Africa-Press – Zambia. The Lord Jesus warned, ‘If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ Matt 6:15.
Something very bad is happening in Zambia right now and it will be condoned by a Roman Catholic Archbishop very soon. It is now clear that the late former President of Zambia Edgar Chagwa Lungu died a bitter and unforgiving man. This is not an accusation but by his own will and last testament given to his family he declared his personal hatred and hostility against his successor by saying something so very very un Christian let alone un African.
Many of his followers, friends and relatives may think that this is justified. They say that if the incumbent President never visited the bedside of the ailing man, why should he attend the funeral? Some think that it is hypocritical for President Hakainde Hichilema to express sorrow and pass condolences to the former first family while he ‘mistreated’ his predecessor. Well, if we were to weigh the wrongs each of these men have done to each other, an independent jury would find that HH smells of roses here.
HH was wrongfully arrested and charged with treason. He was kept in prison for hundreds of days. While in prison, he was allegedly kept in solitary confinement for 8 days, without water and food and tortured as well. One way he was tortured was to have his private parts pepper sprayed. On the day of his arrest, the Zambia police vandalised his property and some even defeacated in the bedroom. Furthermore, HH was never allowed to have meetings in public. He was teargassed every now and then and at one time, he had to escape from PF cadres through the roof of a radio station.
In December 2020, when HH appeared at Police HQ for questioning, Nsama Nsama Chipyoka, a prosecutor and Mr. Joseph Kaunda a UPND supporter were killed by the police. The Human Rights Commission said that the killing was unlawful and recommended the arrest of the then Police Commissioner Mr Nelson Phiri. Ms Esther Katongo never confirmed nor denied whether Mr Phiri was suspended or not. HH was never a free man and even during campaigns, his movements were restricted. We all remember his remonstration with the police at Chipata airport, denying him entry into the city of Chipata in 2021.
Now, what did Edgar Lungu suffer? Whether it was his family or himself, whatever Edgar Lungu went through was in accordance with the letter of the law.
His family members accused of possessions that were proceeds of crime have been given their days in court. No one ever spent even a single hour in prison.
No one was ever tortured. No property of the Lungus was vandalised by the police. Lungu’s movements were permitted if he informs the State. This is normal for former heads of State because if anything happened to them, the State would be blamed.
As for his illness, I wonder how many Zambians knew that the man was not well, because if they knew the ‘Akabwelelapo’ mantra would not have sounded so loud. Plan B would have been a pipe dream and I do not think that the UPND would have bothered too much about his ‘third term bid.’
So, head to head, it is obvious that HH has more reasons not to forgive ECL than ECL had.
What is forgiveness?
It is more than forgetting the wrong done. It is also elevating the wrongdoer to the place where he should be as though he never did any wrong. God gave the Israelites the law of Jubilee.
In the 50th year, all debts were cancelled, slaves that were not redeemed were set free. God was teaching the Israelites how to forgive. For centuries thereafter, the Israelites practised this forgiving of debts and so the Lord Jesus incorporated it in what is now called the Lord’s prayer- ‘Forgive us our sins, even as we forgive our debtors.’
The slate was wiped clean.
This is what God has done for us through the blood of Jesus.
He forgave us all our sins and if we have experienced this, it should not be a problem for us to do the same to others.
I feel sad that Former President Lungu carried that bitterness with him to the grave. I pray that for those of us who remain, we may learn a lesson and never let the sun go down on our anger, because it may be the last sun set we will ever know.
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