Kalaba urges national unity, after losing out in Zambia’s presidential poll

Citizens First President Harry Kalaba has called on Zambians to rise above political division following what he described as a difficult and emotional period in the country.

Kalaba said recent events had seen public emotion give way to anger and destructive actions that could have lasting consequences for communities across the country.

In a statement issued from Lusaka on Sunday, Kalaba noted that the current political climate should not be allowed to destroy the foundations of national coexistence.

He stressed that the country’s future depended on how citizens treated one another beyond party lines.

Kalaba also addressed Citizens First supporters directly, urging them not to lose hope despite electoral setbacks but instead to refocus on grassroots mobilisation and service delivery.

“We only have one Zambia. The Zambia we tear apart today, is the same Zambia our children will inherit tomorrow,” he said

The CF leader argued that acts of vandalism and hostility ultimately harmed ordinary citizens, pointing out that damaged infrastructure and businesses affected families who depended on them for daily livelihoods.

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“No political disagreement should make us enemies of one another. The person we insult, slander or falsely accuse because they wear different political colours is still our brother, our sister and our fellow citizen,” Kalaba said.

He added that the CF party would now return to communities to listen, organise and strengthen its structures from the ward to provincial level, learning from past shortcomings.

“Our journey does not end with one election. Now we go back to the ground. We return to our communities. We listen. We organise. We strengthen our structures,” he said.

Kalaba affirmed that Citizens First politics would remain anchored in ideas and service, adding that while governments and political parties may change, the nation must endure.

“There is only one Zambia, and it belongs to all of us,” he said.

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