The Police in Lusaka has threatened to take action if the United Party for National Development (UPND) goes on with its planned May 26 public rally in Lusaka’s Chawama township.
This follows the announcement by the UPND that it will defy Police’s advice not to go on with rally on Sunday this week.
Lusaka Police Commissioner Joyce Kasosa has maintained that her office made it clear to the UPND in a later of reply to its May 16 letter of notice, that despite the UPND indicating plans to provide its own security personnel to man the rally, the Police still held reservations of a few other security concerns.
Ms. Kasosa has told Qfm in an interview that if the UPND however ignores the advice given to it prior to holding the public rally, the Police will have no choice but to take prompt action against the UPND.
Ms. Kasosa further notes that if the UPND was not impressed with advice the Police gave, it should have written to the police again as opposed to defying a clear advice that was given in the interest of maintaining order as the Police is restrained from keeping a presence at the day of the said rally.
In a letter dated 16th May 2013 addressed to Lusaka Police Commissioner, the UPND indicated that it would hold a public meeting that will be addressed by party president Hakainde Hichilema, civil society organizations, trade unions, market associations, and student bodies.
At the rally that was scheduled to start from about 09:00 hours to 17:00 hours, the UPND intended to provide 200 marshals to compliment the police security.
I personally don`t like it when the police deny the opposition the permit to hold rallies(i hate it) but i think this time i support the police.I don`t think it will be a peaceful rally because of the tension the issue of subsidy has brought.Rallies should actually be postponed until such a time when people will be fully versed about this subsidy issue.Like that it will give people an opportunity to make informed decisions unlike the current situation of people jumping of the bandwagon without properly understanding the issue in the full context.
Do you know what a democracy is? The only time you suspend citizens’ right to rallies & demonstrations is during a state of ermegency.
The police didn`t just wake up and decide to make an order like this.It is because they have some intelligence reports of people who want to hijack this seemingly peaceful rally for other things.Some situations challenges a persons moral and philosophical faculties.I would rather see a rally cancelled than be a witness to fighting and looting.It is called peace.
I am offering you free tution in Social Studies at grade 6 level, and then an advanced Civics course for grade 9s.
@Zebige. Quite interesting that Zambia has been insecure since 20 Sept 2011. Police State par excellence! When are you going to run out of excuses for this incompetent and pathetic regime? There will be never be an appropriate time for the opposition to hold a rally because Sata is an evil and vile dictator!
Ha ha ha.You don`t need that.I think i have reached almost the apex of the academic ladder.
@Cycle mata *I meant you don`t have to do that*
@Goncalves everything is relative it depends on where you stand.You might see the dictator in him while another person sees only the democrat in him.No wonder i cracked up the other day to see a certain opposition cadre who took the whole Sata issue to another level.He said God is punishing Zambia thats why we have Sata and that he is “666 the mark of the beast.”Another thing is if you hate the man you will never love whatever he will say or do and thats what politics are all about.No wonder i respect people with contrary points and opinions coz thats the true spirit of democracy.
@Zebige. Take time to listen to yourself, you are boring.
@Uwasukwa2 don`t read my posts if you think i`m boring.I for one i have learnt how to avoid reading posts from certain people.Learn those skills and your life will be much easier.You are the same people who will complain if some unruly cadres start misbehaving with your “is this what Zambia has become ? “.Funny how that is.
@zebige…
haahaha As usually you want to play and act clearn with dirty hands,,, PF police should just let `little` UPND hold there rally ,,, since you guys from PF always say that they UPND are no threat to you,,, and that their stronghold is in choma,,, if thats true let them go ahead with their `little` rally and no one will go there since their supporters are in choma…Why worry about `little` people????
@ndobo this one is likely to be massive.Every jim and jack from opposition is likely to be there.It is not about UPND in this one,it is about denouncing the government.I just called a bus driver friend who told me that they were preparing to go there with his other Kaponya collegues.The problem with such gatherings is that mob psychology always takes an upper hand and you know how it is when a group of people decides to take the law into their own hands.I dread to think about it actually.
@zebige
i dont understand… how can it be a massive rally? when PF is bigger than anyone else,, they PF have more support… all those bus drivers, all those Kaponyas belong to PF,,, its not possible from what i hear from PF cadres for UPND to pose a serious threat?…. unless you are not talking about the might PF!!!…HAHAHAHAHAH
Zebige, dude, i have to disagree wen u tune ati if u hate the man then u will never like anything he does. I hated Mwanawasa at the beginning and so did a lot of others but in the end, almost everyone dug him. Your Sata however is a whooole different story.
@ndobo..thats another cause for worry.Some Pf cadres wants to go there in their numbers which might provoke an already volatile situation.You see the problem with such scenarios is that it is not easy to control those semi illiterate cadres.Am sure you know what i mean.Just imagine the Bowman Lusambo beatings on a larger scale@dudelove…no wonder the same Levy Mwanawasa once said that.Zambians easily forgets.Am sure you just forgot.I also hated Chiluba but loved him after death(i forgot).Am sure 50 % of the people who hate Sata will also say good things five years after he leaves office.Human nature is complex in a weird way.
Zebige, apapeka mwaitaya. Freedom of expression is a key tenet of democracy. The country cannot thrive on selective democracy aimed only at self-preservation of those in power. It is true that people may praise MCS post-facto but for now let those, who do not like the idea of removal of subsidies express their views freely. It is the duty of the police to protect every Zambian. UPND did not say they are going to demonstrate. They said they want to talk to their supporters. So, what is wrong with that? Even UPND supporters are Zambians, who equally get affected by policy decisions.
@mop we are not denying them the permit because we don`t want them to exercise their freedom of expression.It is because some elements wants to take advantage of that gathering to incite others to revolt against the government.This is not a revolution but a democracy.
It does not make any logical sense to deny the opposition Political rally permits all the time,intimidation is very bad,after all if P.F were not allowed to hold rallies,they would not have in power.
Even if they deny the opposition chance to be address rallies,if people will have made up their minds,it will come to pass.
Shame
I thought ZP had no adquate man power hence couldn allow UPND rally. Were shall get cops to stop rally
The bad security situation only comes when the opposition wants to address their members. This is not the case when it comes to the ruling party. What nonsense. We must all stand up to this dictatorial regime and say enough is enough.
Police blame yourselves for becoming irrelevant and for that you shall be ignored. Shame.
Where is Zambia Police going to get the man-power to stop the rally? They said that rally cant go ahead because they dont have the manpower to police the rally.
@Jorl, so u can’t c that what zp mean by taking action dey dnt mean man power but weapons like teargass n blank? 2016 is far n u pipo will 4get about subsd remuvo n start praisn MCS 4 constrctin of roads hosptoz, unvesitz, stadia, skuz etc.
The police have ‘advised’ and yet threaten to take action if not heeded…sounds more like an order. Advice is either taken or discarded as witnessed by some issue involving a tribunal.
ZP = Zabwino Palibe
Enough man power to stop the rally but not enough to allow it to go ahead. Such implausible and stupid explanations are the order of the day in a dictatorship..
is this not trending? Tramping on our human rights as noted by US secretary. Yet our people turn a blind eye. Try that in west Africa and you will be shredded to fine mince meat in broad day light. There comes a time when violence shall meet oppression. That time in nigh. If you want to test people’s resolve then keep ignoring the anger that’s building up. House cleansing exercise is soon coming to this country and you will cry for your mothers!
^ that time is nigh
This is what happens when people have too much time on their hands. Political rallies all the time. Political parties in constant campaign mode. No time to rest and reflect on what is going on in the country. If they sat down they could come up with credible alternative polices to steer the country to better waters. I think that some of these big rallies should be confined in the year of the General election. How many rallies have we had since the elections? Not mention the ones also caused by stupid by elections. A waste of time and police resources. Mentality of politics needs to change pa zed
Allow the damn rally to go ahead. What a primitive country. The police and press most especially should never be biased towards the government of the day. That’s cheap and prone to bribery. Whether Labour or the Tories are in power makes no difference to the boys on the beat (police) in the UK and many other mature democracies with their respective political setups.
I agree with you on that point about the differences in political parties. But we don’t have rallies in the UK. They do have conferences that take place once a year in the autumn and some times spring conferences chapwa. I personally think that the police should allow rallies etc. But politicians should understand that they cant be in campaign modes all the time. Again I ask how many rallies have we had since the elections? They must be a better way of conveying a message in a non election year.
I don’t particularly like the look of this woman ‘Kasosa’ if corruption had a face, it would look like her!
Just let UPND hold the rally.. Thats the cost of democracy. One Kabimba has been saying that bye elections should be allowed because we are in a democratic country, what about holding rallies? PF has put themselves in a trap they created.
When people decide to get involved in things to do with the public they ought to be ready to occasionally hear descenting views. It cannot always be just about the good they’ve done. Political office comes with both praise and descent. It is so because people’s views on issues are not always the same. The role of the police is to keep law and order and not to join in oppressing citizens. Kasosa and her masters can oppress people all they can but the bottom line is that no one is indispensable. Even KK oppressed us but one day we said NO MORE!
We are lucky that opposition political parties exist in Zambia and are willing to provide a platform on which opposing views can be expressed . In countries where these rights were denied, Zambia included, ended in situations of violence. The Arab countries are also a very good example. The police should be courageous enough to issue as many permits for rallies as are political parties and in different locations. The biggest fight is that of the mouth. Let people speak freely. Usually rallies organised by unknowns are the ones that turn violent because of lack of leadership and purpose.
But why?
LEAVE US TO TRY THIS SONDASHI FORMULA – HH
THE POLICE SERVICE AND PF ARE SURFFERING FROM OPPORTUNISTIC HYNA INFECTION AND THEY NEED TO BE GIVEN A MID YEAR PRESENT AS A DOSAGE.