LUSAKA-(MaraviPost)-A Zambian citizen has appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to choose healing and forgiveness over political revenge, urging him not to transfer his long-standing political battle with the late former President Edgar Lungu to opposition figures Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu.
In an open letter addressed to State House dated this week, Kawimbe Chanda, who describes himself as a young Zambian citizen, said the wounds of Hichilema’s time in opposition should not determine the future direction of the country.
Chanda wrote that many Zambians witnessed the pain Hichilema endured in opposition, including what he described as humiliation, fear and suffering, and said that pain was real and should be acknowledged.
“Your Excellency, I want to remind you that healing is one of the greatest signs of strength. The pain you carried for many years was real, but I humbly ask you not to allow the wounds of yesterday to determine the future of our nation,” the letter reads.
He said the death of former President Lungu should close a chapter of conflict, and argued that current opposition leaders should not be made to carry battles they did not create.
“The late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu is no longer with us. Whatever disagreements, conflicts, and painful experiences existed between you and his administration belong to a chapter of our history that we must learn from,” Chanda wrote.
“President Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu should not be made to carry the weight of battles they did not fight or mistakes they did not commit.”
Mundubile, the leader of the opposition in Parliament, and Zulu, a former presidential advisor to Lungu, have emerged as prominent figures in the Tonse Alliance, the opposition grouping aligned to the late Lungu.
Chanda said behind every politician is a family that feels the pain of political persecution, and asked the President to remember his own experience at Mukobeko Maximum Prison in 2017 when he faced treason charges.
“If you sit with the First Lady and your children and ask them one by one what they felt when you were at Mukobeko Maximum Prison, their answers may touch your heart,” he wrote.
In the letter, Chanda recounted his own experience defending Hichilema while he was in opposition, saying he was not a member of any political party at the time but spoke out because he believed a fellow citizen was being treated unfairly. He claimed he was followed by cadres and officers he believed were linked to State House at the time.
“I spoke against the treason case involving you, even at a time when I did not fully understand the legal details surrounding it. What I understood was that a human being deserved dignity, compassion, and a fair hearing,” he said.
Chanda warned the President to be cautious of political advisors, saying history shows political friendships change. He cited former Presidential Spokesperson Amos Chanda, who served under Lungu but now works in the political space associated with the UPND government, as proof that reconciliation is possible.
“Please, Mr President, do not allow young Zambians to inherit a politics of bitterness. We do not want a generation that grows up believing that political victory means revenge or that losing power means suffering,” he said.
He concluded by appealing to Hichilema to let his legacy be one that heals Zambia.
“I am not writing this letter because I hate you. I am writing because I believed in justice when you were suffering, and I still believe in justice today,” Chanda wrote.
“Please do not let the suffering you experienced become the suffering of others. Let your legacy be remembered as the leadership that healed Zambia.”
State House has not yet responded to the letter.
President Hichilema, who came to power in 2021 after defeating Lungu, has repeatedly said his government does not practice political revenge and that the rule of law must apply equally to all Zambians.
AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA
State House
Independence Avenue
P.O. Box 30135
Lusaka, Zambia
RE: MR PRESIDENT, PLEASE CHOOSE HEALING, FORGIVENESS AND UNITY FOR ZAMBIA
Your Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema ,
I write this open letter to you with a heavy heart, but also with hope, respect, and love for our country, Zambia.
Mr President, there are moments in life when the pain we go through leaves wounds that are difficult to forget. I know that your journey in opposition was filled with many painful experiences, moments of humiliation, fear, disappointment, and suffering.
Many Zambians watched as you went through those difficult times, and many people, including myself, felt the pain of seeing another citizen treated in a manner we believed was unfair.
Your Excellency, I want to remind you that healing is one of the greatest signs of strength. The pain you carried for many years was real, but I humbly ask you not to allow the wounds of yesterday to determine the future of our nation.
The late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu is no longer with us. Whatever disagreements, conflicts, and painful experiences existed between you and his administration belong to a chapter of our history that we must learn from. They should not become a burden placed on people who did not create those painful moments.
Mr President, I appeal to your heart as a father, as a leader, and as a fellow Zambian. President Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu should not be made to carry the weight of battles they did not fight or mistakes they did not commit. They were also serving under the leadership of the late Head of State, just like many others who served during that time.
Your Excellency, I ask you to look beyond political differences and see the human beings behind the positions they hold. Behind every politician is a family, children, parents, and loved ones who feel pain when their relatives suffer.
Mr President, allow me to share my own story.
During those difficult days when you were in opposition, I was not a member of any political party. I stood up because I believed a fellow Zambian was being treated unfairly.
I defended you when many people were afraid to speak. I was followed by cadres. I was followed by officers whom I believed were connected to the Office of the President. I suffered because I chose to speak, but I continued because I believed justice and fairness mattered.
I spoke against the treason case involving you, even at a time when I did not fully understand the legal details surrounding it. What I understood was that a human being deserved dignity, compassion, and a fair hearing.
Mr President, today I am asking you to remember the person you were during those difficult days. Remember the pain you felt. Remember the tears of your family. Remember the loneliness and uncertainty. Then look at the families of those who are facing fear and pain today because of political conflicts.
Your Excellency, if you sit with the First Lady and your children and ask them one by one what they felt when you were at Mukobeko Maximum Prison, their answers may touch your heart and bring tears to your eyes. They carried that pain with you. But Mr President, there are other families today who may also be carrying pain, fear, and uncertainty. Their tears are also real.
Please, Mr President, do not allow young Zambians to inherit a politics of bitterness. We do not want a generation that grows up believing that political victory means revenge or that losing power means suffering.
Listen carefully to the voices around you, because history teaches us that political friends and advisers can change. Some people who stand close to leaders today may not stand there tomorrow. What remains after leadership is not the number of enemies defeated, but the lives touched and the wounds healed.
The story of Comrade Amos Chanda reminds us that politics changes. He once served as the Presidential Spokesperson for the late President Edgar Lungu, and today he works within the political space associated with your party. This shows that yesterday’s opponents can become today’s colleagues and that reconciliation is possible.
Mr President, you have a rare opportunity to show the nation that leadership is bigger than personal pain. You have the power to choose forgiveness over anger, unity over division, and healing over revenge.
I am not writing this letter because I hate you. I am writing because I believed in justice when you were suffering, and I still believe in justice today. I stood for you when it was difficult, and today I am asking you to stand for others who may feel vulnerable.
Your Excellency, please do not let the suffering you experienced become the suffering of others. Let your legacy be remembered as the leadership that healed Zambia.
May God give you wisdom, humility, and strength to lead our nation towards peace, forgiveness, and unity.
With respect and hope for Zambia,
Kawimbe Chanda
Zambian Young Citizen
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