Veteran politician, Mwaanga, calls on political leaders to embrace dialogue for peace, democracy

Veteran politician, Dr. Vernon Mwaanga, has called on political leaders in Zambia to embrace dialogue to foster lasting peace and harmony in the country.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, Mwaanga emphasized that dialogue was a cornerstone of democracy and vital to sustaining Zambia’s multi-party political system, which allows citizens to exercise their right to choose leaders.

“It would be naive to believe that democracy is without challenges, regardless of how it is perceived,” Mwaanga said.

He commended President Hakainde Hichilema for consistently calling for dialogue with opposition political parties, describing it as a significant and unusual development.

“This is interesting because in many African countries, it’s typically the opposition that calls on reluctant governments for dialogue. In Zambia, it is the other way around,” Mwaanga noted.

He stressed that the relationship between the ruling party and the opposition should not be one of hostility, but rather of partnership in advancing democracy.

Mwaanga acknowledged that differences of opinion are inevitable but urged that they be handled with mutual respect.

“Freedom must be respected, but democracy cannot thrive in a lawless society,” he said.

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The former Minister of Information and Broadcasting reiterated that citizens must respect the rule of law and exercise their freedoms responsibly, reminding political actors that “politics is not war.”

Mwaanga underscored the importance of competing with ideas and reiterated that dialogue was a powerful tool that can resolve any national issue, especially in a country like Zambia, which has undergone significant political evolution since independence in 1964.

“We were a multi-party state from 1964 to 1973, before becoming a one-party state until 1991. Since then, we’ve returned to multi-party democracy and have had six Presidents before President Hakainde Hichilema became the seventh in August 2021,” he reflected.

He noted that Zambia’s six decades of experience demonstrate me that democracy was a shared responsibility involving leaders, citizens, elected representatives, civil society, and institutions working through dialogue, consultation, and consensus-building.

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