Editorial | Kuchalo Online Publication
Zambia has emerged from a highly contested general election, but the greatest challenge facing the country now is not who won or who lost.
It is whether Zambians can rise above political differences and rebuild the sense of national unity that has long been one of the country’s greatest strengths.
The call by Senior Chief Muchinda Kankomba Welala III of the Lala-Swaka people for national unity, reconciliation and cooperation therefore deserves serious attention.
His message is particularly important at a time when political competition has left many citizens divided, with friendships, communities and even families sometimes taking opposing political positions.
The Senior Chief’s reminder that political seasons come and go while the nation remains one should resonate far beyond the traditional leadership structures. Elections are temporary contests.
Zambia is permanent. Political parties will change, leaders will come and go, but the people of Zambia must continue to share one country and one future.
There must be no permanent winners and permanent losers in a democracy. Once an election is concluded and constitutional processes have run their course, the focus must shift from campaigning to governing and from political mobilisation to national development.
Those who won have a responsibility to govern fairly, while those who lost have a responsibility to accept the democratic process and contribute constructively to the country’s future.
The Senior Chief is equally right to insist that public services and development must benefit citizens regardless of how they voted.
A government cannot ask people which party they supported before providing a road, school, health facility, water supply or other essential service. Development resources belong to the people and must be distributed transparently and equitably.
This is especially important in the management of the Constituency Development Fund. CDF has the potential to transform communities when resources are properly prioritised, transparently managed and allocated according to genuine local needs.
Communities must therefore be consulted, while elected leaders must remain accountable for how public resources are used.
Traditional leaders also have a crucial role to play in this period of national healing. Their influence is greatest when they remain above partisan politics and speak for the welfare of all their subjects.
Traditional institutions should be spaces where communities come together rather than arenas for political confrontation.
Kuchalo believes Zambia now needs fewer voices seeking to reopen political wounds and more voices encouraging reconciliation, tolerance and cooperation.
Political disagreements are legitimate in a democracy, but they must never become stronger than our shared commitment to peace.
The message from Senior Chief Muchinda Kankomba Welala III is therefore timely: Zambia must move forward together. The election is over. The nation remains. It is time to put Zambia first.
Picture: Chief Muchinda
