Opposition Alliance Chairman Malimba Masheke has demanded to know why Police officers were on Friday last week deployed to surround the Parliament building.
Gen. Masheke says he is interested to know the motive behind such deployment as there was clearly nothing that could have necessitate such an action to be taken that police officers can be sent to a place where unarmed Members of Parliament were gathered.
Gen. Masheke, who is also former Prime Minister under the United National Independence Party (UNIP), says he also finds such an action by the police as unprecedented in the country’s history as well as elsewhere outside the Zambian parliament.
He has told Qfm news in a telephone interview that he does not see any panic that could have necessitate such action from the Police as not even Members of Parliament as they enter the Parliament Building are allowed to enter with weapons.
The Opposition Alliance chairman notes that this is why he hopes that there will be an explanation as to what lead to such an action by the Police as such development as surrounding Parliament cannot be allowed to take place in a Democratic country like Zambia.
He has also reminded the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) to be mindful of why it is in government as such development that are now taking place in the country as was observed on Friday week at Parliament is worrying.
Masheke did you ever explain to the Zambians why there was a permanent state of emergency when you were prime minister?
security personnel are deployed to maintain law and order
Kaunda regime was a dictatorship! We got rid of it in 1990 for a democratic dispensation! Has Sata become a dictator also?
@Gen…. Please stop living in the past, the world has moved on. You cant justify todays wrong doings on what happened under UNIP.Aargh shame on you Zambians.
Amazing that most Zambians don’t realize they are under PF dictatorship.
The country is back to one party dictatorship.
KK remains a dark cloud over this country!
F.oolish u..that was one state governance but he is speaking as a democratic leader. Do u need to repeat a wrong really?
Presence of police at parliament is so intimidating,mps must protest by not debating any motion until the police are removed from parliament.@Gen UNIP was a dictatorship.We are now a democracy such things must not be happening.
Bo masheke dont you know that we are a Police State
i guess the pf police have nothing to do..kekekeke
No ! The police know what they are doing,sending the right msg to any would be offenders. Lawlessness in the name of democracy is getting out of hand.Be on standby, and to the intending protestors don’t say you were not warned.The minister is clear,avoid illegal sponsored meetings.
@Chinyama Don’t you know there are special rules for Parliament?
MPs cannot be prosecuted for what they say – parliamentary immunity – so that they are free to say whatever they want.
And weapons are NOT ALLOWED at Parliament – to prevent intimidation! Not even the POLICE are allowed into Parliament.
That is the LAW!
Maybe this useless Speaker should also educate himself too!
THE DEPLOYMENT OF BA KAPOKOLA TO SUROUND PARLIAMENT WHEN MPS WERE DOING THEIR BUSINESS IS UNCALLED FOR. WHERE IS THE SPEAKER? THAT WAS TOTALLY WRONG. YOU CANT FORCE MPS TO DEBATE BUSINESS AT GUN POINT. PARLIAMENT IS A PLACE WHERE PIPOZ REPRESENTATIVES ARE SUPPOSED TO DEBATE NATIONAL ISSUES IN A CIVILISED MANNER WITHOUT ANY INTIMIDATION FROM THE EXECUTIVE. IF THE OPPOSITION MPS ARE DEMANDING THE DRAFT COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION THEN LET THE EXECUTIVE MAKE IT AVAILABLE. FOR SURE WHERE IS THE SEPARATION OF POWERS? MPS WHETHER FROM THE RULING OR OPPOSITION PARTIES ARE THERE TO REPRESENT THE MAJORITY VOERS INTEREST.
MALIMBA MASHEKE of all people is speaking Now WITH UNIP mentality and tuma Suit twamu Colonial? Keep quiet and before u speak identify yourself which party are you representing???
Safety and security of the House is paramount. Any unruly behavior automatically leads to deployment. That is what happens in democratic nations.
Bo Masheki shut the f***** up. Did you ever ask your boss; that Malawian dictator KK why he kept us under emergency powers for 27 years? Atase, just mind your MONGU business…
Masheke is on record as having been the most hopeless and tribalistic Army Commander since Independence. Even a grade 2 pupil can answer why a horde of cops should surround a public place. Security ( 5 free Marks)
This government has messed up so much that even people who should not be making sense are beginning to make sense!
Didn’t general masheke read that there were hooligans desecrating the Parliament building?