Friday, March 29, 2024

Edgar Lungu warns against constitution demonstrations, defence and security wings will act

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Home Affair Minister Edgar Lungu
Home Affair Minister Edgar Lungu

DEFENCE Minister Edgar Lungu has warned that the quest for a new Republican Constitution should not undermine law and order and fuel anarchy in the country.

Mr Lungu has cautioned opposition political parties and other interest groups against using the issue of the Constitution for political expedience and fuel lawlessness in Zambia.

He said the defence and security wings would not sit back and allow the country to become ungovernable.

Mr Lungu said this in an interview yesterday following calls for demonstrations by opposition parties and civil society groups.

He said those seeking to ascend to power should not twist the arm of an elected Government as defence and security wings were on hand to ensure peace prevailed in the country.

“As Government we will also not sit back and allow others to make it difficult for us to rule. Those who want to get to power must not twist the arm of the Government, otherwise we will have no choice but to engage the defence and security who are on hand to pounce on them,” he said.

“Let us do everything within the procedures. The quest for a new Constitution should not break down law and order and fuel anarchy in the country.”

Mr Lungu appealed to Church leaders practising active politics from their church platforms to come out and join the political arena.

“Those who want to play politics from church should come out and not hide behind the Church,” he said.

Mr Lungu also condemned Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president James Banda for supporting opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) who disrupted Parliament in their quest for a new Constitution.

“As for the LAZ president who has supported the opposition MPs’ disruption of parliamentary proceedings, people should not play politics behind LAZ, let them leave and come out in the political arena. It is unusual that people can misbehave in Parliament then LAZ says it is okay,” he said.

He said Government was determined to uphold peace, law and order.

39 COMMENTS

  1. Edgar bring it on and see how fearless Zambians have become of late. Ukrainian President in is hiding at the moment. If you really want to follow suit and go and hide in Zimbabwe, then come on start using the army and the police.

    What you must not forget though is that about 80% of the police and the army are not happy with the political state of affairs in the country. If you push them to defend your recklessness and stupidity you will simply make yourselves vulnerable and prove them that you have lost all credibility to govern and deserve to be moved out with immediate effect.

    One clever soldier will take this opportunity and sent shivers through your spines like they have done before to previous regimes which thought they could use them to defend their stupidity and recklessness.

    • @Wanzelu. You are in the group that should once in a while let a topic go without uttering a word however fervent you might feel. Listen to the voice of others so that you can judge your opinions against others. Same goes for Kudos, Chinyama, Gen….

    • PF intimidation will not help the situation, if anything this will just fuel more anger from the Zambian people. The PF govt should just do the honourable thing of delivering a more-people centred and driven constitution that will stand the test of time. Intimidation will not work and if PF want to go before 2016, let them become violent. Zambians are very patient people but if you push them too far, Zambian always win. PF dont own Zambia, Zambia ia for Zambians and any suppression from PF govt will be dealt with very ruthlessly. So never utter nonsense anyhow ka edgar lungu. Who are you?

    • Why are the opposition so anxious if you are popular you can not even bother .If you fave failed to acknowledge the word of God you hypocrites how is man made constitution change your evil ways you are not even in Zambia yet you are vomiting evil shame on you let HH and Dr Nevers be in the fire front to demonstrate they should not use innocent citizens.

    • Why are the opposition so anxious if you are popular you can not even bother .If you fave failed to acknowledge the word of God you hypocrites how is man made constitution change your evil ways you are not even in Zambia yet you are vomiting evil shame on you let HH and Dr Nevers be in the fore front to demonstrate they should not use innocent citizens.

    • @salamat it’s sentiments such as the one by wanzelu that makes me respond as frequently as I can just to avoid wanzelu misleading the nation.You left out Ndobo,nonsencetradamus ,jay jay and many more,but I still think we are free to contribute as often as we feel depending on the substance.

    • Edgar in his drunken state thinks Zambians can be threatened with military action when a majority of them have seen their bread winners and loved ones die of preventable illnesses due to shortage of qualified nurses and medicines in hospitals.
      The opposition have been asking the PF regime to come out clean on the constitution making process. They tried all avenues available. HH has on many occasions written to Sata himself to seek clarification on a number of issues for which the constitution is a part of. But as usual Sata has issued childish statements via his good for nothing PA.
      When I hear the stupid police encourage the parties to dialogue, it begs the questions :with who, when and where ,when Sata has blatantly refused to dialogue and encouraged his stooges to avoid the debate .

    • When we say Sata is a joke of a president, most PF useless minions deny vehemently. I don’t really understand why when Kabimba, Kambwili, and many PF prominent members have accepted in their statements that SATA is a joker.

      Zambia does not need a clown like SATA in state house. His sense of humour is dry irrational and leaves a obnoxious stench.

      We want the constitution now or else ???????????.

      Edgar ‘s statement just proves that PF are wimps scared of unarmed people power.

      History has repeatedly taught us that a gun or use of unjustified violence against unarmed people does not work. It failed Gadaffi, Yukonovic(Ukraine) and many other useless leaders.

    • @Salamat and @chinyama

      Please gents or ladies stick to the subject matter. Don’t divert attention from the drunkard Edgar ‘s careless pronouncements by attacking me.

      I refuse to be drawn into personal attacks with PF minions other wise I unleash a wave of attacks on you which make you want to crush you media gadget in rage.

      For now the best you can do is support your stupid regime in exchange for bread crumbs from Sata’s table with out mentioning my name.

  2. Zambians be cautioned……. There is a very bad wind of Hitler blowing around the world. This is not the time to follow blindly, I hope Eddie is not being motivated by the same contaminating winds from Hitlers Ghost!

  3. Zambian soldiers are educated. Gone are the old days when they were regarded as illiterate and would get orders from senseless politicians, Dare the soldiers and you will be shocked that they will stand for the people and not *****ic politicians.

    • Don’t generalize ati Zambian people. speak for yourself. Opposition political parties are in this for their selfish motives. Their are more pressing issues of life and death they can talk about. Just a few days ago thanks to muvi TV we saw adults in suits who call themselves leaders behaving like kindergarten spoilt brats. We only have one Zambia and those bent to bring anarchy must be met by full force. hh has some money from the privatization trust fund he dipped his hand and can afford to ran away with his nuclear family if the fire he is igniting becomes too hot. Wake up Zambians n stop following blindly.

  4. In a democracy people have the right to demonstrate. It is only in Zambia where demonstrating is a threat to the so called peace and order. And to think that this Lungu maggot is a lawyer….a debarred one!

  5. Let us do everything within the procedures. it has not come to the extent of involving defence. police can do it only that they don’t behave professionally. defence always use force so expect bloodshed at the end and who will be blamed mr minister. think before you involve the military or else you will stand before the international criminal court.

  6. Hon. MoD Mr Lungu, your comments are not wise, a leader should never threaten his citizens. Please find a better way of dealing with this issue than the force your are talking about. Recall you are not anymore in home affairs but heading a ministry far more sensitive than the policy (word delivered from politics). Therefore, keep calm even when your bread and butter is being threatening through losing popularity.

  7. Zambians are not used to war and forcing a government with a president like Sata to give us a people driven constitution literally means war. Is this achievable in Zambia? Unlikely but possible. So as much as the opposition politicians try to use demonstrations to force the government to give in, they should not neglect educating the masses so that in the event that demonstrations fail, the election will do it by having an electorate that will vote against the government overwhelmingly not leaving behind any loopholes for the government to manipulate the masses or the vote itself.

    • The masses need education on the implications of having a people driven constitution. That is what the masses do not know much about and it is the reason why Sata, Kabimba and Mmembe are now saying the constitution is not a priority but food on people’s tables. CSOs, Churches, Opposition parties and all supporters out there should go flat out to educate the masses why a new constitution is necessary starting with chiefs, otherwise the cartel will continue deceiving us that there is no connection between food on the table or more money in people’s pockets and a people driven constitution.

  8. Are those the words from Hon. E. Lungu, the lawyer by profession? I think the honorable lacks wisdom. People have rights to demonstrate peacefully. I do not expected people to be irresponsible. But if people are pushed and stepped down by the government people can do anything to regain what they want. It is the peoples police and army, but not the government. The Police and Army are also not happy. Order and law is important but cannot be compared to freedom and happiness of people. The army or police is not a solution to deny peoples’ Draft Constitution or to hold peaceful demonstration in support of releasing the Draft constitution.

  9. As you plan to demonstrate over the constitution, don’t use the innocent youths to be in the forefront, I would like to see people like bena HH, Nevers, Gen. Miyanda etc to help us demonstrate unlike a situation where you buy them chibuku and you say go and demonstrate, Twakana! Bazatimbiwa chabe mahala ma youths, at least you guys I have mentioned you have lawyers by your sides who can talk on your behalf manje Youth, kaya.

  10. Hon. Lungu,
    It is my sincere hope that you have been misquoted.
    If not, are you suggesting that ruling party shall use military force to prevent CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA to demonstrate?
    If so, do you realize that you are talking TREASON?

  11. Chinyama come on we are in first century threats like what Edgar is issuing are not good, in the end it’s his party that will look evil not allowing freedom of expression next it will be multiple human right violation, we can’t afford to be threatening our citizens like that, Donors, lenders are watching and they will abandon you, with your broke country, no one will want to lend money to someone who threatens his citizens
    there is what is called peaceful protest, which should be encouraged, otherwise they
    too have options

    • @china your comment is neutral and concise yet Africans are not manage like that, that minister is serious and will act if protestors break the law,the other way is to wait for the permit from police until then lets do some work beneficial.lawlessness worsens like that.

  12. ….Edgar has forgotten that he has been transferred from home affairs to defence…?…such comments are supposed to come from minister of home affairs or police service or govt spokesperson…The comments are also inappropriate….definitely not in respect to the demands of the new constitution. Just do the right thing and there will be no need for any demos…..

  13. KWAZA KUUTUKA BANE, I FEEL FOR GBM , BECAUSE HE CANT EVEN RUN 2METERS, EDGAR BRING FIRST COMMANDO UNIT , SPECIAL FORCES FROM NDOLA MAMAMAMAMAMAMA…

  14. I didn’t expect such a statement to come from the Minister of Defence. Once in a while, Edgar acts as President and it shows what kind of a president he would become. The world has become one global village and should innocent citizens, unarmed for that matter be killed by soldiers, be rest assured Edgar that the Hague will beckon on you, Sata, Mmembe, and Kabimba. Stay away Edgar from such sentiments.
    To our soldiers, bear in mind that your parents, brothers and sisters are suffering at the hands of the PF. So when the right time comes, wear civillian clothes inside and combat denims outside. When the real enemy says fire, just remove your combat and turn unto the real enemy. Civillians are not the real enemy but those that are mismanaging the national affairs.

    • Very well said Mk. Particularly when this is a people driven issue in the first instance and it isn’t driven by the evils of money or the influence of external “powers”.

  15. “twist the arm of an elected Government”

    You useless drunkard, nobody is twisting arms. We are just waiting for what your PF PROMISED US and wrote in YOUR MANIFESTO before the election!

    DELIVER and there will be no need for demonstrations.

    The failure here is YOURS.

  16. By George Chellah and Speedwell Mupuchi
    Post Newspaper: Saturday March 10, 2007

    PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has vowed that a new Republican constitution would be in place before 2011 whether President Levy Mwanawasa likes it or not. And Sata said President Mwanawasa should deal with local government and housing minister Sylvia Masebo’s thuggish conduct if he wants the PF councils countrywide to operate. And UPND president Hakainde Hichilema said Zambians were entitled to engage in politicking if the constitution they so desired was delayed.

    Reacting to President Mwanawasa’s statement that he had been denied a chance to write a new constitution and that some people were preoccupied with demonstrations against the government, Sata said PF would continue to mount…

  17. Am sure in his normal state he should not have said those words. Lets forgive Edgar for he does not know what he is talking about. The guy had just grounded five bottles of John Walker then.

  18. Hey waiter,

    Give the honourable minister a tripple whisky (Jameson) on the rocks,and sorry plus double captain morgan for his mate, dry please. Then give me the bill, we need to get to parliament after this coz there will be massive debate today

  19. Those close to the crazy and power-drunk Edgar Lungu must seriously advise him not to involve the army in his and PF failures otherwise he will regret. I believe the army is there to protect the interests of the people, their security and well-being not the PF madness.

  20. The chap masquerading as Defence Minister is lost!
    The army is there to defend the country from foreign aggression.
    Involve the army at your own peril.
    All is not well my boy…

  21. But ba edgar! Kamooba chabe! How can you drag the army to participate in home afairs? Lack of sense and governance. Home affairs’ responsibility to do that job. This means we are heading towards a civil war, which is not here at all. Muyiona mweka mumaso mwano ba edgar

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