MUNDUBILE MUST RECOGNISE HICHILEMA AS PRESIDENT, HE WON THE ELECTION, SAYS ZUMANI ZIMBA.

MUNDUBILE MUST RECOGNISE HICHILEMA AS PRESIDENT, HE WON THE ELECTION, SAYS ZUMANI ZIMBA. Tonse Alliance founder and NRPUP Secretary-General Dr Zumani Zimba has challenged opposition leader Brian Mundubile to publicly recognise President Hakainde Hichilema as Zambia’s Republican President, saying this could unlock the door to dialogue and reconciliation. Dr Zimba says the country cannot move […]

MUNDUBILE MUST RECOGNISE HICHILEMA AS PRESIDENT, HE WON THE ELECTION, SAYS ZUMANI ZIMBA.

Tonse Alliance founder and NRPUP Secretary-General Dr Zumani Zimba has challenged opposition leader Brian Mundubile to publicly recognise President Hakainde Hichilema as Zambia’s Republican President, saying this could unlock the door to dialogue and reconciliation.

Dr Zimba says the country cannot move forward with meaningful dialogue if one side refuses to acknowledge the authority of the sitting Head of State.

He argues that recognising President Hichilema, regardless of disagreements surrounding the August 13 general election, would create a more conducive environment for political engagement and national healing

According to Dr Zimba, President Hichilema was declared the winner of the election by the Electoral Commission of Zambia with 60 percent of the vote, while Mr Mundubile came second with 38 percent.

Mr Mundubile, his running mate Makebi Zulu and 16 others are currently detained and facing treason charges.

Dr Zimba says stakeholders calling for dialogue must also recognise the political reality that President Hichilema is the sitting Republican President.

He questioned how President Hichilema could be expected to feel comfortable engaging in dialogue with people who, according to him, do not recognise him as President.

“How can HH be motivated to dialogue or reconcile with people who don’t recognise him as President?”

Dr Zimba further said the quickest route to getting President Hichilema’s attention would be for Mr Mundubile to publicly acknowledge him as the sitting President and respectfully appeal for dialogue rather than demand it.

“For BM and MZ supporters, the idea of attacking, insulting or denouncing HH will not and will never help to resolve the problem of BM and MZ, either today or tomorrow,” Dr Zimba said.

He added that accepting President Hichilema as the winner declared by the Electoral Commission of Zambia could help accelerate dialogue, national unity and reconciliation.

Dr Zimba believes that once political competitors recognise a sitting Republican President, regardless of how contentious an election may have been, it becomes easier to create space for meaningful national political discourse.

“Accepting HH as sitting President and respectfully appealing [not demanding] for dialogue with his government is the best way out for the freedom of BM and the team.”

His remarks come amid renewed calls for dialogue and reconciliation following the August 13 election, which Mr Mundubile had indicated he wanted to challenge in court.

-Zambian Watch News.