‘Politics of vengeance, hatred must stop,’ Tembo decries persecution of former leaders

Leader of the opposition Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP), Sean Tembo, is calling for an end to the culture of persecuting former presidents in Zambia.

Tembo in a statement issued in Lusaka on Saturday said this culture of persecuting former Head of State is denting the country’s democratic credentials, which are outstanding as it is sending a wrong signal to the international community.

He said from the time the late founding father of the nation Dr. Kenneth Kaunda lost power, those who followed him have been persecuted by their successors up until now the country is still witnessing the same culture.

Tembo said politics of vengeance, hatred must come to an end in order for the country to continue on the development agenda, saying it is sad that the UPND has abandoned most infrastructure projects left by the PF.

“Ostensibly because he is afraid that if he completes these partially constructed schools, hospitals, universities, roads etcetera, it might help cement people’s views that the PF had a solid infrastructure agenda. It’s always about politics and never about the people we are supposed to serve,” he said.

Tembo said similarly, instead of Dr. Fredrick Chiluba building on KK’s vision of industrializing Zambia by establishing a factory in every district, he instead got rid of almost all state enterprises through privatization.

“This cycle of events have been repeating itself since 1991. Every living former President of Zambia has been locked up by their successor. KK was locked up by Chiluba. Banda was locked up by Sata. And now we are seeing Hakainde harassing Lungu,”he said.

Tembo said there is need to reduce if not outrightly eliminate the toxicity in the political dispensation stating that when a new person ascends to the office of President like President Hichilema did, the focus should cease to be the complete annihilation of the former ruling party and locking up of the former President.

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