Hichilema promises to reach out to former President Lungu for peace talks

President Hakainde Hichilema has assured the church that he would reach out to former Head of State, Edgar Lungu, in order to stop political tension in the country.

Hichilema said reaching out to Lungu would be cardinal so that peace reigned in the country.

The Head of State said he had heard the advice from the Church and other stakeholders to ensure that he made peace with Lungu.

He said this when he graced the Reformed Church of Zambia 125 celebration in Lusaka on Sunday.

“I heard your message and you can take it that your message is taken in and we will do our part reach out to our colleagues including ECL himself so that we can talk to each other.

“Our upbringing is very clear, on the platform of love, on the platform of unity, on the platform of tolerance not violence we can achieve a lot, on the platform of mutual respect we can achieve a lot,” Hichilema said.

He said conflict would not take the country anywhere. “We have seen what is happening in other countries, we don’t want Zambia to go into that direction.

“No leader must visionalise Zambia where there is smoke in Cairo road, Chipata, Navutika market, no, that is not our role,” he said.

Hichilema was responding to Reverend Patson Banda of Reformed Church of Zambia who asked him to make peace with Mr Lungu. Banda said the people would be happy to see the two leaders working together for the betterment of the country.

He said if the two failed to reach out to each other, the Church would facilitate the process.

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