Be good ambassadors of our country, HH tells Zambians living abroad
Zambia’s leading opposition figure Hakainde Hichilema has urged Zambians living in the diaspora not to relent in projecting a good image of the country.
The UPND leader made the call when he addressed Zambians based in the United Kingdom – where he has been invited by the Royal Institute of International Affairs to give a speech at the prestigious Chatham House today.
“We arrived safely in UK and immediately got on with our scheduled business. We addressed Zambians resident in the UK. We thanked them for their unwavering support especially during the time we were in jail,” Hichilema wrote on his Facebook page.
“We also called on them to be good ambassadors of the country. We encouraged them to speak the good that comes out of Zambia. We asked them to remain steadfast in projecting a good image for the country as we at local level remain to sort out the politics.”
Hichilema also reaffirmed his party’s commitment to the dialogue process.
“We did inform them that our young democracy is faced with many challenges and threats but we are resolved to making sure that it matures. To this end, we assured them of our commitment to the dialogue process and that the political challenges we are going through can be resolved amicably as long as the parties involved remain committed to the process.”
And in an earlier Facebook posting, Hichilema said he was honoured to have been invited to give a speech by the Royal Institute of International Affairs at the Chatham house, a top world think tank based in London.
He stated that his speech will spell out his party’s priorities and the role of the opposition parties in a democracy, among other issues related to good governance.
“We are honoured to be invited to give our speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, and really we will endeavor to explain how our country can be a true icon of democracy, freedom, remain economically strong and independent,” Hichilema wrote.
“After our speech at the Chatham House, we will then proceed to have interviews with various media houses that have invited us. We will again explain the vision we have for our country, Zambia, and how, together, we can move it forward and truly become independent on the lines of economic emancipation.”
Several world leaders and some sitting Presidents have been invited in the recent past to speak at the Chatham House on issues such as International Affairs and policy directions.
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, has been the patron of the Royal Institute of International Affairs since her ascension to the throne in 1952.
The institute was granted its Royal Charter in 1926 by her grandfather, George V.