaching themselves from the very masses who voted them into office,” he stated. “Nonetheless, in typical fashion, Mr. Hichilema and his government have continued to exhibit the alarming behavior of arrogance and rigidity.
“But the questions remain: to what end? Where will this political obstinacy lead? What future is being built through their refusal to listen to the collective voices of the people?”
He stated that what President Hichilema seemed to misunderstand was the depth of division that the Bill 7 he was clinging on to had already caused.
M’membe stated that there was nothing patriotic, tolerable and inclusive or reconciliatory about the proposed amendment.
“This is a deeply polarizing piece of legislation that has fractured public opinion across political, social and to an extent religious lines.
“In light of this reality, why can’t Mr. Hichilema pause and reflect on the urgent need for national dialogue and reconciliation? Why prioritize constitutional amendments through Bill 7, when it’s absolutely clear that these amendments threaten to deepen the nation’s political and social divisions instead of healing and uniting the country? He stated.
He wondered what it would profit the President and the UPND to isolate themselves from the people they served, just for the sake of Bill 7.
He stated that it was clear that Hichilema was already overwhelmed by numerous national challenges in terms of economic, social and governance related matters.
“Therefore, his energy would be far better spent fostering national unity and reconciliation rather than pushing forward with a divisive constitutional amendment that the public neither understands nor supports. Let him understand that his persistence on Bill 7 is tantamount to “lifting oneself in a bucket”. It’s impossible,” he stated.
He urged the President to listen and realise that the country’s path to unity did not lie in forceful impositions but in humility, dialogue, and respect for the voices and will of the people.
