Pride Making HH, ECL Not To Reconcile
Republican Progressive Party (RPP) vice president Lesley Chikuse has urged political pundits not to force President Edgar Lungu and United Party for National Development(UPND) strongman Hakainde Hichilema to reconcile because that gesture has something to do with the heart.
The Catholic Church led by His Grace Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu have started dialogue talks between President Lungu and his bitter rival Hichilema.
Speaking after visiting Hichilema in his incarceration at Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison, Archbishop Mpundu said Zambians should wait a little longer for the seeds of reconciliation the Catholic Church has planted to yield desired results.
Patriots for Economic Progress(PeP) branded the Catholic Church’s dialogue talks between the two leaders ineffective.
When reached for a comment, Chikuse said people who are pressing the Catholics to speed up the reconciliation process are being unreasonable and illogical.
He said reconciliation is not a forcing matter but depends on how receptive and forgiving Hichilema and President Lungu Lungu’s hearts are.
“We are getting concerned on how stakeholders, politicians and the general public at large are asking the Catholic Church to give the outcome of the reconciliation between President Lungu and incarcerated UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema. I don’t think reconciliation goes like that. It is not mandatory for the Catholic Church to tell the public the outcome of the reconciliation because reconciliation is a matter of the heart. You can’t say this person is now feeling better and he has forgiven his friend. It is not for public consumption,” said Chikuse, adding that fruits of reconciliation are seen by how people who had issues greet each other and work together on pertinent issues.
Chikuse said up to date no one knows what was discussed during a reconciliation meeting between late Levy Mwanawasa and then opposition leader Michael Chilufya Sata in the meeting that was behind closed doors at State House.
Asked whether he sees the two political rivals reconciling and working together anytime soon, Chikuse responded in the positive but said pride exhibited by the two gentlemen has been a stumbling block in the reconciliation process.
He said: ” Definitely I see the Catholic Church bringing them together. What is working is just simple pride between the two gentlemen but eventually God will prevail and the seeds of reconciliation will manifest. The reconciliation that happened between late Sata and late Mwanawasa will happen between HH and President Lungu,” Chikuse confidently said.
Hichilema has clocked over 110 days in prison where he celebrated his birthday and marriage anniversary.