IS PATRICIA SCOTLAND AT PEACE BEING HONOURED BY A CHIEF, WHILE HH MOUNTS ASSAULT ON OPPOSITION PARTIES AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION? Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland is no doubt basking in the accolades being showered on her by Dictator Hakainde Hichilema, through his tribal Chief in Southern Province, at a function whose status has been elevated to almost a State Function. We will not begrudge her the chance to exult in this moment, but we pray that she is not too giddy to notice the hypocrisy and dictatorial tendencies of her hosts, especially Outgoing Dictator President Hichilema. Having already met a group of leaders from Zambia's political opposition, Patricia Scotland must by now have an idea about charges regarding the practice of tribalism and regionalism, which have filled positions in government, Parastatals, state commissions, defence and security wings and the civil service with individuals largely from Southern, Western, North-Western provinces (together with their allies parts of Central and Lusaka provinces). This cluster has come to be known as the Zambezi region. Because of this, Zambia is today more divided along ethnic and political lines, than it was when she came to Zambia to visit the then incarcerated Hakainde Hichilema. Ms Scotland should by now know that the promise of improved respect for political and individual liberties, which made Zambians give Hichilema a landslide election victory in 2021, has in the last four years turned into a nightmare. Public political mobilisation through public rallies, and even indoor meetings, has been proscribed using biased enforcement of the Public Order Act, while the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) is free to hold impromptu rallies and demonstrations any time and anywhere. More opposition leaders have been arrested and prosecuted for expressing their opinions or criticising the government, in the last four years, than in all the last 56 years combined. This is because all criticism of government for practicing what is seen as tribalism is now deemed hate speech against the favoured tribes, and calling out individuals in government for corruption or potential conflict of interest is now criminal libel. This has resulted in the virtual hoovering of opposition leaders, independent journalists, civil rights activists, and ordinary producers of social media content, in the spate of arrests and many on-going court processes. Suddenly, under Dictator Hichilema, defending the rights of these groups of citizens' right to freedom of expression and opinion, is equated to defending hate speech! Meanwhile, Dictator Hichilema maintains within State House his own rabid online outlets that daily malign opposition leaders and anyone who dares criticise this government. Zambians are thankful for the country visit of United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, Irene Khan, because it has brought international focus on the deteriorating human rights environment in Zambia, which bodes ill for continued peace and stability. If Ms Scotland has not received these submissions from Zambians, then she has been meeting only government stooges and agents. And now to the hypocrisy at the heart of this government, which Ms Scotland should be made aware of, in relation to her being honoured. Ms Scotland herself will have noted, when undertaking her mission to visit incarcerated Hichilema, that ground for the success of that mission was facilitated, in no small way, by voices raised, and earlier visits made to Mukobeko Maximum Prison by several leaders of the Catholic Church in Zambia. In fact, even when she undertook her visit to Mukobeko, she was accompanied by Archbishop Emeritus Telesphire Mpundu and now Archbishop of Lusaka Dr Alick Banda, and another Bishop from a Southern Province diocese. If Hichilema and Chief Hamusonde were sincere about honouring individuals who campaigned to free Hichilema from Mukobeko, thus promoting peace in Zambia, why would they honour only Patricia Scotland? Ms Scotland should ask her hosts how these leaders of the Catholic Church in Zambia have been rewarded. She will feel positively nauseated. If what is presented here is not hypocrisy by Ms Scotland's hosts , what is it? How very dishonourable! John 8:32 "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Get in touch with us on WhatsApp +263786654620 #zambianwhistleblower #zwb ©️ Zambian Whistleblower (ZWB).