Chienge Independent MP Given Katuta says President Hakainde Hichilema has failed to heal and unite the nation because of his inability to forgive the past political attacks he experienced.

Featuring on Prime Television’s Matters arising on Saturday evening, Katuta said even the “One Zambia One Nation” motto that President Hichilema has been preaching about has cracks in between.

Katuta says if the President wants to unite the nation and defeat the current polarization based on tribe, ethnicity and regionalism, he must be willing to forgive and move on from the past.

She said recent UPND’s campaigns of unarchiving some video clips of the political attacks President Hichilema experienced under the PF regime before 2021 and widely circulating them on social media and traditional TV stations is meant to divide the nation more than building it.  

“We need a leader who can forgive. You’ve seen our current President, now he knows it is an election year, everyday he’s just talking about whatever happened in Mongu (the 2017 incident that led to his arrest for treason), what happened in Ndola (when PF cadres forced Hichilema to abandon live radio programme in 2014) – that is not forgiving,” she said.

Katuta said history has shown that leaders who have fought for leadership have suffered similar attacks and persecution.

“Our President is unforgiving; if you’re forgiving, a leader cannot be talking everyday about what happened to him in the past – even trying to put it on some media houses trying to show that this is what happened,” Katuta said.

She challenged President Hichilema to start showing video clips of Zambia’s independence heroes such as Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Mama Julia Chikamoneka if the current UPND-sponsored propaganda is not just meant to weaponize and whip the emotions of UPND zealots.

Katuta advised President Hichilea to learn lessons from Nelson Mandela who had to forgive his tormentors who subjected him to a 27-year period of torture.

She explained that as Hichilema is avidly and repeatedly relieving what happened in the past and he’s showing that he’s hurting, his followers are also feeling the pain.

“Mandela was ill-treated worse than our current President. Now imagine if he walked out of Robben Island and started talking about what they did to him; even that prison warder who was urinating in his mouth, you think South Africa would be where it is now? I am pretty sure the white people would have been dancing. But when he came out, he understood that what he needed to do is bring the nation together and this is what we have been expecting from our current President but he has not brought us together,” said Katuta.

“The One Zambia One Nation motto he’s preaching has a crack in between and that’s why he has not brought us together. If you’re a leader who is concentrating on the past, it is very difficult to move forward as they say they want to move forward,” she added.
Is that why you spate onto a journalist face? Don’t compare yourself to Mandela. Just go quietly Chiengi, doesn’t need you. And you won’t be mist by anybody in parliament. You wasted five years in parliament fighting government for no reason, instead of taking development to Chiengi you chose to fight unnecessary battles only known to yourself. What a waste of time.
What constitutes forgiving? Does it mean burying everything to do with the past and pretending it never happened?
There is also a saying that those who forget the past are bound to repeat it. Reminding the electorate about the excesses of the PF regime doesnot mean being unforgiving. One presidential candidate, a former PF government official, has already intimated that he will rule like Mr. Lungu. Furthermore, most people associated with the PF regime, including yourself, have shown no remorse for the pain they inflicted on the citizens and the current President, HH. What they exhibit is a misplaced sense of entitlement. They even believe that to be forgiven is their right.
As we head into the August 2026 elections, we must step up the campaign of videos of PF cadres burning money and other numerous acts of anarchy. This should serve as a reminder of the implications of voting for anyone formally associated with the PF regime. They are unrepentant and incorrigible.
We have forgiven but we will not forget.
Imagine if H.H was murdered by PF, were they going to wake him up from the Grave so that they forgive him? H.H. should not be forced to forgive PF Boko Haram criminals just to satisfy their egos.
Where were was she when the bunch of criminals were busy promoting bad culture in Zambia?? Nonsense from this PF criminal woman.
Hon. Katuta, do you want HH to literary forgive every wrong doer in the country especially from among you politicians? That cannot happen. But you are aware that Katele Kalumba, GBM we’re forgiven. Besides that, hundreds if not thousands of prisoners have been forgiven and released on national days like African Freedom Day, Unity and Heroes Day and on Independence Day. What and how unforgiving is HH if he has forgiven and released all these people? Moreover some people don’t show any remorse, they remain unapologetic. HH can only forgive through his Constitutional powers (prerogative of mercy) and not otherwise because he is not above the law.
Mama Congo making noise.Transitioning from a pastoral role to politics..Zero intelligence,Zero managerial skills,Zero business acumen;she merely seized an opportunity to earn quick money, and they chose to elect her. I do not believe Mama Congo will succeed this time,Given kuya kunzubo.Its the end of the show
I think you are mixing forgiveness and facing consequences for specific actions
For instance criminal offense must face the law especially if it is the courts of law find someone guilty.
Accountability and it’s enforcement is not hatred or lack of forgiveness. It is good leadership.
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