By Merlyn Mwanza
President Hakainde Hichilema says the rule of law has two sides, saying the country cannot afford to raise young people who are insulting everyday.
Featuring on a special HOT FM radio programme this morning, President Hichilema was asked on the video where men in uniform were seen brutalising young people, with the President saying that he had seen the video and followed up the matter with relevant ministries to find out what was going on in accordance with human rights.
But he also said that the rule of law has two sides, wondering whether people wanted to see a country where young people are insulting everyday, saying no one wanted to raise a family were children were insulting.
President Hichilema said in his own household, he had taught his children to be respectful to the other human beings.
He said he saw the video, but children of that age could not be insulting adults as from there they would proceed to other vices including taking drugs.
“We as a country must say this is wrong,” President Hichilema said, urging respect towards the rule of law but also ensure “we are not raising a society of hooligans.”
He urged that instead of people listening to “noises” they must instead listen to the substance of what the UPND promised, saying he promised to reunite the country and that each province now had representation in cabinet.
President Hichilema also said the UPND promised to end violence and they had done that by confronting caderism in markets and bus stations.
“We said we will stabilize the economy, we have,” the President said, saying debt was being stabilized because of networking and credibility established.
He said Zambia had become a “pariah” state whose voice was inactive in the SADC, AU and Commonwealth, but the UPND government has taken the country back into the league of “nations” and sports teams were now winning, including the Cosafa tournament and Muzala’ winning gold at the Commonwealth games.
He said stability had been brought back into the market with inflation coming down to single digits, meaning that “prices are increasing at slow pace.”
President Hichilema said his administration’s drive against corruption can only be compared to the administration of late president Levy Mwanawasa.
The President said a site had already been identified where batteries for electric cars are going to be produced to ensure value addition to resources, and that the country would now produce food for Rwanda because of the land resources, and that Eswatini was now buying food from Zambia.
He said under him there is no more “party after party”, “tantameni” or kamo kamo” but more work.
Asked on the Public Order Act and laws such as Defamation of the President which ran counter to human rights, President Hichilema said the law remained law and could not be disregarded until it was repealed.
He said he does not agree with people being assaulted.
The President said there were a lot of archaic laws, but to address them in a holistic manner, the Law Development Commission had been set up.
