Press Statement
Harassment of National Restoration Party (NAREP) President Elias Chipimo
The Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned with the continued harassment of opposition figures by suspected members of the ruling party, the Patriotic Front (PF). The current case in point is the reported manhandling and blocking of National Restoration Party (NAREP) President Elias Chipimo from participating in a radio program at Radio Mano in Kasama yesterday.
The Commission strongly advises all that Zambia’s collective decision in 1991 to revert to multiparty democracy comes with certain understanding and expectations which we must all endeavor to adhere to, namely among many, that
1)Anyone has the right, as clearly provided for in the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, to form a political party or join one of their choice and should thereafter be allowed to freely participate in the governance of the country.
2)That fundamental freedoms like the right to hold personal opinions and express them; the right to associate; and the right to assemble peacefully must be fully respected as they form the fulcrum upon which the success of this multi-partysm rotates.
3)That everyone is therefore free to provide checks and balances to the Government on issues of public interest including policy, legislation and others through issuance of public statements via mass and other media (e.g. radio, television, newspapers, social networks etc.,), participating in meetings, rallies and/or even peaceful demonstrations.
[pullquote]everyone is therefore free to provide checks and balances to the Government on issues of public interest including policy, legislation and others through issuance of public statements via mass and other media (e.g. radio, television, newspapers, social networks[/pullquote]
High levels of tolerance of views and actions that we may not agree with and even those which we may consider inimical to our partisan political (and other) interests must therefore be exhibited by all, including those from the ruling party.
It must be stated that any actions that are voluntarily embarked upon which deliberately attempt to inhibit the enjoyment of these fundamental rights and freedoms are unconstitutional and should ordinarily attract sanctions upon the perpetrators. Nobody should get away with impunity for any such clear breaches of our constitution. The harassment of Mr Chipimo and others before him like Fr Frank Bwalya and Mr Bowman Lusambo are all illegal, undemocratic and undesirable.
The Commission calls upon all Zambians to desist from such actions because they only serve to negate our multiparty and democratic standing. Additionally, they tend to create lawlessness, antagonism and have the full potential to cause escalation of violence in the event that the victims or their supporters choose to fight back.
The Commission urges the leaderships of all political parties to not just sensitise their members on the folly and illegality of such actions but also to actively control, speak against and punish those that are found to be perpetrating these unconstitutional actions. Those mandated by the people of Zambia, through the Constitution, to provide security to all, like the Zambia Police, must be vigilant at all times and impartially deal with all illegality so as to forestall fear, despondency and anarchy in the country.
Samuel Kasankha
Spokesperson, Human Rights Commission
Did the police arrest that stupid cadre who hid his eyes? Why was he hiding his eyes by wearing those shades? The evidence is just before them and they fail to take advantage and arrest the culprits. The Police Commanding Officer in Kasama is a woman and she is scared of Sata therefore, she asked the juniors just to watch and create opportunties for cadres to attack Mr Chipimo. This way, she will earn some favours from Sata. What a shame! Indeed this country is being governed by dogs.
Why do the police turn a blind eye to PF cadres unruly behaviour? I think the IG needs to clarify whether we have state police of PF police.with a heavy police presence Chipimo should have been able to get into the radio station and back unscathed.
Police force in short PF What do you expect? Expect police force to favour its cadres..shame shame
Sata is a dead wood. He thinks by shutting down online papers people will love him or respect him or fear him. Sata should respect himself so that the Zambian people can in return respect him. This is serious lawlessness in our country.
Ba TRUTH. If you can explain what motivates ZWD to post articles such as: ‘Sata takes his hair witchcraft to Kafulafuta’; and lies such as: ‘Govt websites downed as MTN, Airtel suffer losses due to blocking of ZWD, demand billions from govt’, other than being sensational, looking to incite people and just plain useless Journalism, then you may have a genuine complaint. By the way what happened to the state of the art technologies that ZWD claimed to have that prevented them from being blocked?
@Maja the Elephant,
It is Sata’s own admission that his charms from Mpika are more powerful than those of Nevers and HH. And for God’s sake can you ask your hero why he is so obsessed beyond paranoia of hair and/or the lack of it? It is creepy!
Please don’t blame the messenger…..focus the person who is making the news!
He boasted about it publicly. Everyone in Zambia officially knows that the witchcraft from Mpika is more powerful than anything Nevers and HH have from their home towns. Ever wondered why your friend obsesses about hair and/or the lack of it? Creepy!
By the way if you were capable of reading you would have noticed that those stories are from Zambia Reports! They have not been originated by watchdog. Try going to your PF govt websites and see what you will find! Why don’t you want your incompetent and clueless govt to be criticised. Remember 58% of voters didn’t vote for your President. Welcome to Democracy 101. This is what we fought for in 1990/91! Learn to live in a plural society. Not everyone is a fan of Ukwa, Under 5, Failed Pastor or to ‘Brazil economy class ticket’ Elias!
@ Maja the Elephant, why don’t you try visiting your Pafwaka govt websites from State House through to the Daily Mail, Times and ZNBC. Tell us what you will find on them.
Let the battle be joined. By the way there’s only one person afraid of bald headed people! Care to tell us who and why? Creepy!
I did NOT make this entry
police officers are looking smart now,,,, good job ba PF for taking care of civil servants.
police officers are not the only civil servants others are NOT looking smart now,,,, bad job ba PF-POLICE FORCE PF
is the zambianwatchdog blocked again?
Fyali blocker fi pf ayi just use PDF facility or operamini
Ba PF scared of their own shadows. There was no such kind of behaviour during MMD. WHAT ARE YOU SCARED OF?
It would carry much more water if you did much more than condeming! How long have you been speaking about ill treatment of opposition leaders again ?? And…….., has it solved any thing? Exactly!
Plz unblock our zwd and block the post newspaper is this what we call freedom in this rotten democracy people? Stop harrassing journalists ba PF-POLICE FORCE
The message being put across is correct but the person addressed is the wrong one.This is not the kind of language PF understands.We should only thank God that their failre to hid any advice is one of many traits that will lead to their downfall.As for the oppsition just shut up.You are a let down and you should just sit back and watch PF decampaign themselves.
Jim Jones had followers. Lenshina or Alice Mulenga had followers. Hitler had followers. Satan has followers. Sata has followers.
You can access it on zambianwatchdog.rsf.org.
Jihard! It will be nice to be a Moslem in a state without freedom of speech. Wonder why Islamic countries have a lot of suicide bombers? No freedom of speech!!
Well done by blocking ZWD, they do not like contributors with different views on their website. Anyone with hate towards Sata is their best contributor. If you guys in overseas or abroad thinks PF will lose in 2016 you are living in a dream land, go to Zambia and see yourselves . Why is MMD /under five party want emerging? Find your answer .
This photo above should be an embarrassment to any right thinking PF supporter.
As for sister Libongani, has she asked herself the moral question? Is it really the Police being provoked? And what are the views of Radio Mano?
In Macha, we got comments from the Radio Station when THE Radion Station (not some local kaponya backed by the Police as seen in the photo above) refused to admit HH into their studios for reasons they publicly shared.
Militia mentality? No. Militia are organised on military-type discipline. The chap in the photo is a local (or visiting?) CRIMINAL who is a danger to society. To Elias, do you still beleive HH is bitter?? I forgive you now my brother, lest the devil starts thinking I have joined him in keeping records of wrong doing.
ZWD is useless. if this country is being ruled by dogs then the one who passed this comment u are the BIGGEST useful DOG
Stop toking bout the Police imwe ba Mbuli and Sata alone u devils
Ba ZWD muli fipuba u don’t publicise articles u don’t feel confortabe with unless talking bout Sata nd I think its better its just being bunned than blocked. Useles vuvuzelas
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