By Isaac Zulu
Hakainde Hichilema is a tribalist, Patriot Front chairman for information and publicity Raphael Nakachinda has charged.
Commenting on SP member Paul Moonga’s urge to the President to reverse “tribal appointments” he said were extremely titled towards Southern, Western, North-Western and parts of Central-Province, viewed as indulging in the same practice he condemned his predecessor Edgar Lungu of filling up public positions with northerners and easterners, something he said he would do differently by uniting the country, Nakachinda said that the PF leadership had warned that if the Zambian people made a mistake of voting Hichilema as Head of State, he was going to divide the country.
“From the time he was in opposition, we identified the fact that Hakainde Hichilema is a tribalist. We highlighted the fact that when the Zambian people vote this person in office, he is going to divide the nation. And that is what has been happening since the UPND formed government,” Nakachinda said. “People have been victimised on tribal lines. People have been appointed on tribal lines and people will continue to be victimised on tribal lines.”
Nakachinda said that even the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise is tilted towards “their regions” of the country, namely Southern, Western and North Western Province, saying this is meant to disadvantage opposition political parties.
“If you look at the Continuous Voter Registration programme, it is tilted towards Southern, Western and North Western Provinces and a bit of Central Province. All that is being seen in the eyes of tribalism,” Nakachinda said. “So as a people, as Zambians, we shot ourselves in the foot by voting for Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND into government.”
He observed that if inculcated and embraced, tribalism has the potential to divide the country.
Nakachinda said President Hichilema is creating a complex and complicated problem that will be difficult to address.
“And when ethnic considerations are entrenched, there is a reaction to reverse psychology when one gets an opportunity to get back into government. So if we get another tribalist or another Hakainde Hichilema from another tribe, it will be difficult for people to live in harmony and as a united country,” he said.
He said that the concerns coming from Paul Moonga and the Socialist Party leadership that the Hichilema has been making tribal appointments only go to vindicate the PF leadership, which had warned about Hichilema.
“Therefore, the comments coming from Dr Fred M’membe and others, who have even gone to an extent of listing and naming people that have been appointed to government positions by President Hakainde Hichilema on tribal lines, is a fact and a reality that we are living with,” said Nakachinda.
Dr M’membe recently said that critics are asking if what they are seeing is equal to what they were promised, mentioning the various positions including that of President (Tonga), Vice-President (Bemba married to a Lozi), Speaker (Lozi), Chief Justice (Lenje), Acting President of the Constitutional Court (Lozi), Attorney General (Lenje), Solicitor General (Tonga), Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission (Lozi), Chairman of the Judicial Complaints Commission (Tonga), Commissioner of Lands (Tonga), Chief Legal Advisor to the President (Lozi), Minister of Justice (Tonga). Dr M’membe further stated that appointments to key ministries that can’t easily be done away with flowed in the same direction including Home Affairs (Tonga), Local Government (Tonga), Education (Tonga), Tourism (Tonga), Justice (Tonga), Foreign Affairs (Lenje), Health (Soli), Defence (Luvale), Infrastructure (Lozi), Finance (Lozi), Lands (Lunda), Governor of the Bank of Zambia (Tonga).
In the Defence Forces, Zambia Army Commander (Lozi), Zambia Air Force (Kaonde), ZNS Commandant (Luvale), Inspector General of Police (Kaonde), Director General of Intelligence (Lozi), Commissioner of Correctional Services (Tonga), Chief Immigration Officer (Lozi).
At the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), chairperson (Lozi), vice-chairperson (Mambwe), and that the three other commissioners are Tonga, Lozi and Lunda.
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