Dear Leaders of Zambia,
I write this letter from the United States as a proud Zambian who has lived abroad for the past 25 years. Though I have spent a quarter of a century away from home, Zambia has never been far from my heart.
It remains the country I call home, the country whose people, culture and values I proudly carry with me wherever I go.
As the country awaits the announcement of the presidential election results that has pitted the incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema and the NRPUP opposition leader Brian Mundubile, I make this heartfelt appeal to all political leaders, their supporters and every Zambian: please, let peace prevail.
I am particularly concerned by media reports both in the mainstream and on social media of impending violence surrounding the election results.
Political competition is a normal part of democracy, but violence must never become the price of political disagreement. No election, no political party and no individual politician is more important than Zambia itself.
For 25 years, I have watched Zambia from afar and have often spoken proudly about the country’s enviable reputation as one of Africa’s peaceful nations.
Whenever people ask me about Zambia, I tell them about a country where different political parties can compete, where communities have lived together despite differences, and where disputes have traditionally been settled without descending into widespread violence.
That reputation is precious because it is part of our national identity, and we must not allow it to be destroyed in the heat of political competition.
I am planning to visit Zambia next month. I want to come home. I want to see my family and friends, walk the streets of the country I love, eat our food, hear our languages and once again experience the warmth that makes Zambia special.
But, like many Zambians in the diaspora, I am watching developments with anxiety. I do not want violence to make it unsafe for me or other Zambians abroad to return home.
I therefore appeal especially to the presidential candidates and their senior supporters to exercise leadership. If you win, demonstrate humility. If you lose, demonstrate dignity. If you believe there have been irregularities, use the courts and established constitutional mechanisms rather than the streets. Encourage your supporters to remain calm and respect the law.
To the supporters of every political party, remember that tomorrow you will still be neighbours, relatives, workmates and fellow Zambians. Political leaders come and go, but the country remains.
Zambia is bigger than any candidate, party or election result. We have only one Zambia, and there is no alternative homeland waiting for us if we destroy it through violence.
Please, our leaders, protect the Zambia we know. Protect the peace that generations before us built. Protect the reputation that makes us proud wherever we live.
I want to come home next month without fear.
Yours faithfully,
Florida,
A concerned Zambian in the diaspora,
United States of America