ACTIONAID ZAMBIA URGES POLITICAL LEADERS TO REFRAIN FROM DIVISIVE CAMPAIGNS AHEAD OF AUGUST POLLS
By Nelson Zulu
Actionaid Zambia has called on President Hakainde Hichilema and other political leaders to lead by example on peace and unity by refraining from making divisive remarks during campaigns ahead of the august elections.
Actionaid Zambia Country Director Faides Tembatemba said it was concerning that the head of state was urging voters in specific regions not to support certain individuals on the basis that they allegedly mistreated them while in government.
In an interview with Phoenix News, Ms. Tembatemba has warned that such statements risk deepening political divisions instead of fostering national cohesion.
She has urged political parties to focus campaigns on policies, development records, and competing ideas that enable citizens to make informed choices, rather than messages that could incite regional or political divisions.
Meanwhile, Caritas Zambia Executive Director Father Gabriel Mapulanga said Zambia’s diversity should remain a source of national strength, stressing that the country’s history of coexistence, intermarriage, and shared identity must not be undermined by political rhetoric, and advised Zambians to reject divisive messages.
Father Mapulanga also called on President Hichilema and other political players to reflect on their conduct and offer Zambians a message of hope.
President hichilema, while campaigning in southern, western, and north-western provinces, urged voters not to support the opposition, alleging that it denied them opportunities such as jobs while in power.
PHOENIX NEWS