Congratulatory message from the Joining Forces Alliance to President Elect – Mr Hakainde Hichilema

Joining Forces Press Statement:
CONGRATULATIONS TO PRESIDENT-ELECT Mr HAKAINDE HICHILEMA
For immediate release

Friday 20th August 2021 Lusaka

The Joining Forces Alliance welcomes the Zambian Electoral Commission’s declaration of Mr Hakainde Hichilema as the President-Elect after the 12th August 2021 General Elections.

We congratulate him and the Vice-President-Elect Mrs Mutale Nalumango. We are pleased that your acceptance speech highlighted your commitment to uphold citizens’ human rights,
freedoms, and liberties and that you will seek to ensure a holistic government response to all issues that will give children a better future.

We further commend the outgoing, President Dr Edgar Lungu, for accepting the outcome of the 12th August 2021 general elections and reassuring his successor of a smooth handover.

We wish him well for the future. Joining Forces strongly applauds the people of Zambia for turning up in large numbers to vote as part of consolidating Zambia’s spot as a beacon of peace by
democratically holding transparent elections and peaceful transition.

The Joining Forces Alliance calls on President-Elect Mr Hakainde Hichilema and his government to prioritize the reform of child-focused legislation. We hope your government will prioritize the long-overdue review of the 2011 Anti-GBV Act and expedite the enactment of the draft Children’s Code Bill. The absence of these basic pieces of legislation has denied many Zambian children the benefits of the progressive provisions of the Children’s Code Bill
for the last 12 years.

We further call on your new government to prioritize expenditure towards child-focused social sectors (education, health and social protection) to ensure Zambia lives up to its commitments in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

Lastly, we wish you President-Elect Mr Hakainde Hichilema success on your quest to develop and unite ALL the people of Zambia behind the vision of “One Zambia, One Nation” and in the attainment of Zambia’s developmental goals.
Issued by the Joining Forces Alliance
For more information, please contact:
 Malama Mwila – Email: malama.mwila@savethechildren.org or Call: +260 960634830
 Priscilla Chama – Email: pchama@childfund.org or mobile 260 977450009
 Petronella Chindumba – Email: petronella.chindumba@sos-zambia.org or call:+260967892901
 Barbara Hamoonga – Email: Barbara.Hamoonga@plan-international.org or Call: +260977425015
 Kambani Phiri – Email: Kambani_Phiri@wvi.org or Call: +260957726812
Simba Machingaidze
Zambia Country Director
Child-Fund International
Caroline McCausland
Zambia Country Director
Plan International
Jo Musonda
Zambia Country Director
Save the Children International

Adern Nkandela
National Director – Zambia
SOS Children’s Villages
Fungai Dewere
Country Coordinator
Zambia/Zimbabwe
Terre Des Hommes
John Hasse
National Director
World Vision Zambia
Notes to the Editor:
In 2017, the six largest child-focused agencies: ChildFund International, Plan International, Save the Children International, SOS Children’s Villages Zambia, Terre des Hommes International
Federation, and World Vision International joined forces. We aim to use our collective power to accelerate change to secure children their rights and end violence against them.

We will pilot and scale innovative and effective approaches worldwide and be driven by the voices and needs of children