Police in the Copperbelt armed with guns and teargas canisters yesterday harassed Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) President, Edith Nawakwi and disrupted her Party meeting.
This happened around 16:00hrs when Police officers from Kansenshi Police Station were phoned by some PF officials that President Nawakwi was having a meeting with FDD officials at the FDD Ndola Secretariat at 14 Chinika Street in Kanseshi.
About 10 police officers from Kansenshi Police Station moved in and demanded that Ms. Nawakwi who was at the time addressing the FDD Party officials from the four Constituencies of Ndola stop the meeting and accompany them to Kansenshi Police Station for questioning.
At this time FDD Spokesperson, Antonio Mwanza approached the police officers and queried why the police wanted Ms. Nawakwi to go with them to the police. Mr. Mwanza was told that President Nawakwi had breached the Public Order Act since she had not asked for permission from the Police to hold the said meeting.
Mr. Mwanza told the police that there was no need for them to get permission from the police since they were having an indoor meeting. “Look here Sir, the Public Order Act does not state that we have to get permission from the police to hold a meeting. It simply states that we have to notify you when we want to hold a public procession. This is an indoor meeting here at our Party office, why should we notify the police that we are having a meeting at our office? We have the fundamental constitutional right to peaceably assemble.” Mr. Mwanza told the officers.
However, the police did not budge, they told Mr. Mwanza to tell Ms. Nawakwi to stop the meeting and follow them to the police station. “Listen, Mr. Mwanza just tell her to stop what she is doing and follow us to the station. If she doesn’t we will have to use force to make her obey” the officer who was leading the group said.
Meanwhile President Nawakwi ignored the Police and continued addressing her Party officials. At this time the Police directly confronted Ms. Nawakwi, “Madam, can you please call off this meeting and accompany us to the station” the officer told Ms. Nawakwi.
Ms. Nawakwi however, refused to follow the order saying, “Why should I stop the meeting? What crime have I committed? Who sent you? These are our Party premises and I have every right to address my Party officials here at our Secretariat. Go back and tell the one who sent you that she has refused to obey my command. Kabiye kamwebe uyo wine ukutumine ati nakana to follow your silly orders. This is my country and I won’t allow anyone to intimidate me. You are supposed to serve us and not intimidate us. You the Police are actually trespassing in our private property.”
At this time the Police tried to reason with Mr. Antonio Mwanza to plead with President Edith Nawakwi to stop the meeting and follow them to the Police but Mr. Mwanza told the Police that they were supposed to leave the FDD Secretariat as they were causing confusion by disrupting a peaceful meeting.
Meanwhile the FDD officials started singing Pro-Nawakwi and anti-police songs. Realizing that he was not making any progress the officer in charge of the operation called for reinforcement. Within a few minutes police officers from Ndola Central Police in company of Officer-In-Charge a Ms. Chisenga arrived at the FDD Secretariat armed with guns and teargas canisters.
Meanwhile some PF cadres and officials converged at the FDD Secretariat demanding that they cease Ms. Nawakwi for holding what they termed a dark corner meeting. But the FDD youths confronted them challenging them to leave their premises. Realizing that they were outnumbered the PF members backed off.
After realsing that they were outnumbered and that Ms. Edith Nawakwi remained uncompromised the officers were left with no choice but to let President Nawakwi finish addressing her Party officials, while they watched helplessly. After the meeting ended Nawakwi asked the Officer-In-Charge, Ms. Chisenga to join her in the FDD office.
Ms. Chisenga in the company of her fellow officers went inside and met with Nawakwi and some FDD officials. Ms. Nawakwi explained to the Police that she was dismayed by the conduct of the police.
“I am totally dismayed by your uncalled for behavior. How could you honestly disrupt a peaceful indoor meeting like this one? This is our Party Secretariat and surely you don’t expect us to be notifying the police every time we meet here. These are our offices. I know that you are under pressure but what has disappointed me more is that you, officers of the law can stoop so low to start getting orders from PF Officials and PF cadres. You are supposed to be professional men and women and not stooges for PF.”
However, Ms. Chisenga did not take kindly to President Nawakwi’s sentiments and stormed out of the office saying she could not discuss anything with Ms. Nawakwi; her juniors who were visibly shocked by her bolting out of the meeting followed her. Ms. Nawakwi and her members from Lusaka were the last to leave the premises.
Edith Nawakwi is in the Copperbelt where she is mobilizing FDD in readiness for the 2016 general elections
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This time those bakapokola met the real woman. Don’t mess with Nawakwi, even Sata knows her..
@ Mushota
SMMD
I see that the PF is creating a recipe for war in the country. Sata is indeed an axis of evil.
You seem to have been bonked to the brain young lady whatever you call yourself
I HOPE NAMWAKWI CONTINUES IN THIS DIRECTION AND DON T COMPROMISE WITH PF AGAIN
VIVA NAWAKWI VIVA!!!! But honestly what sort of country has Zambia become, 100% POLICE STATE? Chiluba was one of the architects of plural politics in Zambia and remained tolerant of it throughout his 2 terms and beyond. PF & Mwamba killed him just to usher into our state house a ruthless panga dictator who doesn’t even know what the Public Order Act says. What FDD was having was a more private gathering than even a funeral – now we know that the PF police and government will expect us to apply for a permit to mourn!!!!CRY MY BELOVED COUNTRY…
Just follow the rules of the game mama Edith, do not put the Police Service to temptation all the time! Simple advice
What right did the police have to go to FDD offices and instruct them to stop the meeting? You do not need any permission to hold a meeting in you office.
And what are the rules? If you meet at your secretariat you should get permit??? This really sad.
Honestly lets hv order in the way we visit our public offices. as a leader U can’t just wake go to ndl chair metngs.yo aim is to insight poor Zambians.ms Naawakwi chew yo funds peacefully.those donors will kp on funding U evn without noise.
Mongoloid
Iwe ka Chewe you dunderhead, those are FDD offices and she had every right to hold a meeting there with her members. Why do you insist on being dull imwe ba PF? Does it feel nice to be !*****s all the time? Is there a prize you are given at the end ayi? Am truly curious.
Uli Chipuba! No need to reason with you.
Abroad it sounds as if people are ever on each other’s throats daily. There is real opposition that opposes everything, one can’t even understand the common value among all parties. Its like each member of family is against another. It once was a stable Zambia with a lot of togetherness. Today is different. push and pull between tribes, push and pull between govt and traditional leader, push and pull between income generation and borrowing, push and pull everywhere! Where are going? PF has never been given change to govern well. PF has also done blunders. Intraparty conflicts in and between parties. Just which direction are we headed? When are ever going to sober down? Any formular to help harmonize situation.
@ Floyd Chitalu
In terms of Politics, Yes they are all at each others throats and this is primarily because of the direction set by the PF lead Govt. You are very wrong when you suggest that “the PF has never been given a chance to govern well”. They were given every chance when they were voted into power in Sept 2011. But instead of starting to plan to “Govern well” and deliver on their promises, they thought it was better to start with intimidating opposition leaders while ignoring the citizens all together. In fact, no one wanted them to fail but a “win,win” for all was not on the PF agenda and they failed to take on (not even one) and deliver any of their promises. Instead they chose to continue lying to the nation. Now people, including you, have their eyes wide open..
But what does your rant have to do anything with police stopping Nawakwi from meeting with executive members of her party in Ndola? Your dear Sata within one week of losing in 2001, 2006, 2008 went out campaigning against Levy and RB. What has changed now? Political party leaders are been harassed left, right and centre ! Stop excusing dictatorship!
Yaba.sponsored to divide votes . Without mp representation,ther is no way a party can win an election madam.
FDD has one MP. Chifumu Banda in Chisefu constituency in Lundazi Eastern province. They were once a formidable party. with once a vibrate Nakwi until she started husband poaching that’s when people abandoned her.
This is what happen when you vote into office retards, dimwits, imbeciles, etc…instead of respecting the rights of people to gather, they disrupt. what a pathetic country!
Good riddance Mrs Nawakwi I will chase them too,a house is supposed to be the only santuary you have,only to have foolish police showing up uninvited ,they don’t help her pay rent, get up stand up for your rights
Bakapokola fumyeni ubututu pamenso, read the law clearly before you pretend to enforce it. You dont expect people to get permits to meet at their offices, Differentiate between public gatherings and indoor gatherings, you are a disgrace to the nation and the world at large.
So sad for mother Zambia. Crime is all over, and police just decide to go and stop a meeting. Complete idleness. This is the worst i have seen a country go down. And i am sure the yet to come. I also feel sorry for those praising the police, as they have no clue what consequences such things bring along. The high ranked serbian generals at the international court at the hague also believed they could harass people any how. But time came, i respect this thing called time. It will come-the police commander in Ndola/Copperbelt for their tails to be in between their legs.
Mushota just continue F****** your spiritual husband and leave nawakwi alone.
Mushota we know that you are one of the educated illiterates on this site Nawakwi has a right to organise her party please think using your brains and not your ass
it is edvedent what pf is doing are the last kicks of a dying horse but you must be rest assured that its said coipa chisata mwine i wonder if you still want to continue ruling this country i assure you forget and be ready to be behind bars from whoever will takeover from you
I applaud Edith Nawakwi! wow madam you have shown Zambians how its done.You are a woman of substance.If police break the law with impunity citizens have a right to disregard whatever the say. Nevers and HH see this is how its done.Stop paying unnecessary trips to the police station.
Definitely abuse of the Public Order Act by the police as they should have known better, but this is what PF have reduced them to. We need to professionalize these institutions otherwise, every President who comes in wants to use them as his own policing force. Awe shuwa, we are light years away from serious mature politics. God help our Country.
Imbwa shaba kapokola ishi !! That’s all they know these days BA Swaini bakantu aba.
Nawakwi ninkaka ! I like women like her though.If only she was my age mate nganalilwisha ukumubalansa.
How despicable! In a country that professes to be democratic. Are we in a police state now? Is there a state of emergency? Firstly, the police are used by a clueless govt. when it comes to governance in a civilised world and they shamelessly oblige. And then, what business is it of the PF cadres? Thugs who think if their party is in power, they are entitled to behave like the GESTAPO. Sata then says we have a Constitution. Its not just about having a Constitution. Its about having a Constitution that delimits executive powers and also actually PRACTISING Constitutionalism.
Talk and Act.
Zambians are the most law dis-abiding people I know. They create a situation out of nothing for no reason. Nawakwi thinks she knows the law better than the police
police should be serious….!!! responding to unnecessary matters instead of doing the serious work they are paid for, ignorance is the main problem !!!!!!!!!!!! they hav