We refuse to respond to HH, we need to mourn first – PF
Davis Mwila
The ruling Patriotic Front (PF ) says it is affected with the death of eight people who died during a food stamped in Lusaka on Monday because of the “massive ” support it enjoys in the capital.
In a statement to Zambian Eye on Tuesday, PF Secretary General Davies Mwila says the party will however not respond to UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema whom he says is politicising the tragedy.
Below is the statement:
The Patriotic Front under the leadership of His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu respects and values human life because human beings are created in the image and likeness of God the Creator as revealed in first book of the Bible, Genesis chapter 1 verse 26.
Driven by this faith and conviction that human life is sacred and that every life carries the same dignity, we wish to register our profound sadness and regret at the death of 8 members of our national family in the stampede that happened yesterday, Monday 6th March 2017 at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka.
As a party with God fearing leaders we have resisted the temptation of rushing into issuing condemnations before relevant authorities furnish the public with credible information of what really happened. Instead we have decided to focus on the suffering of families that have lost their loved ones as well as on the injured who are being hospitalised.
However, we support demands for a thorough investigation into this matter to establish what happened and why our people died in the avoidable manner they did.
We commend the government for offering assistance to the injured and the bereaved families through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, DMMU under the office of the Vice President.
We wish to stress the fact that at times like this one when members of our national family lose their loved ones in the tragic manner such as yesterday’s stampede what is expected of normal human beings is empathy directed at lightening the sorrow and burden that such loss comes with.
So our hearts go out to those in pain caused by injuries suffered in the stampede and those mourning their loved ones.
As a matter of fact, our party is directly affected by this tragedy given the huge support we enjoy in Lusaka.
Finally, we are aware of the statement made by Mr Hakainde Hichilema the leader of the opposition United Party for National Development, UPND in which he has chosen to politicise this misfortune and fallaciously heap blame on the PF government.
We refuse to stop mourning and start responding to Mr Hichilema. The Bible says there is time for everything under the sun and for us, this time is for mourning. Time to respond to Mr Hichilema will come after we give the dead dignified funerals and offer the injured the attention they need.
We refuse to fall into the trap of giving Mr Hichilema the attention he is trying to seek as usual.
May the God who created us in his image and likeness console the families of the deceased, heal the injured and grant the departed eternal rest.
May God strengthen us and fill our hearts with his divine compassion.
I thank you.
Davies Mwila
SECRETARY GENERAL