It’s unfair, unjust, stupid to blame Hakainde for the Zaffico riots

It’s unfair, unjust and indeed stupid to try and blame Hakainde Hichilema for the riots that took place in Kitwe over the alleged sale of Zaffico to the Chinese. Hakainde has nothing to do with those riots. It’s actually Edgar Lungu and his minions’ inability to lead that caused those riots. To govern is to communicate. Edgar has lamentably failed to effectively and efficiently communicate with the masses of our people. He can’t even explain properly and in a convincing manner the things his government has done right. All the time he is just denouncing, mocking and threatening others.

And what is inciting people to riot? How did Hakainde incite those people to riot?

Inciting people to riots is a term that means to arouse to action that is unlawful and possibly violent. Inciting a riot applies to a person who organises, encourages, or participates in a riot. It can apply to one who urges or instigates others to riot. To incite a riot, or to organise, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on a riot, includes, but is not limited to, urging or instigating other persons to riot, but shall not be deemed to mean the mere oral or written advocacy of ideas or  expression of belief, not involving advocacy of any act or acts of violence or assertion of the rightness of, or the right to commit, any such act or acts. How, when and where  did Hakainde do that? All the time Edgar is boasting, bragging. Why?

This is certainly not the way to govern.

Clearly, Edgar and his minions must learn that the exercise of power must be a constant practice of self-limitation and modesty. Harassing, humiliating their political opponents won’t solve their problems, won’t make people happy and stop rioting.

The right to protest is one of the oldest and most-respected rights in a democratic system. The right of citizens to peacefully protest is a fundamental right that is totally not respected in Zambia today. Of course, there are limits to even the most important rights, and the right to protest does not permit violence or the incitement to violence. Protests that turn violent are called “riots” and, fundamental rights aside, there are laws against rioting and inciting others to riot. We don’t support riots and the destruction of property.

They can arrest, charge and prosecute Hakainde for inciting people to riot but it won’t take them anywhere. It will just succeed in showing the Zambian people how evil and cruel they are.

They will fail to show or explain how Hakainde incited people to riot.

The inciter must intend the others to engage in the behaviour constituting the offence, including any consequences, which may result, and must know or believe or possibly suspect that those others will have the relevant mens rea. How are they going to show that Hakainde did this? We hear it all the time about riots: hooliganism or criminality, pure and simple. But riots are complex events, hard to reduce to something as simple as that.

It’s no surprise that Edgar and his minions, feeling attacked, see the violent behaviour of their citizens in Kitwe in such terms. They react by becoming dismissive and punitive, shifting blame to innocent people.

We all know this never helps the situation, yet this knee-jerk reaction lies in our nature from the beginning. It has been a problem since the beginning of mankind. One might have assumed that the leaders would lead and find a way to solve this problem. However, Edgar and his minions are trying to put all this on Hakainde’s neck.

When God confronted Adam about the eating of the forbidden fruit, Adam blamed both Eve and God. The woman you gave me, gave me the fruit ‘ (it wasn’t his fault). When God turned to Eve she blamed Satan, The serpent deceived me ‘ – so it wasn’t her fault either (Genesis 3:11-13).

Shifting the blame onto others and not taking responsibility result in two things: our problems don’t get solved. We become weak and ineffective.

This is true both in the natural world and in our spiritual life. We know this, but we still behave exactly in the same way as Adam. Things are not okay in this country. And riots are likely to increase and become a common phenomena. Edgar’s knee-jerk reaction to blame others for riots caused by his poor leadership of the country, things everyone is becoming increasingly aware is his responsibility will not do.

Edgar should just acknowledge it is his fault before God and admit he has tried to shift the blame and asked for help to find a resolution.

The truth shall make you free. We do not need to be afraid of doing the right thing. When we get ourselves into a mess we mustn’t dig ourselves in deeper to avoid the consequences. If we accept the blame for problems that are our responsibility, we gain strength of character and we cleanse out the root of our problems. God can’t use people who hide from the truth about themselves.

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32).