NEVERS Mumba says the truth about how the majority citizens are feeling after August 11 is outside State House.
In a letter to President Edgar Lungu dated September 21 delivered to State House on Monday, Mumba stated that the Head of State must see the crisis the country was facing, leading to a serious division, following his disputed election.
“Dear Mr Lungu…I greet you and your family in Jesus’ name. This note serves to persuade you, for the sake of posterity, to see the crisis our country is facing from an ordinary citizen’s point of view. The truth you need is outside State House. It is outside both your central committee and Cabinet. It lies in the hearts of the ‘not so liked’ individuals who owe you nothing and vice versa,” Mumba stated.
“By proceeding with your inauguration you have deprived yourself an opportunity to legitimize your Presidency. The country is divided into half in terms of allegiance. If this fact is not established, peace becomes illusive in a young democracy like ours. A feeling of being in control sometimes betrays our own God-given intuition that what we are doing is unjust. In view of the developments of the past three months, it has become clear that your assumed victory is in question, not only by many Zambians but by a large part of the international community.”
He stated that the fact that many Heads of State turned down the invitation to attend President Lungu’s inauguration was evidence that his victory was questionable.
“I know my colleagues surrounding you have found a way to explain this dilemma away. In diplomacy, if only two presidents out of 54 respond to an inauguration, it clearly means that they may not want to associate with that particular event,” Mumba stated.
“Zambians should be concerned when the three church mother bodies write a pastoral letter distancing themselves due to the lack of transparency in the last election when local monitors like FODEP confirmed that the election was fraudulent and not free and fair; when observers like the European Union and the Carter Center stated that the election was not free and fair; and when civil society like SACCORD question the legitimacy of the election…We should be concerned when ECZ itself confesses that they had given you 8,000 extra votes in places like Lundazi erroneously; when world acclaimed constitutional lawyers like Professor Muna Ndulo confirms that the ConCourt failed to discharge justice; when three judges made a private ruling to dispose of the petition; in all these circumstances, we should be deeply concerned.”
He stated that President Lungu’s hurried inauguration could have been misconceived and may not be respected by many Zambians.
Mumba stated that the most favorable recourse President Lungu would give Zambians would be to allow the election petition to be heard.
He stated that a petition was not an enemy of democracy but an effective healing balm.
“President [Levy] Mwanawasa was petitioned by Anderson Mazoka. I served as Vice-President at the time. While the petition was always a source of great discomfort, it also served as a safety catch for the nation until the courts ruled on the case. Until your petition is heard, there remains no safety catch for the people of Zambia. I don’t expect you to listen to my counsel, but if you do, you will probably become one of the very few leaders today and in history to take advice from a person they profess to hate,” Mumba stated.
He stated that Zambians were determined not to look back but to fight for justice and ensure that the petition was heard.
“…I hope you will not throw out this advice because you may have an issue with the messenger. We pray that you do the right thing for God’s people who are disillusioned and are hurting as they await justice. Mr President, I urge you to stand with the Zambians to get their petition heard,” stated Mumba.