Life doesn’t end when one is not a president - Hichilema

Mompati Tlhankane | Saturday January 27, 2024 07:23

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema shaking hands with Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi in Kasane during talks on the Kazungula Bridge project. PIC BW GOVERNMENT

KAZUNGULA: Despite the recent withdrawal of retirement benefits and privileges previously extended to former Zambian President, Edgar Lungu still fresh in the neighbouring country, current president Hakainde Hichilema says former presidents should stay in retirement and away from the political arena.

Hichilema said this to the media here on Wednesday during his working visit where he and President Mokgweetsi Masisi held talks and made decisions on the Kazungula Bridge project. The Zambian government officially revoked Lungu’s retirement benefits and privileges following the latter’s return to active politics.

Section 5 of the Benefits of Former Presidents Act stipulates the conditions under which such benefits can be withdrawn. Lungu’s move led to the withdrawal of his retirement benefits in accordance with the Benefits of Former Presidents Act. However, in Botswana there is no such law. This is evident in that former president Ian Khama is actively participating in politics since he finished his term in 2018 yet his benefits have not been withdrawn.

Commenting further on the matter, Hichilema said it is preferable that when presidents’ time is up, they retire from politics altogether. “The correct thing to do is to stay in retirement and do other things. You get bored you can go fishing here, you can farm. Some of us are eager to go to our farms and milk our goats. Life doesn’t not come to an end when you are not a president of a country,” he highlighted.

He said when the time is over, former presidents should support the next leadership to take the country forward. Hichilema said there is a moral issue around former presidents returning to active politics after retirement.

He emphasised that it is not correct for former presidents to expect new leadership to lead the same way they did during their time. “We are different, our vision is the same but the style may be different. I have never found the motivation for colleagues to come back to office,” he pointed out.

Hichilema added that they want to maintain peace and security in SADC and as such they expect less disruptive activities from people who have been in office. “First of all, we are democrats who believe in the rights of individuals and citizens. People are free to form political parties, to participate, but in some cases there are legal issues that will stand in the way”, he revealed.

He disclosed that Lungu retired from politics two days after he assumed office and automatically a piece of legislation called the Former Presidents and Emoluments Act was invoked by the former’s pronouncement that he had retired from active politics. He added that then Lungu’s retirement benefits were immediately invoked and conferred to him automatically. Hichilema indicated that Lungu officially announced his return to active politics on October 28, 2023, after retiring on August 26, 2021, therefore the law had to take its course.

Hichilema said in their case the law has been applied on both sides. According to the Act, a former President’s retirement benefits and privileges can be revoked if they actively engage in politics after their term in office. Lungu has decided to take legal action against the state’s decision to reject his application seeking the reinstatement of retirement benefits.

In Botswana there is no such law. But recently Cabinet unanimously agreed that a former President who has served two terms (10 years) should not take part in active politics upon retirement and must not be eligible for re-election in any political office. Cabinet is yet to present the White Paper before Parliament. This was seen as a move to block Khama from decampaigning the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) as the election cycle heats up. Following his fall out with Masisi, right after the succession in 2018, Khama helped form a political party, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) a year later and managed to destabilise the BDP in their stranglehold constituencies in the Central District.

Ahead of this year’s general election, Khama is still adamant and has vowed to vigorously campaign to dethrone his handpicked successor, Masisi. Their planned mediation failed in Angola and Masisi indicated that he has no reason to meet Khama while the latter challenged the former to a 'boxing' match.