Former President Edgar Lungu has come to the defense of tribe-obsessed historian Sishuwa Sishuwa, saying ethnicity debates require political retaliation, not arrests.
After several statements and articles around tribe, Dr Sishuwa seemed to have eventually touched the raw nerve of many Zambians when The Mast quoted him in its November 21 edition, that President Hakainde Hichilema was persecuting the Bembas and Easterners using the courts and police.
Many Zambians have expressed outrage by Sishuwa’s statement, feeling it offended the country’s ethos of oneness and unity. 
On Thursday afternoon, Grace Mwanza, a resident of Lusaka reported Dr Sishuwa to the police for hate speech and tribal remarks against the President.
In response, the Zambia Police Service confirmed receiving a complaint against Dr Sishuwa and said the matter was under investigation.
However, Lungu has protested against calls for Sishuwa’s arrest, emphasizing that opposing views are essential for a thriving democracy.
In a Facebook post, Lungu appealed to his followers to request the government to drop the case against Sishuwa.
“Kindly join me in asking the current government to leave Dr. Sishuwa alone,” he stated.
Lungu recalled that Sishuwa had previously criticized him for allegedly victimizing the Tonga people during his presidency, but he chose not to retaliate.
Lungu believes that democracy requires embracing criticism and engaging in healthy debates.
“Not every criticism requires police action,” he said. “Some debates require political responses, not further abuse at the brutal hand of state police.”
