ON independence back in 1964, Zambia adopted a coat of arms that is indicative of all that the country was and aspired to continue being.
One of the most significant parts of the coat of arms is the bottom part which carries the ‘One Zambia One Nation’ slogan.
The slogan was adopted, as part of the coat of arms, to emphasise the need for unity in a country of more than 60 ethnic groups.
Nowhere is this slogan appropriate than in Zambia, where there are so many tribes and languages spoken.
It was expected that a national slogan of unity would be appropriate as a young Zambia then took shape and became a free nation.
It is not lost on us that a slogan alone was and is still not enough to compel so many ethnic groupings to live in harmony with each other.
The most fundamental actions of the founding fathers were to acknowledge the diversity of tribes, as well as impart upon every citizen, a sense of belonging and community spirit to move from colonial entrapment, to prosperity in the new-found independence.
The very first Cabinet that first President Kenneth Kaunda appointed spoke volumes of the unity that was not only preached, but practiced.
It had representation from all parts of Zambia in various capacities and everyone was willing to contribute for the national good as required.
That sense of unity of purpose still rings true today, albeit with a few misguided attempts to weaken citizens’ belief in this nation-building stance.
These are voices that seek to invoke people’s emotions for personal expediency by bringing out tribal intonations in certain situations they find themselves in.
This has especially been visible in the political circles, where politicians and political parties have on many occasions accused each other of tribalism and in many ways tried to influence public opinion.
It draws a sharp contrast with our founding politicians of this country, who prospered on the vision of a united Zambia knit together by the people’s diversity in tribe.
Politicians should then be reminded that they are the first to have championed unity in Zambia and they should be the first to condemn disunity and tribal talk.
However, it is not only up to politicians to preach and practice unity, it is up to the church, civil society and most importantly individual citizens.
It is therefore appropriate that President Edgar Lungu, used the occasion of the interdenominational thanksgiving service for the January 20 elections, to urge the Church to do more in uniting the country.
The Church, as the President said, is reliable in the process of national development and thus needs to be involved in the campaign for national unity.
Even in history, the Church has been recorded to have played important roles in brokering peace between various political factions.
This has been possible because everyone that has sought political leadership, past or present, has done so with the declaration of accepting the supreme authority of God.
Thus is willing to listen to the Church on various matters of national interest and are brought up.
This particular advantage that the church has cannot be taken lightly but should be harnessed to Zambia’s advantage.
Civil society should equally promote dialogue that encourages a shift from tribalism and its offshoots, regardless of their benefactors.
At the end of the day, no cause, campaign or reasoning, is greater that the unity of Zambia for purposes economic development.
It is now that Zambians everywhere, young and old, rich or poor, learned or not, begin to live by the ‘One Zambia-One Nation’ stand.  OPINION