‘No despot’: Concerns have been raised over what some view as authoritarian tendencies on the part of Zambian President Edgar Lungu
Zambia’s democracy is not under threat
In response to Simon Allison’s article Zambia edges towards dictatorship, it needs to be said that President Edgar Lungu is not a dictator, and Zambia’s renowned pluralism and democracy are not threatened.
President Lungu was elected in August 2016 following an electoral process that international observers, including the African Union and the European Union, deemed free and fair. No one disputes that the poll was closely contested. President Lungu won with a narrow majority, garnering 50.3% against opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema’s 47.63%.
Under provisions promoted by President Lungu in early 2016, candidates may petition the Constitutional Court within 14 days if they wish to challenge the outcome of the poll.
The opposition has refused to acknowledge the result and has engaged in tactics to undermine our institutions. Their actions, however odious, have been tolerated when within the boundaries of the law.
But we cannot and will not tolerate deliberate acts of sabotage that threaten our security and stability. The state’s priority is, and will always be, to protect our citizens.
The fire at Lusaka City Market that destroyed thousands of shops and stalls on July 4 was the most brazen in a series of similar fires nationwide. The growing frequency, magnitude and targeted nature of these fires were deemed by all Zambians to threaten our security. President Lungu had a duty to act.
This is the context in which President Lungu announced on July 5 that he would seek parliamentary approval to extend police powers and restrict certain rights necessary to maintain public security. Article 31 of Zambia’s Constitution was invoked; it is a security measure but not a state of emergency, as misreported in some media in South Africa.
The application of the Act is subject to strict control by Parliament and the judiciary. It will apply for three months, after which the government will reassess the threat. Citizens will be free to judge then whether it was right to invoke the Act.
The article also referred to the suspension of 48 MPs from the United Party for National Development (UPND) by the speaker of the National Assembly. The speaker was obliged to suspend MPs who had violated their own pledge not to absent themselves from the business of the House. She reprimanded them first and sought assurances from them next, which they gave, and then was obliged to suspend them when they repeated the offence.
In Zambia, no one is punished for exercising their right to speak, but there are rules to be followed in Parliament. The MPs have now served their one-month penalty and have returned to Parliament.
Meanwhile, businesses in Zambia continue to operate as usual and citizens are going about their business as usual. There are no curfews, no roadblocks. Tourists continue to enjoy our hospitality and our national parks.
In these circumstances, it’s inappropriate to talk of creeping authoritarianism. When Allison says, “given his track record, it’s hard to take Lungu at face value”, this is very clearly an unmerited and spurious observation. President Lungu has shown his commitment to good governance and constitutionalism.
He promoted the establishment of Zambia’s Constitutional Court in 2016, which was debated by many of his predecessors but never promoted.
On Hichilema, the UPND leader is currently charged with treason (a nonbailable offence) for endangering the head of state. He will go on trial on August 14. Only the courts can determine the validity of the case. A free and fair public trial is under way.
It is worth noting that two other charges were filed against Hichelema at the time of his arrest earlier this year: a traffic offence, for which he was acquitted in the magistrate’s court, and a charge of abusive language, subsequently withdrawn.
President Lungu has refused to intervene in this case, as in other cases. Even some of his closest advisers have had to appear in court in recent weeks to defend themselves against charges levelled by the opposition. It’s clear that no one is above the law in Zambia today, not even our president and his closest advisers.
These factors and the president’s willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with the opposition on substantive issues that affect our country are what will determine our future as a nation.
For their part, the political opposition must commit to engaging in debate in designated public forums, such as our National Assembly, rather than promoting acts of sabotage.
We have a proud history of pluralism in Zambia. In the past 53 years, Zambia has held 13 presidential contests and 12 parliamentary elections.
More transitions of power from one party to another have occurred in Zambia than in any other Southern African state. We have no fewer than 13 political parties represented in our Parliament today. Zambians cherish their peace and their democracy above all else.
I remain optimistic about our nation’s prospects. Our economy continues to strengthen and Zambians remain exactly as we have always been: peace-loving, compassionate, sociable and quietly inspiring, with no need, as was stated by your reporter, to “be very scared indeed”.
Zambia’s democracy is in safe hands. Don’t take my word for it. Go see for yourselves. SAA offers three flights a day to Lusaka and flights to Livingstone. – Emmanuel Mwamba, Zambian high commissioner, Pretoria