THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has described as political harassment the arrest and detention of Patriotic Front (PF) Chongwe Member of Parliament Sylvia Masebo who on Tuesday attempted to escape from lawful custody at Woodlands Police station.
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema it was sad that Ms Masebo had been arrested for only walking from court to her house with her sympathisers and was harassed by the police at Woodlands Police station for telling them that she wanted to go to her home to collect her medication.
Mr Hichilema said the political persecution Ms Masebo was being subjected to, the hate speech and vulgar language including violence only served to increase political tension in the country and scare away investors.
Mr Hichilema said in a democratic country like Zambia, differences in opinions should always be encouraged because it was a platform where the best alternatives and policies to manage the economy were advanced.
“Persecuting political opponents, hate speech, vulgar language, violence only serve to increase tension in the country and scare away potential investors. This creates political instability and in a democracy like Zambia, differences in opinions must be encouraged based on who has the best and superior alternatives and policies to fix the economy and not to fix perceived political opponents. We are praying and stand with Ms Masebo and the people of Chongwe in these trying moments,” Mr Hichilema said.
And UPND presidential spokesperson Edward Mumbi said Ms Masebo was being politically harassed because she had differed with her political party, the Patriotic Front (PF) over the manner they were governing the country.
Mr Mumbi told journalists at the Magistrate Court yesterday that Ms Masebo was nothing but a victim of political persecution, stating that the culture was only promoting disunity in the country and should therefore be condemned.
He said if Ms Masebo had committed any crime as the police were claiming, they should have allowed her to appear before the court so that she could be heard.
“Ms Masebo is a PF member of Parliament and she is being treated like a common criminal purely because she has differed with her party in the manner they are governing. She is a victim of political persecution and this has been the culture and the nature of our politics in the last decades. We cannot continue with vengeance and retribution based on political differences and this culture is just destroying our unity and oneness. We have been reliably been informed that there is political interference in this matter because if Ms Masebo had committed any crime, she should have been allowed to come to court to be heard,” Mr Mumbi said.
Mr Mumbi said the UPND had been informed that the police had received instructions from high command ordering them not to take Ms Masebo to court for her attempting to escape from lawful custody case.
Ms Masebo was however released from police custody after appearing before magistrate Lameck Mwale and given bail of K10 000 in her own recognizance and will appear in court for mention on 1st October, 2015 and trial will commence on 9th through to 10th November, 2015.
Unfortunately the Zambian economy is not EXACTLY driven by the behaviors of its political leaders towards its people because they have a different law for investors and a different one for their internal political opponents. Just observe how Ministers are trooping to State House to usher investors to the big office (with brown envelopes to boot)! Unless and until we change our mindsets and start respecting the rule of law our scenario remains one steeped in primitive behaviors supported by backward laws. That said, at some point something has to give and we really must arrest some of these attitudes before we are forced to change…
I don’t believe the story about medication.
HH in as much as I adore you subtly, Masebo strikes me as an arrogant woman who said anything like request to pick her medication.
In all fairness it is about time some of these political figures are brought about to earth and charged.
They seem to be above the law, what happened to the Secretary general, Liato, the list is endless.
How about praising the Police sometimes if at least as we are lead to believe here were probably only doing their job.
Of course I know they are compromised by the Government.
Thanks
BB2014
Animal Farm reloaded hahaha.
HH you have been played for a fool mdala. we warn you, dont side with masebo. this woman is wicked. Show consistency, i know you feel you are speaking out for the oppressed but pali masebo, you should just be saying no comment.
The country has increasingly come to realization that since the unfortunate demise of UPND founder late Andy Kambele Mazoka, the party has continued to suffer irredemable crisis of thought leaders that show maturity and judgement in political activities and rhetoric. HH coterie of deluded cheerleaders thrive in utopia and disconnection to Zambia’s real clear politics. The role of the police is to secure national security, arrest acrimonious plans and guarantee citizens that hooligans will not rare it’s thoughtless head with impunity and not be spectators. When under what circumstances would condoning hooligans attract investors? I think UPND is thriving on self inflated importance that does not even exist.
For the first time I am in total agreement with you Mushota, this HH guy is delusional! When the Police don’t act they are labelled cadres and when they do they are still labelled the same.Eish this guy!
HH is known to be a wise person.It is therefore surprising that he can condone the childish behavior of Silvia Masewo.The fact is that Masewo’s car never run out of fuel.To even think that Masewo would leave her vehicle at the courts and walk a long distance to IBEX Hill where her house is, is at the most being foolish.We all know that Masewo is sickly as confirmed by herself when she attempted to skip the detention in police cells just to go home and collect medicines.She therefore cannot walk any distance above 2 kilometers without endangering her health.She should avoid provoking the law she helped pass in Parliament.
“Vina mwamene wainvelela” is a ngoni saying. Loosely translated means; dance to the tune the way it sounds to you.
The Police could have done well to ignore Masebo and let her walk home and she would have appeared insignificant. For not ignoring her, they fell right into her scheme of things and have made her hit international headlines and Zambian policing system is under scrutiny and may be viewed by outsiders as archaic. At home, she has attracted sympathies and/or condemnations depending on to which side of the local politics you are on. Victim or victor, take your pick; vina mwamene wainvelela!
Maybe you could learn that politicians EVERYWHERE in the world, are paid lobbysts. This happens in Washington, Moscow, Beijing , London… you name it.
That is why people get close to power.
Nomba elo lwanya….naba Masebo nabo niba Investor attraction? hh what is wrong with you to sink so lower to open your mouth and spit that dung? What we know is that Masebo has been corrupt and even her investors that came because of her are corrupt too.
Don’t you know that she is no longer minister because of her corruption? Ask Carington within your very party upnd. He shall testify just to you. She just divorced because of corruption of the marriage. Ask Kabimba in confidence…he shall testify. Politically she is a reject after having recycled many times.
Which investors shall follow Maseba in Zambia? Ask Naqakwi…. she shall testify. And you call her invetor attraction…. sorry yama. So namufulwa sana ba hh????….EEEEIIIIIIISSSHhh. Bafulwa ba hakaivotela umwine…
YOU HAVE SEEN THE GOODNESS OF PRESS FREEDOM FOOLS LIKE YOU ARE ALLOWED TO EXPRESS YOUR FOOLISHNESS .GO TO TOWN CENTER IN LUSAKA AND SHOUT PF PAMAKA YOU WILL SEE HOW YOU WILL BE LIFTED BY AIR FOOL
Treated like a common criminal!!! So in UPND there are executive criminals and common criminals!!!!? Which constitution?
Just exactly what I wanted to post! What a party!
HH is on record having supported the prosecution of Masebo for corruption at ZAWA.his on member William Harrington petitioned the chief justice for a tribunal to probe Masebo in 2013.so wat has changed now?HH has no principles and has lost it.Abondoned genuine UPND members for political prostitutes like Masebo and GBM.how many parties has Masebo muved.MMD in 1991,then joined ZRP,then back to MMD,then PF,and now UPND.GBM,MMD then ZRP,then back to MMD,then PF and now UPND.Masebo has a tainted image both politically and morally,and a person like HH vying to be president shud have distanced himself from.
Mesebo is not a member of UPND atleast not for now.She is a member of PF who is just not happy with the happenings in the party.
But why deny someone going to take medicine
Trump If someone is going to collect medicine and she’s got a car, then she should drive to the health institution to get the medicine. What’s the rationale behind walking to collect medicine at UTH from the courts, then walk back to the courts to get on your car? Or was she going to proceed home to Ibex on foot? Common sense baba, common sense!
Ni ma celll ya nyoko . . . .where u can leave any time? Dull as the real owner of name Trump
How will prosecuting a criminal like Masebo scare away investors?Masebo needs to answer for her deeds at ZAWA.It is the same UPND that supported the tribunal to probe Masebo in 2013.I challenge William Harrington to state his position now that he is in UPND.HH is making a mistake by thinking Masebo will deliver the soli vote to UPND,the same way he feels discredited wife beater GBM will deliver the Bemba vote to UPND.HH shud ask himself why both Masebo and GBM are scared of bye elections if they are popular?PF has expelled them and they have run to the courts.
She also needs to be held accountable for those innocent lives lost at Kampasa. Mwanawasa was correct, Zambians including politicians have the memory of a gold fish. This is the same woman that once said Tongas can never rule Zambia! HH needs to be a bit more discerning with the kind of people he associates with.
Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo says Zambia will never be led by a Tonga president because the Southerners are not willing to embrace other tribes.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Livingstone today, Masebo said the Tonga people were being used to perpetrate tribal politics.
But the PF Chairperson for elections said people should vote for Hakainde Hichilema on merit. “Let us vote for HH because he is good and not because he is Tonga, don’t be used in politics of tribalism.
We…
….. a person like HH vying to be president shud have distanced himself from. How about Katele Kalumba, Liato, Masumba, and all other criminals including convicts being released from prison to serve the PF. What is your comment or advice to Edgar Lungu?
the difference between HH and Lungu in this case MR HARRY is that HH in 2013 supported the prosecution of Masebo for corruption at ZAWA.so how does he change and support Masebo over the same case?his own member Harrington is the one who petitioned the Chief justice for the tribunal.secondly MR HARRY,if Lungu makes a mistake,shud HH follow suit?is that how Politics shud be done?the fact remains HH supported the prosecution of Masebo in 2013.that is lack of principles on HH.unless u tel me Lungu is HH’S POLITICAL MENTOR then I will agree with yo point.
@Joy
Any wrongful arrests done to any person irrespective of their political persuation should cause concern to all peace loving Zambians. In Zambia we have freedom of movement and expression enshrined in our constitution. Masebo may have jumped from one party to another like ALL Zambians have done/doing should not be reason to be persecuted on willy nilly issues.
This action by PF government is sending wrong messages to investors as its creating uncertainity and tention in the country. This is how a failed regime is judged.
Spot on MunaDekhane.
@muna
United plunderers for National Development (upnd) be serious sometimes. Masebo was dropped by sata when she was a minister because of your mounted pressure to probe her of her corrupt conduct at the ministry. Today after you drink your mabisi you ‘ve deliberately forgotten everything and you see masebo as an investor attractor. How Does corruption attract investors. Do you mean her finished body structure . masebo always moves with arvs in her bag.
In as mush as she has the freedom of movement, please let her just do it on her own like one bloger posted, ”not with a horde of unruly cadres”. Remember your president doing those Black Friday stunts, standing in the heat of the sun in a black awkward fitting suit and looking very silly, with a placard? No one arrested him! Who would arrest that faggot if she was found walking along cairo Road? Ba Unproductive Party Now Dead munzinkalako serious sometimes. Your behaviour is that of a harlot who insults a big buyer when he goes broke! Yesterday the Fat Sack and Masebo were ”dogs” to HH but today he is in the same bed with the very ”dogs”. What a lousy hypocrite!
Do investors come to see what Masebo do or the same investors are they going to invest in a Country where there is no law and order?
She shud just know that no one is above the law.
Interesting how this confirms that all politicians are the same, regardless of whether they are HH or Edgar. In one breath HH says let the law run its course on Mpombo but thinks otherwise about Masebo. What flappant disregard of the rule of law is this my future Jameson HH? I hope he realizes how he’s shot himself in the foot. Anyhow, I long felt HH was losing it since the day he embraced spherical GBM. Twalabutukila kwisa nomba?
Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo says Zambia will never be led by a Tonga president because the Southerners are not willing to embrace other tribes.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Livingstone today, Masebo said the Tonga people were being used to perpetrate tribal politics.
But the PF Chairperson for elections said people should vote for Hakainde Hichilema on merit. “Let us vote for HH because he is good and not because he is Tonga, don’t be used in politics of tribalism.
We should not agree to tribalism. We should reject this because some of you are married to Bembas; some of you are married to Lozis.
We can’t have a country based on tribe,” she said. Masebo charged that Hichilema was a president for Southern Province only.
She said the candidate that the UPND had fielded in the…
Didn’t Masebo once say that Zambia will never be ruled by a Tonga president?
By her support of HH, she has admitted that she was wrong. Zambia will be led by a Zambian only.
Targeted or not, Masebo authored her filthy downfall when as Minister of Whatever in Whichever government she went about throwing her boma-ni-boma weight around. What arrogance of Himalayan proportion was that? Ukutumpa, teti bakubepesha no kubepesha kwena? How she nauseated me as much as Kamalondo of UNIP did. It’s dancing time gal. Someone whisper it into Kambwili’s ear please: Time for reckoning never fails to arrive, no matter how slow.
I know HH better, this man would complain and blame the govt for anything even if we had an earth quake HH would hop like a rabbit to MUVI studios to complain. HH= Heartless Hopeless millionaire by theft of national resources.
At what point was she in custody? She went to court driving herself and decided to take a walk following the delay in the court sitting. Its another case headed no where. I wish people could sue GRZ for nores entered every time and then.
We have better leadership than HH in Zambia. UPND when are you going to awake to the fact that your ranks can field a better candidate? It is unlawful to walk away from a court trial or the police if you are in due process of the law. Masebo should have sent her lawyers to get her requirements. HH should stop using disparaging wording against Zambia to scare investors. We are more and stronger than his ego.
Viva President Nawakwi.
The police should have facilitated that Silvia gets her medication. Politicians must also act in a manner that is in accordance with the law and not always tempting our police service. For they should allow her to refill her medication, what ever it is that she is taking. It is a human rights issue.
Sylvia has her weaknesses but she’s still a Zambian protected by our constitution. Some wise chipata saying goes “chili pa m’dzako lelo, mailo chili pali iwe’. Whatever is happening to Sylvia today will make full cycle if we don’t nip it in the bud.
The indictment here is on Katanga. Sylvia took her for a sucker & she fell for it. What Katanga should have done was just to pick up Sylvia & drop her by her (Sylvia’s) house.
Come on ba HH, you are supposed to be a national opposition leader and aspiring for the highest office in the land.
Do you know what political persecution or harassment is? But this underfive, just what is wrong with him? Opening his mouth anyhow, why didn’t he leave this to his presidential spokesman Edward Mumbi or his presidential advisor Douglas Siakalima, they are more suited to such silly comments.
On the other hand, if a leader and presidential aspirant can have an advisor like Siakalima, he cannot be serious about his aspirations and surely needs checking kubongo.
MASEBO IS A LADY OF STRENGTH AND PRINCIPLES. WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH HER POSITION OR NOT WE ALL AGREE THAT SHE STANDS FOR WHAT SHE BELIEVES IN AND DOES NOT COMPROMISE HER INTEGRITY. ZAMBIA WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF ALL OUR POLITICAL LEADERS WERE LIKE MASEBO. SHE DEFENDS HER POSITION AND FIGHTS FOR HER PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF WHO IS IN POWER. SILVIA MASEBO IS “IRON LADY”
Loadist, Iron ladies don’t take medicines. Lol, just kidding!
So anyone who breaks the law as long as they are UPND sympathisers then nothing should be done to them. Is it what the supreme leader HH of UPND is suggesting because Silvia Masebo is alleged to have trespassed the law and the matter is now in court and commenting further on the same, HH may be cited for contempt…
My brothers don’t even bother yourselfs,in politics there are no permanent enemies. That’s why I see no need of changing governments.Infact we should just revert to one party state because whether you bring in HH people like Masebo, Mathani,GBM and Edwin Mumbi will still be there. Anyway copper prices are expected to rise up to $ 9000 per tone and there have started replacing the old machines at kariba. Things will just be like in Mwanawasa,almost all the Mines in Chile have shut down.Ifintu Ni Lungu especially when he says we are in the Global Village.
ATI A WOMAN OF PRINCIPLE, MASEBO ATASE, PANTU NA KABIMBA ALILEKA UKUTOMBAPO
@The Game THATS HOW YOU START FAKE STORIES. DID YOU SEE THEM? WHERE YOU THERE? MA ZAMBIAN WHY BOZA SO KANSI? YOU CONCOCT A STORY WITH ABSOLUTELY NO SHAME. ATI KABIMBA…WHY BOZA SO?
Only a beneficery will support PF.take your heart and reason with the rest of the people in the country judge it.let your conscious be your witness.Thank YOU
Masebo is a beneficiary of PF – remember how she won her Chongwe seat by conniving with Sata to get rid of Mwakalombe and engendering a costly by-election? If she is so unhappy with PF why does she not resign her seat?
HH want to make political mileage over issues he does not even understand.I cant spoil my vote on these hypocritical guys.ECL is a better leader than some of these fake leaders who do not even understand the law.
Infact GBM are just in UPND to destroy it.In Kasama without shame he was issuing tribe remarks ati the vice should have been a Bemba. In Solwezi he wants to tarnish our image by hiring thugs to stone the presidential motorcade
Ati take you heart, there is nothing in the short term that could be done to end the current situation but only Global issues like earthquakes in Chile can do. Its like someone has being diagnosed with a disease and he /she has been told that he/she will die in two days time,only a miracle can help. I have done economics.HH can not do it in the short term ,lets just go back to one party state.Ifintu ni Lungu
HH you have missed the point and its some of these things that have costed your chance…………………..of all the people and women of substance you go Slvia Masebo. Remember if nothing is changing in your life and around you, you need to change the way you do things. Never do things the same way ba kapwepwe, Nkhumbula Sata did and expect to get different better results.
Imagine Masebo who is on record saying that no Tonga will rule Zambia because Tongas dont like mixing with other Zambian ethnic groups! It is true Zambians including their political leaders such as HH have a memory of a goldfish!
Is it not Masebo who is on record saying that no Tonga will rule Zambia because Tongas dont like mixing with other Zambian ethnic groups! It is true Zambians including their political leaders such as HH have a memory of a goldfish!
Caliber of comments on here shows how backward we are. How can people in this modern day applaud someone being arrested and for your information people, we the people of Zambia pay police officer’s salaries including the president. Masebo pays her taxes while most of you in diaspora pay zero, so she has every right to freedom of movement without frivolous charges. Look at the charges very laughable. Real Investors look for human rights records unless they just want to exploit you like the Chinese.
My president in the same way we warned you about Kapita you will have another funeral in 2016 please please HH don’t be desperate !!!!! she is not worth it…where is Maureen Mwanawasa now that you don’t look like wining where is she never mind the others…..please
“Itizi Turu. You are wise, wish Katanga was acting like a proessional. In developed economies, Katanga would simply have asked Masebo to jump into her car and taker to Ibex Hill. That would have been a huge plus to Katanga and Zambian police even if Masebo refused to take the offer.