The Editor Zambia
There is something deeply troubling about a political culture in which a person’s value is measured not by their contribution to national unity, integrity or democratic development, but by how aggressively they oppose a president perceived to belong to another ethnic community.
When political loyalty becomes an excuse for hatred, and controversy is mistaken for courage, the country must pause and ask where its national conscience has gone. 
The political controversy surrounding Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda raises precisely this question. Why are some individuals in the Northern/Eastern bloc willing to elevate controversial figures into champions of their tribal cause simply because those figures stand against President Hakainde Hichilema and his political establishment?
The answer, in the eyes of critics, lies in the dangerous intersection of tribal identity, political resentment, and the deliberate mobilisation of ethnic suspicion.
Even before Jay Jay Banda’s case goes to court, some Northern/Eastern tribalists are shielding him from legitimate scrutiny merely because they regard this rogue as a convenient weapon against President Hichilema.
Opposition politics is not a licence for tribal hatred.
The concern is that sections of the political establishment from the Northern and Eastern provinces collectively called the Chambeshi-Luangwa or Northern-Eastern bloc, are increasingly applying different standards to political figures depending on whether those figures oppose or support the President.
Any political movement that tolerates ethnic hostility within its ranks must confront the consequences. The same standard must apply to politicians, religious leaders, activists, civil society organisations, and media personalities, regardless of their province, language, or political affiliation.
Known politicians, lawyers, and civil society organisations leaders, all from Northern/Eastern bloc, have featured in wider political discussions and controversies persistently condemning President Hichilema and the UPND government.
The common denominator of all these personalities is that they hail from the Northern/Eastern bloc.
There is abundant evidence in the media that establishes their individual statements, actions, and public records speak volumes on their hatred for President Hichilema.
President Hichilema’s only sin is being a Tonga, something that has made him a ready target of ethnic hostility under collective suspicion from some individuals in Northern/Eastern ilk.
The same ire has been directed to Southerners, Westerners, and North-Westerners, and parts of Central provinces considered less Zambian because they come from regions associated with the President’s ethnic background.
Zambia cannot afford to turn tribal arithmetic into a substitute for political reasoning.
The danger of celebrating controversial personalities like Jay Jay Banda as ethnic champions is that it rewards confrontation while punishing moderation.
It encourages politicians to appeal to ancestry rather than ideas, and it teaches young people that political victory matters more than national solidarity.
Jay Jay Banda, like every other politician, is being judged by the evidence concerning his conduct, his public statements, and his disrespect for the law.
Ultimately, Zambia needs political champions who defend constitutionalism, economic opportunity, national unity, and equal citizenship, the way President Hichilema has been doing.
No tribe owns Zambia. No region has a monopoly on patriotism. And no politician should become a hero merely because they give voice to another person’s ethnic prejudice.
The country must reject tribalism wherever it appears, whoever promotes it and whichever political camp benefits from it.
Otherwise, the people who claim to be fighting for Zambia may end up undermining the very nation they profess to defend.
