Police has warned that it will not tolerate any unlawful actions by
the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) who have
vowed to take the Law in their own hands.
Police assistant public relations officer, Esther Katongo said the law
was clear on what should be done if any party or group of people
wanted to hold a public rally anywhere in the nation.
“The Law on holding rallies stipulates clearly what is supposed to be
done accordingly and must be followed without hesitation. We shall not
tolerate such actions but instead follow the right procedure in
handling cases of unlawful assembly in the country as required by the
law,” she said.
Ms Katongo said the police would ensure the Law was followed to those
found flouting the law intentionally at the expense of the peace that
h ad prevailed in the country.
But UPND vowed that it would no longer notify the Police of its
intention to hold any public gathering in the country.
UPND Secretary-General Edwin Simusamba said this during a press
briefing at the UPND Secretariat in Lusaka yesterday.
The UPND would carry out their demonstrations at any given location in
the country and anywhere.
“As UPND, we will use our internal intelligence communication system
to relay information or details of these protests to our members and
the media fraternity so that they can be held simultaneously,” Mr
Simusamba said.
He said all their previous efforts to follow the right procedure of
notifying the Police had proved futile.
He accused the PF Government of exerting pressure on the Police not to
allow the party to hold public protests and meetings.
“Today, we would like to publicly agree with honourable Geoffrey
Bwalya Mwamba who describes some of his colleagues in Government as
riffraffs,” he said.
He said in September 2011, the UPND had written notices to the public,
had meetings with the Police, appealed to the Minister of Home Affairs
and had obtained court orders but still they were not allowed to hold
any public meeting.
But why does the Police deny UPND permits for rallies and peaceful protests?
Panyo femo party at its best.
UPND mwenkoko shabula inondo!
waba umusula mukanwa.
Any way if the police are intentionally denying UPND holding jrightfull protests and rallies, then the police are in the wrong. However if the protests and rallies are useless ones, then the policy are right in denying the UPND. Going by the vow UPND made to make the PF fail to govern Zambia, one may say the Police’s action is justified.
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
the police are not supposed to assess whether a protest or rally is useless or not, they are to just provide security period. if the UPND has no support allow them so that they can see that the people are not in favour!!
UPND is oways amazing.There is Barotse issue going on and they are hiding,when they hear Sata is building a school,stadium,clinic and constructing roads- they protest!
Iwe ka Jack your insults at UPND are misplaced. Try to organise your brain atoms before you use them.
UPND are protesting against the raping of our constitution by the PF for allowing Chibesakunda to act for more than 6 months in breach of our law. Apart from that they are protesting against miscarriage of justice relating to the nullification of many opposition seats on flimsy grounds of bribing the voters. The PF them selves are the worst offenders of voter bribery. Sata him self and PF have issued threats and made pronouncement accompanied by gifts aimed bribing the voters in all the constituencies were bye elections have been held and yet no action has been taken by he courts to nullify those seats. They bribed voters openly in Livingstone, Mpongwe, Feira, Mukushi , etc .Bigotry!
Let the UPND hold their rally since you guys are always watching unpertubed whenever PF goons run havoc.ZP are unprofessional,very partisan and beholden to the powers of the day.
…and busy raping incarcerated women in cells!
Ask Mary Tembo were she is today, keep on guarding pf at ur own risk one day u will be fired, let UPND have peaceful rallies , one zambia one nation?
Zp should give upnd a go ahead to hold their rallies.Please let these pipo hold their rallies because dis’s working against de govt . Let dem have it we c where it takes dem. They are taking advantage of dis and appear as tho dey’re more reasonable.
Such police proclamations are only suitable in African countries which are headed by dictators, not in the civilised world. Truly, what peace is being preached about here when they the police are the prominent abrogators of peace. In the false name of peace, they want to infringe people rights to free assembly which the PF used to enjoy when they were in the opposition. What an administration of hynas with no vision.
He said all their previous efforts to follow the right procedure of
notifying the Police had proved futile.
Police needs to behave too
No 4 Stan is not building anything.Instead he is destroting the country.we need to save this country and soon.when sata is not destroying the country he collapses at state house….very sick
We know that upnd does not sleep to see how pf is developing the country.Their reasoning is very childish. When pf fails it is everybody that will’ve failed.let the govt work for poor pipo.U are rich so u don’t care.U’ll end up like Tsvangarai
Iwe osmore, 100% fuel and milli-meal prices amounts to development to you.Your comments just show how much of a useful idiQt you are. Most of the projects initiated by MMD have stalled due to lack of funding. Which projects has the PF completed in 2 years they have been in power apart from BUFI they are good at.
which drugs are you taking or which ones have you forgotten…Police should keep their nose from poltical issues…they job isn´t getting involved in politics..the day you will need an objective police defence you will regret your statement for now go on talking nonsense….
U above, are u born in two years of pf in govt not to know that pf had no free ride with mmd? U can’t even hide the fact that pf govt is working.However,being insincere opposition you won’t just publicly admit it.PF ,go,go on and shame them!
Law must be respected by all
Buwelewele ba pf so apo limbi tapali nofoulile bt bussy supprting the magots what a shame to u,u always says pf is strong enough to stand in any ground so why ukulayinyelawila nga mwaumfwa ba upnd ati baleisa mishindo shenu napwa mukwai…
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM ANY STUPID GOVERNMENT LIKE THE PF ONE IN ZAMBIA. IT IS NOT RIGHT FOR THE POLICE TO BE ABOVE THE COURTS OF LAW AS IS THE CASE IN ZAMBIA. THE UPND SHOULD KNOW ONE FACT IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES THIS TIME AROUND THEY ARE HEADED TO STATE HOUSE WITH THEIR LEADER HH. WE NEED AN OVER WHOLE OF THE GOVERNANCE SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY. YOU CAN’T HAVE A COUNTRY RUNNING ON INFORMATION FROM THE PRESIDENT’S SPOKES PERSON EVEN WHEN YOU EXPECTED THE PRESIDENT TO SHOW UP. THIS IS OLD MENTALITY OF GOVERNANCE SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT REFLECT MODERN POLITICS; NO WONDER WHY THE PF AND SATA ARE LOSING POPULARITY COUNTRY WIDE BECAUSE OF OLD WAYS OF LEADING MODERN GENERATION OF PEOPLE. MR SATA WAS MERELY A MISTAKE FOR ZAMBIA AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED A SECOND TERM.
We dont want dictatorship by the ruling party,why threaten innocent people who want to exercise their basic freedoms,police are acting exactly like they did in colonial days,even then old Harry and KK used to hold rallies with no problem.
Zambia is a failed State. Period!
So why comment? Go somewhere else
Fear not by doing the right thing. PF police ayopa chani kuli UPND?
Let the people decide what is right and what is wrong.
Freedom of speech and assembly are fundamental rights and nobody shall ever curtail that.
Parliament shall curtail powers of president and police and not of people.
My friend I supported PF but have been disappointed. In hindsight I would have loved Rupiah to continue as President of Zambia. Anybody standing against Sata/PF will have my vote in next Presidential elections
PF and ZP are extremely tolerant. If people were making threats like UPND in other countries they would be arrested for terrorism or even shot. Boma ni boma guys, if you don’t like it, that’s TOO BAD
you are sick…does zambia call itself a democracy? demos are expression of freedom…you are doing too fine that is why you are able to talk like this or maybe the nshima you are eating is too much you can´t reason well….
@Clutch
Shut the fcuk up and sit back down. You lack a basic understanding of issues