Speaking in an interview FODEP Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi said the police should not prevent Mr Hichilema from holding meetings as it is his democratic right to meet who ever he wants to meet.
Mr Chipenzi said there is need for the police to stop intimidating people especially those from the opposition in the country and give them enough freedom to meet their members were ever they want to meet them.
[pullquote]Police in riot gear fired teargas canisters to disperse a crowd of UPND supporters who were waiting to be addressed by Mr Hichilema[/pullquote]
“The police are arguing that there are some pending by elections in some parts of the province that’s why the public meetings can not go ahead but indoor meetings should not be affected by the public order act because they are just like any other indoor meetings”. Mr Chipenzi noted.
He further called on the police to understand the role of the opposition in a democracy so that they can perform their duties professionally without infringing on people’s rights.
“If the police can not understand the role of the opposition in a democracy then it becomes a very big problem”. He observed.
Meanwhile veteran politician Vernon Mwanga has expressed disappointment with the continued misapplication of the public order act by the Zambia Police Service.
Mr Mwanga said it is disappointing to see the police use the law which was used during the one party state which required political parties and civil society organisations to have permits when holding meetings when the law was amended so that the police can only be notified.
“At the moment the requirement is to notify the police and not to have a permit but I continue to see that this party or that party has been denied a permit, there is no requirement in the current act for a permit to be obtained that’s why am disappointed with the way the police are applying the public order act”. Mr Mwanga said.
The duo were commenting on reports that the police have been blocking UPND president Hakainde Hichilema from having meetings in Eastern Province were he has gone for a series of meetings.
This action has led to Mr Hichilema and his entourage to cut short the stay in province.
The police officers in Eastern Province were instructed to by the provincial command to ensure that the UPND president was escorted briefly to Lusaka so as to ensure that he leaves the province.
Eastern Province Police Commissioner Grace Chipalila confirmed the departure of Mr Hichilema in Eastern Province.
Ms Chipalila denied earlier giving a go ahead of notification to UPND to holg meetings.
“I don’t know who gave him that notification of a go ahead to continue holding meetings in Eastern Province but as far as I am concerned the police command we didn’t grant the UPND,”Ms Chipalila said.
But UPND Deputy Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa accused Zambia Police Service of following the instructions from the ruling part.
“Police have continued to be led in a cadre type by the Patriotic Front (PF) Government. It is high time for police to show maturity by respecting all political parties and leave in a noble proffession,”Mr Mweetwa said.
He said police should promote integrity instead of violation and disrespect to the human rights of the Zambian people by applying the law accordingly.
On Monday, police in riot gear fired teargas canisters to disperse a crowd of UPND supporters who were waiting to be addressed by Mr Hichilema in Mambwe District.On Sunday police stopped a public meeting which was being addressed by Mr Hichilema in the same district.
Is it a coincidence?
From which ethnic group did they hail from:
Group 1
KK dictatorship and his disastrous socialist policies including nationalisation
Shorty’s zamtrop grand theft and haphazard privatisation
Sata and his failed economic management
Group 2
HIPC President and economic turn around, LPM
Group 3
Allabee President of all Zambians
Police have become enemies of the people, should one person die out these actions. Libongani be rest assured jail will awaits for you. Even the policeman who kills and their families will be targeted.
Mr Sata be warned this is how bad things start.
what ever shell sata is hiding in one day it will crush to pieces and he will get exposed like a snail whose shell has been removed. that day will be sweet and memorable seeing those sangomas scampering in all directions
Competition can be good and ugly. They all want to lead for good and for bad. Anyone who comes will have good and bad sides. No one has ever been perfect anywhere in the world and it only depends which side of your bread is buttered. I remember the reigns of KK, FTJ, LPM, RBB, no one was an angel, remember the abuse the faced in private and in public? Here Sata its you time and there is mud thrown at you, this time very aggressively than ever before. Let wait and see after 2016 elections or is it any time after you have left, whenever, the next will face the same songs in one form or another. That the way we get by.
Common sense is not a common thing in a common man.
I told HH that lets just spend a week at queen’s funeral in Barotseland. Why engage in manners like Sata who was campaigning during Mandela’s funeral? Kuiletela amashamo uku.
@ Norm something,
Sometimes you sound sensible , other times you sound like Mushota.
Dear President Sata
Greetings Your Excellency.
You are the Commander-in-Chief of Zambia’s Armed Forces. You have the exclusive legitimate right to the use of force and as you stated when addressing the Barotse issue, everyone is weak compared to your forces. And yet Sir, you need to uphold the constitution and fundamental human rights enshrined therein.
It is easy to beat the opposition into submission like Mobuto Seseseko, Mugabe, Kagame and other dictators did or are doing. But Your Excellency you cannot beat the opposition into oblivion as KK, Kamuzu Banda and White apartheid SA regime can attest.
Your Excellency allow freedom of assembly and speech. It is the lifeblood of a vibrant and prosperous nation.
I never thought HH would ever pose a legitimate threat to Sata and the PF, but boy was I wrong…
I agree 100% with you. And when you think, PF “A-Team” did all hard work to make his name familiar in every corner of Zambia. I am impress at how HH did manage to make “A-Team” promote UPND values.
the pf police will go down in history as the worst!!
The PF govt is making HH popular by abusing the public order act.Ignore peoples cries at own peril.
I MISS THE PRESIDENT WHERE IS HE?FROM WHEN HE WAS HUNGRY 4 AN ANIMAL CONSTITUTION HE IS NOWHERE .
He’s being prepared for one of those rare appearances in public, oh sorry, on TV. You know the powdering and all can take some time to perfect.
Mr Sata for sure you are scared of this man in the name of HH to appoint you are now using underhand methods to stop him. Need not worry, effectively and efficiently you are campaigning for him. 2016 is just but within Statehouse grounds.
LIBONGANI, I KNOW YOU ARE UNDER PRESSURE, BUT HOLDING ON TO A POSITION YOU CAN NOT MANAGE DUE TO EXTRNAL INFLUENCE FROM YOUR OFFICE IS NOT BEING PROFFESSIONAL. I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF YOU STEP DOWN NOW, YOU WOULD HAVE STARTED A MEANINGFUL REVOLUTION AND YOUR NAME WILL FOREVER BE INTRANCHED IN THE HISTORY OF ZAMBIA. MUNSHOLOLWA IS NOT IMMORTAL AND THUS HE WONT BE THERE TOMMORROW. MAKE YOUR TOMMORROW WORK FOR YOU NOW.
Today the under five is giving this old horse sleepless nights knowing very well how much they have messed up our country, nxt u will start following him even to the toilet cos its seems he’s making u sweat!!
Libongani is Sata’s niece.Libongani is Suba’s niece,Suba has a child with Sata why do you think she was put there,to protect the family forest period.
And if you go further you will learn that:
Suba is Inonge Wina’s niece. She was brought up by Arthur Wina.
Fred Mumembe is Arthur Wina’s nephew.
That is why Mumembe never forgave shorty for snatching mmd presidency from bo Wina.
That is part of the jigsaw puzzle.
And so what can you expect from Stella Libongani. She is in that position because of Suba, Inonge Wina and Fred Mmembe. She is not in that position on merit. Do you expect her to behave professionally.
I think HH should sue the police force and who ever authorised such a racist crime, this is Aparthied! Zambia for all regardless which last name you bear, province your ancestors hail from or the tong you speak! Right now am ashamed to call it my home, if you can do that to your own then you agree with everything the Black south Africans endured under aparthied!
You also would agree to deaths commited by racists on grounds that someone hails from another strange country or has different looks from yours, you make me sick to my stomach! What a bunch o hooligans! ati Zambia police at serve and preserve…. utter nonsense!
HH you may have a point that Police are being unfair, BUT to call the Police Chief an ***** is the worst thing you ever want to do when you are running for political office. You have openly declared war with the Police before and you are adding salt to the wound and you expect the police to be courteous to you despite the insults. You are letting your emotions get in your way of making good judgement. To win a war work toward reducing the number of your enemies. If you are wise you will retract that statement and apologise.
Spot on my good man.
However disagreeable the IG’s decision might be, she holds a constitutional office getting her orders from the Commander in Chief (HE. MC Sata).
Therefore,HH should talk back to his fellow politician Sata and not the one implementing orders. Apologies are due to Madam S Libongani and her command.
Let all Zambians respect constitutional office holders (IG, DPP, AG, DG-ACC, OP, DEC). And that includes politicians like Nevers, Mpombo and Hakainde.
You see Sibwelo? look at the dislikes on your comment, the thing you said is very straight forward yet cadres bdont like thta, ‘morality is what they say it is’ so in this case since its HH its acceptable for him to call other people who even probably older than him those words. take it to the other side and the whole scenario reverses.
The same FODEP are quick to condemn Police action without first establishing the reasons why Police took that action.
They might even justify the insults from the under 5 fela. And yet they are the ones who condemned the President when he went to address a meeting in that area before a court case was dispensed with.
The under 5 started it all.
In UK a politician was forced to resign for insulting a policeman a a police man at State House.
If Sata started and the police did not stop him why should they stop HH who just following what Sata started?
Your analysis is dialysis….. sick.
honestly speaking there is too much fear and desperation in the grvmt like have never seen before, especillt that they have turned around and started criticizing the very things that made them win the election
Haleisa Haleisa
This is a reason why hh is a spoilt child. He starts problems and when he is kicked in the butt, everyone start sympathizing with him instead of telling him not to start trouble in the first place.
Incoming President HH, WE CAN’T WAIT!!
Prepare to wait forever. Only people who are ready to humble themselves ascends to the Presidency. Mark my words.
But how do you get him to be humble?
The tide is definitely on his side. T
he fall in Kwacha and depeened economic crisis are the crest wave that will take this man into plot 1.
I am sceptical if pf can reverse their fortunes. They borrowed too much to fund creation of districts and hold by elections. As my former lecturer used to warn; gearing (debt) is a double edged sword with an unforgiving back slash!
same old story. The police since colonial times have been used as a repression force against political opponents. when are we going to have a democratic police force in country?
that’s why we need a new constitution. maybe our freedom of assembly mayl be restored for the first time in history
If HH and UPND win the 2016 election Sata and PF would have given them power. Sata and PF are doing everthing Zambi dont like
Crying shame.
Chipenzi, Mwaanga and Mweetwa Am still surprised
Of course bigots like u think like that! Police dont use their brain they are pf working robots. No conscience. Zambia is not for mr sata.
HH will never apologise to biased police doing thìngs all the time wrongly.