Heavily armed police officers again blocked UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema’s planned mobilisation activities in Katete district in Eastern province.
On Tuesday, police thwarted attempts by Mr Hichilema and his team to address their supporters in Chipangali area in Chipata district.
Today, a heavy presence of armed officers restricted Mr Hichilema as he entered Katete in the afternoon.
“We continued to face restrictions from police as we entered Katete District in Eastern Province this afternoon where thousands of our supporters were waiting to be addressed,” Mr Hichilema said.
He added, “We have pleaded with police to be civil and not disrupt our meetings with threats of teargas, particularly given the number who have turned out and the presence of women and children.”
Mr Hichilema stated that the UPND has adhered to the demands that it quickly greets its members.
“It is a great shame to be so restricted as we are busy promoting messages of peace and unity, as well as sharing ideas about how we can better work together to further development in the region and create jobs.”
“It is very clear that our freedoms and rights of peacefully assembly and association are being infringed, while our colleagues in the PF are having their party mobilisation meetings without hindrance,” he said.
Mr Hichilema revealed that the party’s applications for these meetings were cancelled at short notice on the pretext that police officers will be involved in a training programme on application of the Public Order Act.
“However, surprisingly they have now come out in numbers to block our peaceful gatherings. We nevertheless fully appreciate the difficult environment the officers also operate in as they are made to follow undemocratic orders,” he said.
“We have no ill feeling towards them but know that these are the kinds of things we want to change immediately when in office. We thank our team that includes Vice-Presidents Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and Dr. Canisius Banda, Bob Sichinga, and local officials on the ground.”
He added, “Special thanks go to the residents of this area for the overwhelming response and support accorded to us. We fully sympathise and understand the economic challenges they face such as having to share one bag of fertiliser between many and the rising cost of other farming inputs. What remains most important to us, however, is the maintenance of peace and unity at all costs despite continued provocation.”
Some time the media disseminate wrong information.
Those are not mere police, they are Ba Para… When you see those paras, you better know that ifintu nafiipa ku Katete.
Share the right information @Zambia1….
Nafuti nafuti uno mwaka tulechinja ubuteko!
..can you be more specific please….
..I meant @Zambia 1, can you elaborate your insinuation….
Hecky Hecky No! is loaded up on mega doses of hubris. You are not the president of Zambia. Respecting authority is one of the most important qualities of a leader. God forbid this man wins in the coming elections, he will be the worst kind of dictator Africa will ever see. Just look at how UPND has never held a convention under his reign. I shudder at the thought of this man getting the top job in Zambia.
HH is really “under 5”. Just look at his demeanor in the first picture. This Red Devil thinks he is the best thing to happen to Zambia since sliced bread!
ALL roads leads to HH in this years election. Vote Chagwa on your own peril. We have all seen how the economy has been broken into pieces. How can we as a nation continue to allow that? Its impossible! Let PF be burried forever!
It is to be expected from a government of men and women and not laws.
Hakainde is the most feared Zambian opposition leader ever to live. Just looking into Edgar Lungu’s eyes, you see fear – fear of losing the 11th August 2016 poll. UPND’s crowds speak for themselves.
THE TABLES ARE OVER TURNING! LUNGU IS NOW AN ABANDONED PROPERTY. PEOPLE WANT CHANGE, PEOPLE WANT HH AND UPND TEAM. A STRONG WIND OF CHANGE IS SWEEPING ACROSS ZAMBIA. UPND FOR LIFE. UPND IS COMING TO REDEEM ZAMBIA. ZAMBIA FORWARD WITH UPND.
This is probably not right for me to say, but Im really beginning to dislike President Lungu and whatever he represents. What kind of wickedness and hypocrisy is this. Its OK for PF members to campaign freely everywhere in the country, but not OK for opposition to do the same!!! Can we be fair on this. Let the people choose their preferred leader.
If HH or other opposition leaders are not a factor, then let them campaign freely and the voters will decide for themselves in August. If the campaign period hasn’t officially started, then PF shouldn’t campaign either. African politics make me sick. Unfair people make me really sick. Your sins will find you out. Im sorry to say, but Zambia is a rotten place, literally. Christian nation my foot!! You gotta be kidding me. We are not looking…
contd..
We are not looking for a Christian President, we have churches for spiritual matters. We are looking for a leader with tangible solutions to the country’s economic and social issues.
Zombie Zambians and Zombie Zambian politics. What a shame! What a sham!
One simple thing Kadansa & his people forget is its not that we want HH, its that we don’t want them for messing up our country. They are addressing the wrong issue. Under the current circumstances if Kadansa was to stand alone, there will be more spoilt ballots than for him.
When does the campaign period for 2016 start? Tired of waiting.
#ForwardZambiaTeam
Viva FlightHH2016
Lungu kaminamisa achilamore. He has to find his safe haven with Frank Bwalya and Mumbi Phiri in Malawi after August elections.
Pf naichepa amaka it will be load shaded come 11th august
Aleisa aleisa
I can’t wait for campaigns kuno kopala
Ifintu kuchinja ubuteko
Am right now in Samfya on the shores of beautiful Bangweulu.
I am surprised….there is a strong presence of UPND! What has pleased me is that both PF and UPND mingle without cacophony.
Let peace prevail. Message to PF: fintu tafili bwino.
Aleisa aleisa
I can’t wait for campaigns kuno ku kopala
Ifintu ku chinja ubuteko
“They are all dressed in uniform of brutality…” – Robert Nesta Marley, O.M.
“Everyone is crying out for PEACE and none is crying out for JUSTICE but there will be no peace until man gets EQUAL RIGHTS and JUSTICE” – Peter Tosh.
We demand equal rights and justice from ECL, ECZ, and the other ECZ in the coming Elections.
It’s Etch-Etch on Eleven Eighth!
Ka (HH) you should just wait for May to start campaigns. This is clearly not working for you. You will go bankrupt before the official campaign period and your political demise will come quicker than expected.
Mwachepa sana, HH can’t go broke.
Come August, Zambia shall be free.
Dream on HH is too smart
And that is exactly the point the time to campaign as not started and he should not be allowed. This F.uck gets on my nerves. He is so sanctimonious.
Upside down way of thinking.If you are benefiting from PF corruption just enjoy and don’t feed us with your crap.PF has brought misery to the common Zambian people unless you have a brain the size of that of a chicken you can not see that just like you Mr Kudos
Saka I’m wondering why the LTeditor has written “Flush” in the headline for Hakainde. Could this mean (HH) is becoming toilet paper, or worse still, raw sewage material with politics from the toilet. A very fitting caption “Flush”. Flush out the Hingombe Hilede (HH)
Moreover HH isn’t a republican president and and what is he doing in eastern province cos campaign time is may? This guy is just a problem really
@ Mr Kudos, reality is now dawning with you Pathetic Failures (PF) that HH is popular in the whole country……HH can’t be broke because he’s a good Finance Manager, can’t you imagine that because of his good Leadership skills, he has managed to sustain the UPND from the time he took over as Party President to date.
Lungu should desist from such acts of colonialists. Everyone has the right to assemble, if he thinks HH will make him unpopular then just resign Mr Lungu rather than continue continuing your desperation of wanting to be in office.
They say HH is desperate but any sane person now can clearly see who’s desperate to being in office.
@Spark Jarrow; I think you are mistaken. HH is the most desperate here. He has been humiliated by Zambian people so many times that he and his sheeples like you have started projecting his desperation towards president Lungu. Mr ECL is the president of Zambia and he has every right at any given time to check on the people of Zambia any time he wants. HH knows that Zambians are going to humiliate him again, so he wants to provoke the situation by campaigning before campaign time. Poor thing needs some Prozac!
@realOliviaPope
I wouldn’t expect such arrogance & ignorance from Kerry Washington, who by the way is the real Olivia Pope. Anyone on this site can say HH will be their president or Lungu will be there president on 08/11 because no one knows the future.
I for one am for change, I hope change comes from either FDD or UPND. I hope you remain active on this site when that change comes, I hope your pride remains intact when that change comes!
Like Kerry Washington the real Olivia Pope once said it, “I’m many things, stupid is not one of them.” 🙂
@realOliviaPope
I wouldn’t expect such arrogance & ignorance from Kerry Washington, who by the way is the real Olivia Pope. Anyone on this site can say HH will be their president or Lungu will be there president on 08/11 because no one knows the future.
I for one am for change, I hope change comes from either FDD or UPND. I hope you remain active on this site when that change comes, I hope your pride remains intact when that change comes!
Like Kerry Washingstonn the real Olivia Pope once said it, “I’m many things, stupid is not one of them.” 🙂
I would not want to be a police officer in Zambia…..today i am beating tommorrow i am saluting
FATHER LEONARD CHITI, I INVITE YOUR COMMENT PLEASE ON THE POLICE ACTION IN EASTERN PROVINCE. YOU WERE QUICK TO COMMENT FRANK BWALYA’S ALLEGED ATTACK BY SUSPECTED UPND CADRES.
Fire for fire. UPND should grab the bull by its horns. PF will never change their ways. And if team HH continue to think that PF will soften up, then they have another thing coming.
Personaly I think that will be the undoing of HH.Dont be a coward,even the illiterate and sick Sata showed you.Forget the fear let them throw you in cells before you know it you will be a celebrity.You are faced with cowards and you are our hope.
Is HH just passing thru and then greet his people on the way to…..or these are scheduled meetings or rallies which police are blocking? Be factual media please. HH needs protection by state police if he is just passing and greeting his supporters. Definitely he will be given time limit for that purpose. I see a man crying foul to win sympathy from some embassy that his rights are been violated. That’s being crafty.
#Bulaya
You maza faka, why is Kabwili and other PF minions not restricted and are freely holding rallies country wide? If yu are a pf cadre chewing hapily in DRC just know that come August you will be recalled because your visionless Lungu is packing.
Just a reminder, Kalu was a better performer than Lungu, at least we won the Africa cup during his tenure, but still he has been kicked out, do you think your non perfming Lungu will be spared? Do not foool around with Zambians, we are not Zimbabwens who are easily intimidated!
@ Harmer.
The only and last time Zambia won Afcon 2012 was when HH, yes Hichani Himonde, was playing defensive role stopping strikers from scoring.
Lungu should let this HH Hakainde Hichilema play his politics. He will stop Plunderers from stealing.
Only the will we win the economic battle ( Econ 2016) .
meant…..Only then….
An anticipated move in the game of chess, makes for a remarkable check-mate….these intimidation tactics are old, tried, tested and failed ways of desperately trying to hold on for dear life by most ruling regimes. We can safely predict the end of the story now…..a ‘tribal’ Southerner raising the interest of my villagers like that, lining up streets just to catch a glance of HH…..times are a-changing in August.
Kambwili just had a big rally at mukuba on the copper belt and the police never bothered to stop him
Kambwili is on duty and what about HH?
The Zambia Police should not block political leaders from meeting their supporters. HH like any other political leader in the country, should be allowed to sell his manifesto. Zambians should be allowed to choose their leaders based on ideology. If the opposition is not given chance to share its manifesto, it will be very difficult for electorates to make informed decisions on August 11. When people don`t know what their candidates stand for, they can end up voting on tribal lines. Allow all politicians to meet their supporters freely. Zambia is a beacon of democracy on the continent of Africa, and let it remain so!
When campaigns heat up in May, Pf cadres will develop chronic diarrhoea and fatigue and by voting day, they will be too weak to cast a vote. Pf will be luck to score 20% in first round.
I am PF and really saddened by the way we are treating a mere politician who wants to interact with the people.What type of primitivity is this for sure. The guy is harmless, you can’t send a battalion of Police to disturb him, it’s not fair. I am PF, but as a party we need to be civilised. This is stone age politics
Mwaona ka?
They are so scared of HH. This is a clear demonstration of fear. He can’t appear on ZNBC TV, because of a minister of information who is in wrong place for a start. He goes to Katete and the whole police is following. How backward are these people,the world has moved on please
HH has told so many lies in the recent past, from the causes of load shedding as defective Chinese machines at Kariba and not poor rainfall, shortage of maize in Zambia because the government exported it, reinstating retrenched miners when Anglo American returns, to fighting corruption when he is actually planning grand corruption with the cartel and self confessed corrupt elements like GBM and Zesco tenders. How can I believe him now when claims that the police are restricting him and his team in eastern province? The man wants to lie his way to state house. He talks about others restricting his democratic right but within his party he has abrogated its constitution by not holding a convention to confirm that he is still the democratically elected leader. In 2015 he claimed that he could…
And your Sata and Lungu told how many?
In 2015 he claimed that he could not hold a convention because time was too short for that to also prepare for the abrupt presidential general election. We gave him the benefit of doubt. But For this years election he is silent about it. How can he honestly accuse others of undemocratic tendencies like restricting his fake meetings, when he is the chief culprit of undemocratic tendencies in his own party?
Lastly instead of wasting his precious time complaining, let him use the opportunity to help change the POA by responding positively to the invitation to participate in its amendment. But you can understand why underfive does not want the the proposed amendment of POA To succeed, he mistakenly thinks that he will need it to sort out his opponents “when he goes to state house”. The…
Instead of fearing HH tell us about fuel and maize meal shortages, cholera ravaging lusaka, 23% inflation, job losses and none ending load shedding……..
It’s their method of trying to rig the forthcoming election in broad daylight. They are doing it without shame.
The truth is that voters will never permit him to occupy state house and he will wake up on 12 August with the act still haunting him for another five years. That is what selfishness does, it teaches good lessons to its perpetrators.
@wise heard: A wise person will not say anything on behalf of people he/she has not consulted. Instead of making a statement on our behalf(voters), just say you as an individual will not vote for HH. That is what wisdom entails. Prior to 2011, Dora Siliya, RB and the rest of MMD were 100% sure Micheal Sata can not be Republican President. The rest is history. Let the best candidate win, do not write off anyone if you are truly wise.
Let UPND continue with what they are doing; pound every inch of Eastern Province and smoke the PF mice out of their holes.
The behavior of the police lately is just making PF become unpopular and making HH have more sympathizers because its like he is being persecuted by the PF government. This intimidation is just making things worse for the ruling party and they are behaving as if we are still in a one party state. While PF leaders are all over the country campaigning the opposition is not allowed to have the same freedom. Shame.
Lungu needs to be careful with Eastern province. These Easterners can vote against you in numbers especially when the see you harassing your contender. They are very smart people who can dribble you big time, if that sympathy vote from eastern goes to HH it will be game over for PF.
These crowds in east province is an indicator that things are not okay for Lungu. Usually ba mbuya wesu are the slowest people this side of the equator. Normally they vote massively for a candidate who has no chance of winning the election like they did in 1991. But these crowds HH is attracting in this province shows IQ yaba Ngoni is slowly improving.
time for change..they will not manage..HH and CB with GBM..do your thing..kinako!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is it campaign time already?
Campaign time has not yet started and the only one to conduct meetings freely is His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu President of the Republic of Zambia and the people’s choice, aspiring presidential candidates should wait until May when parliament will be dissolved. Those party mobilisations are campaigns, under five politicians get excited to see crowds and they think they are popular you can ask UNIP, MMD, and PF under Sata before he formed gorvernment, we were all saying they have rigged elections but it was not true, PF and Sata got excited by large crowds and the Past Newpaper sold a lot of copies when Sata was on the front page. But the truth of matter that is that he did not touch the four corners of Zambia to ask for their votes, urban politics are deceitful, PF has already done…
It will be very difficult for HH to win this year’s elections. PF has an overwhelming support from all over Zambia. Do not be cheated by those crowds..
Comment:pipo cant u see writings on the wall and everyone is speaking of one thing,i e change and real one.when u see easterners coming out in numbers,then kno that their own will cry.take time to interact with pipo in compounds n streets,u l b shocked to learn how unpopular e c l has bcome-out of favour.that tells a story.
ITS FOR PROTECTION TO ENSURE HE CAMPAIGNS AND NONTHING LIKE WHAT HAPPENNED IN BWENGWA IN RETALIATION PEOPLE ARE BITTER OF TRIBAL ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHERN AND POLICE ARE SIMPLY BING CAUTIOUS TO ENSURE PROTECTION OTHERWISE ITS BUSINESS AS USUAL IN EASTERN
LETS ALSO THIS TIME MAKE SURE IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE THE DEAD AND BALLOT BOXES ARE NOT STUFFED TO MAKE THOSE 80% VOTES FOR HH AS ITS SYSTIMATICALLY DONE WITH ALL IN AGREEMENT
THIS TIME IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN FOR BALLOT PAPERS TO BE STAFFED IN BWENGWA WITH DEAN AND NON VOTED TO BEEF UP HH NUMBERS ARTIFICIALLY
THE UNDER 5 IS A RED DEVIL THE BLOOD SUCKING MASON
In a nut shell why should the UPND complain that the police are blocking them from meeting their members all over te country? Sha. Baba its a sign that the PF are feeling the heat being generated by UPND. Infact they are heavily campaigning for HH and UPND because people would begin to question why are police etc following these UPND officials where ever they go. There is a strong good reason. I can smell power changing hands very fast than anticipated. A good example .The Boers jailed Nelson Mandela thinking their were punishing him yet they were making him and ANC more known and popular world wide. In fact the police are providing VIP protection even before HH and UPND takes office after 11th August 2016. Police continue providing protection to your in coming Govt. Leaders.
Lungu went to Eastern Province recently and spoke to crowds as PF leader. Opposition leaders cannot mobilize and speak to people similarly? What desperation, fear and primitive undemocratic behaviour by the PF government is this? Have you noticed how Lungu becomes very quiet when PF cadres are in the forefront of violent behaviour and when the police are harassing the opposition? Why don’t we shut him up for good in August?
Changwa must fall. Full stop. Poor Lusaka pastors who who are supporting this oppresive man who is mixing Christianinity and sangomas should be ashamed of themselves. We call ourselves as Christian nation yet we do the opposite of what Christ would do.
No Nine Obama wanomba, that time Nkana was doing fine HH got their symbol, No nine Moses wanomba, No nine Kacema, lungu afwala akasote nabo batampa akasote. Who is the real me too? Does HH have an agenda for this great nation? Real men don’t change like women
Talking about popularity, one can be popular for a bad reason altogether just like IS is. Whats the hurry for, to go to State house and later discover you cannot be better than the current one in the said house?
Tekanya mwaiche, fili oko tuleya.
Much needs to be done on the public order act.One thing should be understood is that the constitution has no mention on when campaigns must commence.However in this situation the heavy presence of police was also meant to deter pf cadres that could have attacked the Upnd officials. But obviously things are not well in administering the POA.Don’t worry HH,if God says you will rule no tact by pf will stop you.For your information, Upnd as an opposition party is more popular in Eastern compared to pf when it was in opposition.
PF and its sympathisers are rattled beyond belief with the popularity HH has become as the most credible leader Zambians are looking for in the August presidential elections. Mr Kudos and others can’t believe their world is crumbling before their eyes, yes as they watch helplessly. Intimidation, harassment and violence by PF is clearly de-campaigning them. Come August PF ‘kuya bebele’.
Mene Mene Tekel PFSIN, the writing is on the wall. PF has been weighed on the scales and found wanting. It’s time to really reflect and remove them for among other reasons the following: Inflation = 24% the highest in the SADC region; Exchange rate drop = 47.9%, the most dramatic drop since whites stopped ruling the concept called Zambia; blatantly biased journalism and media, never before seen in this country even in the days of Welensky and unprecedented police brutality not even coming from the days of that renowned dictator of yonder years Kenneth B. D. Kaunda. A cataclysmic reaction is needed from us which will culminate in the dislodging of PF off our screwed up country forever!
A cataclysmic option means that there will be no Zambia for you to rule, silly twerp. Zambia is its people. No people no Zambia!
All you who want change, change will surely come as you wish. This is to change the voting pattern to match that of the Southern Province in favour of PF in all PF strongholds. This means two things. PF continues in power and UPND continues in opposition. Your wish will come true, you need not worry.
@Disgusted
The word cataclysm is not absolute. The onslaught of Mr. Kaunda by the voting masses in 1991 was a cataclysmic reaction that led to the annihilation of of the UNI PIG (United National Independence party and its government). We have come full circle to the days of inflation, intolerance, police brutality and blacking out of opposition by the only national broadcaster. If you MR/MISS DISGUSTED are really not disgusted and nauseated at the turn of events where even Michael Sata whom you guys so very much worship and revere would be disgusted, then you had better change your pseudonym to Overjoyed or something to that effect.
# 30 SCOPODONONO. Your observation and advise to the excited UPND supporters …………………and their president is timely. Ask Unip, MMD and PF………………..please, please
Increase in loadshedding, retirement age, borrowing, mealie meal prices, cost of living. Selective dishing out of marketeers loans. Selective dishing out of borrowed VIgayo whose impacts we have not felt. AWE BA PF , KUYABEBELE.
UPND is beating up people in Monze for simply airing their views on a radio station.Why should they be allowed to campaign in other people’s regions ? These chaps have no shame and they have ganged up to fight ECL….God will never allow such power hungry pipo to rule this country.If they give you money from their quetionable loot,get it but the vote in August SHOULD be for PF.
Can you send the photoz of those who have been beaten. UPND always posts phoz wen they are beaten. Bufi. Kibuhata, Ulabeja. The wind of change is now violent. Ba police. We have your photoz. 11th August.Your fate will be known.
The Electoral commission has not yet announced the commencement of campaigns. ECL as a sitting president has a right to hold public rallies/meetings in any part of the country. It is the same with government ministers. As an opposition leader HH cannot be holding campaign rallies as yet.
Remember 2015, HH started his campaign just after the announcement of the death of MCS and he even had the acting president(muzungu opusa) in his corner. It is not the number of rallies/meetings that you hold that will determine the outcome of the elections.
If HH cannot allow other political leaders to campaign in Southern Province, it is quite obvious that other regions will be hostile to him. The Police are merely protecting HH from the impending revengeful reaction of people from other provinces. Amen