Human Rights Commission (HRC) has condemned the attack of mourners at Lusaka’s Memorial Park yesterday and calls for political leadership to end the escalating violation of human rights and freedoms through organised political violence.
“It is a great national shame that bereaved families and individuals are not only deprived of their right to mourn and put to rest their departed ones in peace, but are subjected to politically- motivated physical violence, theft and destruction of their properties at a graveyard! Mourning and burial places should be sacred places of grieving and consoling those suffering from the loss of their departed beloved ones”.
ZANIS reports that Human Rights Commission spokesperson Mweetwa Muleya said in a statement today that the attack of mourners by political cadres at Memorial Park in Lusaka yesterday must be condemned as a cold-hearted and criminal political behaviour.
The Commission calls upon the police to thoroughly investigate the unfortunate incident at Memorial Park, arrest and prosecute the culprits without fear or favour.
The spokesperson said his Commission wishes to reiterate that the continued political hostility between the Patriotic endangering the maintenance of peace, law and order as well as grossly undermining the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms.
It was high time the nation reached a consensus that there was destructive tension in the country that required urgent attention in order to restore a peaceful environment for everyone regardless of their political beliefs and association, he said.
“ There is danger that if the current lawlessness is not effectively addressed, cadres will soon have the audacity to start invading public places of work and business, as well as private places such as homes to attack perceived political opponents, “ he said.
Mr. Muleya said that that the Rights Commission is concerned that such an environment of breakdown of law and order will make it extremely difficult to protect human rights.
It is a well- known fact that political violence is an organised crime which has been increasingly applied as a strategy of promoting and maintaining political hegemony since the run up to Zambia’s 2016 general elections, he said.
There is need for leaders across the political divide to accept to be held accountable for the atrocities committed by their members and start taking practical good faith efforts towards stopping their members from engaging in criminal acts.
He added that statements of accusations and counter accusations from political leaders without reprimanding their cadres engaging in violence fall far too short of the required leadership to redress the current wave of violence the country is experiencing.
“In fact, such statements only serve to send a clear message that cadres engaged in political violence have the approval of their respective party leadership, thereby creating a vicious cycle of violence through retaliations”.
Mr. Muleya added that his Commission was therefore calling for genuine and effective leadership in promoting the spirit of co-existence, respect and protection of all forms of diversity that are fundamental to a pluralistic and democratic society.
Government has an obligation to facilitate political dialogue because dialogue is a necessary quality of good governance through moderating excessive divergent views that are inevitable in a multi-party democracy, he said.
Lungu , Kaiser Zulu and Mumbi Phiri sent PF cadres to beat up morners.
Lungu should be ashamed of himself.
Lungu is so scared like a soaked featherless chicken.
His days are numbered. He should ask Idi amin and Mobutu.
Free HH
Lungu , Kaiser Zulu and Mumbi Phiri sent PF cadres to beat up morners.
Lungu should be ashamed of himself.
Lungu is so scared like a soaked featherless chicken.
His days are numbered. He should ask Idi amin and Mobutu.
Free HH
Its also a notable first.Never happened from 1964.No sense of shame,tactical approval of desecration of burial ground where many honorable citizens including our former,vice president rest,Memorial Park need to be reconsecrated.
HRC statement says “organized”, who organized, this is a veiled statement saying PF is organising this violence with possible police knowledge or approval.UPND was in mourning, PF ” cadres” scaled the wall fence to enter Memorial Park..how can our country sink so low.. we beg that this stops before we go the Rwanda way,the possibility is high…
Tell me something LT: Whose funeral? Who was fighting who?
What are you going to investigate ? Kaiser Zulu assaulted a police officer and you are still investigating. A disgrace!
People In Zambia Do Not Respect The Dead Nor Mourners Nor The Graves Nor Funeral Places.
Lungu And The Pf National Executive Committee Might Have Sent Their Cadres To Cause Confusion At Memorial Park.
Ever Since August 2016, In Zambia Almost Everything Has Been Politicised.
Ba Lusaka Times please improve in your reporting, we keep reading about the funeral but there is no mention about whose funeral it was
It is clear who’s funeral it was.
Mumbi Phiri told PF thugs to stay away but that was a UPND thin veil for them to go with pangas to a graveyard.
This was state sponsored mayhem.
If its clear to you it doesnt mean its clear to all. There are journalism rules to follow when writing a story. Not everyone who reads is a PF or UPND cadre
“It was high time the nation reached a consensus that there was destructive tension in the country…”
THE PRESIDENT HAS REFUSED THE TENSION HENCE THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED!
What happened was regrettably wrong and stupid. But to bring ecl in the story is equally unfair. Ecl is above such and lets respect him. If people wil continue dragging the name of ecl in this stupid act his stooges wi?l put a strong defense and upnd will again pick up a blame. Condemn the scurge not individuals.
Upnd are in the habit of provoking situation even when they know fhey are weak. We are told that they went chanting tgat they dont recognize ecl screeming on top of their voices to the annoyance of the pf who were equally burying on the other side. One would conclude that upnd deserved the beatings they got.
OvalHead get it right in your thick head.ECL is a product of Violence election at Mulungushi Rock of authoright he was voted using pangas and his behind the sponsoring of violence since he is the beneficiary.The sooner we silence him the better.
Here we go; I I tell you that PF is an evil party led by some evil leaders; if the cadres were UPND who attacked the mourners they would have arrested them on the scene; still PF police might blame UPND cadres and frame story like in the ZAF officer death case
Now they can’t blame HH because he is locked up.
Lungu knows all about who is commanding PF violence. He gets updates but is too busy making sure HH stays locked up.
Ba Zambia!!! fighting even in the graveyard!! Why? Mwatusebanya Mwebantu.
HAs anyone been to check if the grave of the departed was not tempered with. At the rate we are going, all things are possible. Someone go and check
you can even tell by now who was responsible. state institutions have no guts to say it was PF who started the whole fracas. EVERYBODY HAS LEARNT TO TELL BY NOW WHEN ITS THE RULING PARTY AT FAULT HOW YOU CRAFT YOUR STATEMENTS. message gotten.
Bu lipota bwa shino inshiku awe mwe! First you explain what happened at the said place. Don’t assume k every reader knows what you’re talking about