The European Union has observed that political tension in Zambia have increased over the past weeks following the arrest of UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.
In a brief statement issued by its Spokesperson, the EU has since appealed for calm.
“Calm and to refrain from any actions and rhetoric likely to aggravate the situation are much needed,” the EU said.
The EU said the Zambian people expect all parties to engage in dialogue to contribute to a peaceful and democratic society and to respect the rule of law.
What tension are these talking about? Tension is in southern province where they think only a tonga can rule. Any rule law breaker the law will visit them just like its visiting their tonga leader.
But reporting yapa Zambia! Ati “the EU said”. Who is this EU? And HH has been arrested for less than a week so what “weeks” are you talking about?
Political tension is inevitable in any liberal system. Go to the US or France today and come back here to share your finding. What sustains nations is the rule of law, mutual respect, tolerance and restraint among political actors.
To all my fellow patriots and our leading minds, all we need are intellectually responsive debates rather than uttering inflammatory or lifeless emotionally charged statements on these social platforms. Zambia is sweet nation dear to many of us.
Please EU, US we need military intervention for this coward who uses party carders in police unform to do such horrible things to an innocent person. That mongu incidence was a traffic related issue. Further, it was the detail police’s failure to provide security prior to the illegal president passing through. This has nothing to do with HH. How can an arrest result in police stealing food,money and damaging property like that? Even teargasing children. Lungu your end will not be pleasant
I hear HH is fighting for his life in jail.
If he comes out in ill health then Lungu should be removed by force.
And now chilufya tayali has been arrested for expressing his freedom of speech ! wtf Zambia !
This is a stupid fabrication of a PF minion afraid that Zambians are about to take the streets and force Lungu to resign in what is known as alternative democracy if elections can not work and constantly being rigged.
Whether EU says that or not all we want is the immediate release of HH unconditionally to avoid Zambia going to war with itself.
If this was from EU I would have seen it. And it would have demanded that HH be released immediately. It would have condemned the arrest of HH to begin with.
LUNGU AND YOUR PF MWANYA. YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED. IF HH DIES PEOPLE SHALL AVENGE HIS DEATH NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES.
@Zambian citizen
You are a f00l. How do you present evidence to a court full of thugs with instruction to throw out the case no matter what abd make sure no thread of evidence is allowed. I have never heard of a court case that has a time limit. Each time the court adjourns the nunbers of days the court is not sitting must not be counted.
What about that guy caught changing results using a laptop in broad day light at ECZ?
Did any one need to present that evidence before your f00lish judges?
Dialogue is good, but who will Upnd dialogue with, when they don’t recognise the Pf camp?
Even me I was wondering about the weeks in this article.
Abash stupidity! Abash hatred! Abash tribalism! Abash ***** Kateule!
That’s the problem Bemba’s you re too tribal and you pretend to be good people
That’s the problem Bemba’s you re too tribal and you pretend to be good people
EU, please find something worthwhile to talk about. Try promoting accelerated development!
IS THE EU WORKING IN LEAGUE WITH THE PF GOVERNMENT TO OPPRESS ZAMBIANS? WHY CALLING FOR CALM WHEN PEOPLE’S RIGHTS ARE BEING RAPED LEFT AND RIGHT? SHOULD PEOPLE CONTINUE TO HAVE THEIR MONEY STOLEN BY PF THIEVES? HAS THE EU ALSO BEEN CORRUPTED? PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO RISE AGAINST AN OPPRESSIVE GOVERNMENT. ZAMBIANS ARE ALSO ENTITLED TO HUMAN RIGHTS JUST LIKE THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE EUROPEAN EUNION. WHERE IS THE EU’S MORALITY IN DEFENDING AN OPPRESSIVE REGIME?
Ethinic comments will not help bring the much needed peace in zambia. As long as we continue to tag anything to a tribe we will not grow. My brother face reality and grow up. Its said that “if you cant say something good about somebody please shut up”.
Free advice.
Foreigners please, dont talk about our zambian situation, no zambian worth the salt or tribe should die over a politian period! Thats why we change govts through ballot papers and not guns! We are very civilised even if we are a developing nation. HH must respect we general populace, we voted and the results you as EU attested to them. Late Sata had support in urban areas but did you hear him causing useless tension-not at all! HH must behave even aftr he is pardoned from prosection by the president which i see to happen even if he refused to intervene yesterday. UPND must realise that all their plans cant work coz they are not the majority in the country, yes they are big mouthed and speak loudest but they are not the majority neither do they have educated cadres aa perceived by…
You f00l why PF is playing hide and seek.
Its not international community calling for war. It actually Lungu and his advisor Kaiser Zulu want to Zambia burn so they can loot more than they looted from HH s house at night.
“The EU said the Zambian people expect all parties to engage in dialogue to contribute to a peaceful and democratic society and to respect the rule of law.”
Which planet are these people from? Have they not seen how Lungu BROKE THE LAW by not following the Constitution?
and you @mpanda bdipo…. “Thats why we change govts through ballot papers and not guns!” REALLY???
Even if the “ballots” are stolen in broad daylight ??? That may not be armed robbery, but it is robbery nevertheless! A thief is a thief irrespective if he use force or not.
Should the people of Zambia be happy and satisfied with that?
If you dont have divergent views how do we progress.
How much have we really progressed in 53 years. Why is food significantly more expensive now than 12 months ago.
In a democratic you need more than one party, you need opposition to keep the government of the day accountable.
Why are the EU so weak kneed when it comes to Lungu’s murderous dictatorship? How many people must he kill before they say something more forceful. No wonder the French just stood by while Tutsis were butchered by Hutus in Rwanda and Burundi.
Lazy one supports pf people.most zambians voted for HH and needed change.
don’t include me in that sentence because i never voted for hh!! SPEAK FOR YOURSELF.
you are just astu,pid du
Which most people. Not me!
Musonda kateule lets have the same zeal to challenge them to stop giving us donor funding.
The EU should press for Lungu to release all political prisoners. Mwaliteta has not been brought to court since August 2016. Barotseland nationalists have not been prosecuted since being arrested in 2014. Now HH. PF are proving to be worse than the Boors in apartheid South Africa.
If you think YOUR EL is popular together with your party you are wasting your time.HH is popular .
I was for Pf with SATA but immediately he died in changed by vision.
We want HH.
Wait and see .
Ba Edgar should realize ati wapya munzi, Zambia will now be categorized as a failed state and the economy will suffer further. The audio recording of Amos Chanda instructing IG Kanganja to keep HH for days is very sad and the President becomes an accomplice in the violation of Human rights and eligible for the ICC whether he likes it or not. Edgar should know that his actions lack leadership and clearly indicate his insecurity as someone who didnt win the 2016 elections. Because how else can one be so sensitive with the presidential petition and tries by all means to frustrate a legal process as enshrined in the constitution. Ba Edgar lacks vision and foresight and is a danger to himself…..ICC is waiting ba PF whether you like it or not thats what the EU is signalling
EU doesn’t vote in Zambia, Kabs. It is the woman who sells groundnuts in the industrial area, the marketeer in Lubuto, the cattleherder in Monze, the fisherman on Bangweulu. Those Zambians voted and chose ECL to lead them, not hh. When the police prove in the courts that hh abrogated certain laws, he will be convicted and rightly so. Your rhetoric that ECL shall be arrested is hallucinatory because hh will NEVER rule this country as convicts can’t stand as president. ICC don’t interfere in electoral disputes that lack merit but handle cases like genocide, war crimes etc.That Amos tape proves nothing compared to the Mongu video EXHIBIT which will convict hh. There is no failed state here, just a country that is recovering from economic depression: kwacha has stabilised, copper prices…
Those Zambians did not vote for Lungu. Their votes were discarded while Lungu’s votes were manufactured by ECZ at Mulungushi International Conference Centre. Up to now ECZ cannot produce results from individual polling stations (ask Mike Mulongoti for more details) because they have no backups, no G12s. ECZ cannot prove Lungu’s votes in court or anywhere.
…are going up, prices of goods have reduced…HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY, MISGUIDED COMRADE. Arresting a criminal who has broken the law is not abuse of human rights.
You PFascist, who are you calling comrade?
Look how the pf dogs above are in denial. The truth of the matter is that Zambia is now unstable police state. All institutions controlled by an illegal ugly rat called lungu because that is only way he can have control. The small boy lost those elections and knows that should the petition be heard the upnd have sufficient evidence and a case to rule his illegal presidency as void. This is only the beginning. The longer hh is arrested the less time that dog lungu has on earth
But what stopped you from presenting that evidence to the concourt?? By the way which elections did hh win or has he ever won? He is a born loser and will remain so. After his conviction, he won’t be eligible for 2021 as convicts can’t stand in elections: IT IS CHECKMATE, BUDDY…kwekwekwekwekwe…petititon? which petition? which court? the concourt of dundumwezi?? kikikikikiki…
It is only un stable to wrong doers and vulgar language mouths
@Zambian Idyot, political prisoners are not included under barred criminals. A famous “criminal” called Mandela spent 27 years in South African jails for treason but became President. Sun Su Kyi in Myanmar was a political prisoner but is now the defacto President. Lungu’s strategy does not work. It’s impotent.
The illegal President has lock up the legal President. Funny indeed. Upnd has no evidence to put on the table. Move on and until for the next election. But with the tonga tag on your foreheads l wonder if your tonga leader will be elected.
Cowards zambian they can’t protest,for fear
Protesting for what? I personally would protest if something unlawful happened to you. Not to a politician who for that matter I know broke the law of the land.
ESPECIALLY THAT THIS EASTER AND YOU WOULD WONDER WHERE THESE PEOPLE (PF) CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIANS. READ “HEBREWS 10:26-27)
WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS LIKE THE WAY THE ROMANS SOLDIERS DID TO JESUS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR RAISED UP MIDNIGHT CAUGHT JESUS, MISTREATED HIM TOOK HIM TO HIGH PRIESTS WHO HAD NO POWERS BUT POWERS LIED IN THE HANDS OF THEIR KING HEROD WHO IS LUNGU IN THIS MATTER.
ESPECIALLY THAT THIS EASTER AND YOU WOULD WONDER WHERE THESE PEOPLE (PF) CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIANS. READ “HEBREWS 10:26-27) NAIMWE MUKAFWA
WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS LIKE THE WAY THE ROMANS SOLDIERS DID TO JESUS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR RAISED UP MIDNIGHT CAUGHT JESUS, MISTREATED HIM TOOK HIM TO HIGH PRIESTS WHO HAD NO POWERS BUT POWERS LIED IN THE HANDS OF THEIR KING HEROD WHO IS LUNGU IN THIS MATTER.
action=consequence; insolence attracts the attention of the law; Fred M’membe=Lungu is no match for me=FUGITIVE!! hh=Lungu is illegitimate president=JAIL!! Thou Shalt Not Tempt Fate!!
Why are you so bitter if you won fairly?
This is nonsense, the EU don’t care about HH, they are the ones who confirmed that that the elections were free and fair. In fact the BBC posted the video of HH refusing to give way to the presidential motorcade as justification for his arrest. Any opposition leader in the west would not dare to do what HH did. The arrest would be swift so those who think the west will come to HH’s aide are having a laugh. Let him smell prison and spare us our cherished peace.
You are a pathetic dimwit! The BBC article clearly shows how bizarre and trivial PF are for claiming treason in a situation where they almost ran HH’s vehicle off the road. That video is proof of how dull and dictatorial PF are. I can see how a numbskull kaponya can miss the irony of the BBC coverage.
It’s embarrassing!
The police is not independent at all. It’s partisan and an embarrassing situation. How does the whole IG call state house to report even laughing that we shall keep him behind bars! Thank you for leaking the recording . Our country is in a mess and I don’t even support Upnd or pf I’m Zambian crying for my country.
Has it clocked weeks already? I wonder. Putting words in people’s mouth. What is the name of the EU’s Rep in the article? Let the law take its course. At the end of the day, its about justice and reasonable judgement. Sufficient evidence and actual intention should be founded.
It should not even clock an hour. What lungu has done is wrong at all levels
EU, US please provide steps for military intervention. Lungu cannot be allowed to light fire in our great nation that has been peaceful all this time. He has failed to govern or improve the political or economic situation. How can police steal money, food, and teargas children in the so called arrest? This was not about arresting HH. The offense in question is traffic related and the most they should have done is impound the car or place a traffic penalty on HH not do what they have done. Lungu is troubled by his fraudulent means to get power. The day he leaves that position trouble will follow him. If I were him, I would do the right thing and leave that office he did not win and knows it. All those around him will disappear when the law catches up with him.
SADC should also get involved. This was clear abuse of power. You do not that to citizens even though they oppose you. HH is Zambian and great citizen of our country. You do not that to innocent people. You think if Rupiah had done what Lungu did to fraudulently win the election the late MCS would have reconigized him? There was everything wrong with the 2016 election. Lungu is a troubled person and even though he pretends his heart is not a peace for doing these wrong things.
Leave Lungu to God his time will come. When there is silence God is at work, wait and see. Saddam Hussain powerful as he was found himself in a hole hiding feeding on nuts.
And whats the worst Zambia is receiving Millions of € to enhance democracy this payments should be stopped immidiately.
It’s so disturbing to see the hatred for HH from so called christian.
Just less than 6 months they’ve completely failed to heal the stagnant economy. So they resort arrest our leader in order to divert attention of the hungry people. The People who just 6 months ago were dancing dununa-reverse are dying in stampede for free food handouts.
PF regime has accrued $5 Billion internal debt & $8 Billion external debt which they have no clue how to pay. Yet their so called leaders continue to accrue properties in Dubai.
Even if you hate HH so much, he doesn’t deserve death sentence for a traffic offense. The blood that will be shed will be on your hands.
Pf have defied the constitution in all areas of governance. And we still have people that think Zambia under Pf is doing ok. Some people are even saying foreigners should have no say about our internal affairs. Think again! The day we stop begging and squander foreign money at the expense of our nation is the day we can talk. Zambia under Pf is going no where and will never go anywhere! Time to work up!!
The Gambia, Congo DRC, Lesotho, Congo etc
This is always the case in Africa when parties dispute election results.
I have taken time to contribute to this raging debate as to whether HH’s actions and/or non-actions is a treason offence. I had to read through the Penal Code on all the counts leveled as well as the much talked about Rule 222 of the High Way Code.
While I perused through the other charges under Sections 126, 127 and 179 of the PC, I concentrated more on S43(1)(a) which is about treason.
S43(1)(a) of PC provides that “A person is guilty of treason and shall be liable to suffer death who- prepares or endeavours to overthrow by unlawful means the Government as by law established;
Lets now apply the law to the facts which all of us have seen (the video footage). In applying the law to the facts there are certain words in the law that are crictical; Prepares and endeavours. The…
Continued….
My opinion when I try to answer the two questions with the facts and provisions of Rule 222 of the High Code which states that; “DUTY OF DRIVER TO STOP FOR THE STATE MOTORCADE – On the approach and during the passing of the State motorcade the DRIVER of EVERY vehicle on the road shall stop and give way to the President and other VIP motorcade. No vehicle shall overtake the motorcade.” I think it clearly shows that Rule 222 is talking of the driver of every vehicle to stop and that no vehicle shall overtake. So two questions again arise; Was HH the driver and was the vehicle he was driving the only vehicle on that particular day and time? Did HH as driver overtake the motorcade?
continued…
The first question cannot properly be answered from the video evidence as to who was the driver. The second question clearly shows that there was no overtaking. As the burden of proof lies with the Prosecution, they will need to ensure that the above questions among many others are answered in affirmative and it Must be beyond reasonable doubt. Will the NPA secure a conviction for treason? Your answer to this question s is as good as mine!
Continued…
Just for your interest…
1. Why didnt Kanganja rely on Section 43(1)(d) of the PC read together with Section 43(2)(a) of the PC? This sections is more general as it states that,”A person is guilty of treason and shall be liable to suffer death who-prepares or endeavours to carry out by force any enterprise which unsurps the executive power of the State in any matter of both public and a general nature.” Section 43(2) is only applicable to subsections (b), (c) and (d) and defines “by force” to be used in such a manner as, whether by reason of the number of persons involved or the means used or both,to imperil or likely imperil the safety of the State or to cause or likely to cause death or grievious harm or serious damage to property.” I think this Section fits in a…
Continued…
I think Section 43(1)(d) on the face of it fits in with the facts as the whole convoy could be treated as an enterpise. The difficulty would have first arisen as to the resources required to arrest over 100 drivers who were in that convoy and secondly whether the enterprise planned and endevoured to carry out such an act. I guess Kanganja either didnt do his research properly, didnt have the facts or doesnt believe in all what is happening and if given a choice by his masters would have let it slide. The NPA may never want to prosecute this matter to embarrase itself as the case cannot stand on its legs. But lets wait and see how it unfolds. Such are what builds the legal fraternity.
“Professor” Ndulo, I hope he read the EUROPEAN statement. The key words are “avoid inflaming the situation”, “respect the rule of law”, “respect the electoral processes”.
To you thick headed donkeys, arresting and charging suspected criminals is perfecly part of the rule of law. Thereafter the suspect will appear before the courts and be declared either guilty or innocent.
Of course not the kind of statements that UPNDonkeys wanted…..kikikikiki
Resident PF idyot!
@29 Avolatro, we all read 43 (1)(a). It is in black and white. We also saw the video clips. What you and i are not privy to are the particulars of the offence. Only the investigators and prosecutors know those facts at the moment. You and I will have to wait for these particulars to be released in court next week. For now just chill.
For long how will tongas endure being abused all time.
Don’t bring in tribe here, look at the facts of the offence. Its cheap politicking talking about tribe every time one breaks the law. The law knows no tribe, its people like you who talk carelessly and want to set Zambia on fire. Your small god must respect the law of the land its that simple.
When human rights are violated, no one is safe. Even those that are supporting PF at some point you will disagree with PF then you will find yourself in trouble. Case in point Tayali-In life learn to support people when common human interests are violated. Google “treason” & you wil see how funny it is that the police will even think of such a charge.
Its unfortunate that some people think ”human rights is doing whatever one wishes to do” in life including breaking the law, in the name of human rights. If you break the law, expect the law to visit you irrespective of what status you hold in society. Some people are saying that there is ,political tension in the country. I personally don’t think so. The tension is being experienced by those who have intentions of removing a legitimate government by whatever means out of power. Otherwise to every common man like me and others there is no tension. what tension? Tension because of one man so called hh? No sir Zambia is bigger than one person, not even the current president can hold Zambia to ransom. think before you act.
HH is totally nothing at all but useless to the people of Zambia
To me HH is so foolish just the whole entire UPND
Everyday it’s all about HH what a foolish person so called HH and UPND party shame
Mind you Zambia is bigger than this foolish stupid HH
Zambians can do without? this foolish and selfishness minded HH
To hell with that.this is one Zambia one Nation and Not one HH
I don’t know where we are going in this country. Should we be sanctioned by other countries because of one useless Lungu who wants to be in power illegally? As Zambians we are not going to allow Edgar lungu turn this country in to dictatorship. Useless! Who is Lungu? There were influential politicians like FTJ who at one point wanted the issue of third term bid but didn’t succeed Zambians are not fools to be blackmailed by this drunkard president Edgar lungu. I call upon well meaning Zambians to rise up to the occasion and help the UPND fight the injustice perpetuated by Edgar lungu. Days are numbered for you Edgar, useless!
Their just have to poison HH….so that he dies slow cause its like he causing problems weeh…
Kapyongo was talking about arresting Hakainde for not recognising Lungu as treason case before the motorcade incident happened. It was planned. Why did Lungu use a helicopter when going back and not when going for the ceremony?
The Root cause of Tension in Zambia is the Disputed and Petitioned 2016 Election. We don’t know who won the Election and we don’t know who is the Legitimate President of Zambia. Lungu claims that he won the Election in 6 Provinces and the votes from Luapula were decisive in making him meet the 50% +1 vote threshold. Lungu then creates some doubt over his Win by refusing to testify in Court how he won the Election. HH & GBM Petitioned the Results and feel they won the Election. The only way to find out what really happened is to hear the Petition in a Court of Law. For some reason Lungu is opposed to the Petition Hearing Process and wants the Petitioners to recognize him without Hearing the Petition. To force Petitioners to recognize him Lungu has resorted to arresting and imprisoning…
@ Mundia. Yr explanation is correct. After Concourt mishandled the Petition it must be heard by an Independent Court and that Court should be ICJ. The decision of ICJ will be final and binding to the Petitioners and the Petitioned (Respondents). Without ICJ hearing the Petition ,Zambians will remain divided and the Process of healing will only start after ICJ declares its Verdict on the Zambian 2016 Presidential Election. Lungu’s strategy to gain Legitimacy by arresting and charging his Petitioners with Treason will not yield the desired results. The tactics by Lungu will certainly not work. They will backfire. The International and Regional Bodies must assist in resolving the 2016 Election Petition. SADC and AU must midwife the Election Petition b4 Zambia is plunged into a Civil War.In…
Every election has problems you always here loosing parties complain of irregularities but then people accept and move on it is only HH who has a problem with accepting issues this really sums him up takwaba umupampamina wa so unbelievable.
Force was inevitable why was he hiding in a bunker the guilty are afraid.
West African states are by far much more organised under ECOWAS than their SADC counter parts in handling and resolving disputes arising in and within their member states.SADC is not seen refereeing in conflict and dispute resolution in many areas being faced by member states.On many instances ,it seen burrying its heard in the sand.No wonder we continue to see the proliferation of political conflicts within its boarders.This is exactly the more reason why the dishonorable” League of Nations “failed to execute its mandate successfuly and led to the unpopular world wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945.
Let’s wait and see if those supporting the action of EL will be there in the same peace and democracy u are singing about… Zambia is turning into a non democracy .u shud wait and see.
Musonda Kateule my brother or sister,you are too tribal among the many.Be careful my dear of what you post here.God is real and he is in control of all things.He brings kings and kingdoms and through his power they become history.Watch the drama carefully and wait abit.