The Zambia High Commission in London has expressed its disappointment to the Editorial Board of the Sunday Times UK over an article that appeared in the their newspaper dated 10 th February 2019 under the title “Zambia’s President tries to kill opponent”.
In a statement released to the media by Mrs Abigail Chaponda, the First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at
Zambian High Commission in the United Kingdom, the embassy said that they have since written to the Newspaper categorically stating that the article was malicious and did not portray a true reflection of the situation in the Zambia.
“We feel disappointed that the newspaper sensationalised accusations made by the opposition leader and his political party. Such sensational headings are not just misleading but are in bad taste given the fact that the journalist did not verify her story,” the letter.
“We take exception to the fact that the newspaper saw it fit to publish false accusations, from the political leader against a sitting Head of State bordering on liable and slander,” read the letter in parts.
The Mission advised the Sunday Times Editorial board that Zambia cherished freedom of assembly and expected every citizen to respect the rule of law irrespective of their status in society.
The Mission further advised the Sunday Times that while the Mission appreciated and espoused freedom of speech and press freedom, the Mission felt the story had not been balanced and the Sunday Times should have endeavored to get the position of Government and the police on the matter.
“In this regard, the Mission is requesting for an urgent meeting with the Sunday Times to discuss the matter and future relations. We wish to reiterate our commitment to responding to any queries from the media on issues relating to Zambia,” concluded the statement.
Yesterday the UK Zambia Times reported that Zambia’s opposition leader, Hakainde Hichilema, has accused the country’s president, Edgar Lungu, of trying to kill him.
Hichilema, 56, warned that the international community’s failure to act on state-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe is encouraging other African regimes to crack down on opponents.
The opposition leader said he was holding a rally on Friday in Sesheke, southwest Zambia, when police and activists from the ruling Patriotic Front opened fire.
“We were having a peaceful meeting when about 100 heavily armed men from the ruling party arrived, escorted by police, and started firing live ammunition on us,” he told The Sunday Times yesterday.
The Sunday Times said that they obtained Video obtained that showed terrified men and women cowering behind vehicles and fleeing through the bush amid the crack of automatic gunfire.
However, Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja said that no live ammunition was fired by the officers to disperse the unruly crowd in Sesheke.
Mr. Kanganja has since warned that the police will not tolerate people perpetrating violence and that they will be sternly dealt with.
Abigail Chaponda my sister, don’t be used by politicians to issue such statements. You have a life and career long after Lungu and PF are gone
The Zambia Embassy will be embarrassed. We should demand for an international inquiry in Zambia’s polocal violence which Edgar Lungu has failed miserably to containing, that is if he does not support it! This is the reason PF are against dialogue, they want to continue this barbaric behaviour
Sesheke PF violence coordinator calls for reinforcements
4 February 2019
In this audio, PF violence coordinator in the Sesheke parliamentary by election only identified as Mwanza is heard calling for 70 + 70 reinforcement from Kanyama and Lusaka’ Intercity bus station.
Mwanza is calling for more funding and thugs to go and beat up Sesheke residents whom he refers to as ‘ba fontinyu’ (uncivilized, dirty and dull people). See video on zambiawatchdog
Yangu, Zambianwatchdog is not a reliable news source.
The vidoes of police heavy-handedness in Sesheke are all over on social media. From you office in Lusaka, Ms.Chaponda, you cannot deduce what transpired. If someone fires a gun in my direction, it’s attempted murder. Stop being used like a tampon by politicians. You are more concerned about public perception than human life.
– Why should police discharge teargas/bullets on people just bcoz they refused to attend Lungu’s rally?
– Who created the law that when Lungu is in a province, then HH should stay away? This law only exists in the heads of PF00Ls
She claims the situation does not portray the exact political situation in the country.
Well she is right
Well, I think it’s worse from what I gather if you are opposition. . .
Thanks
BB2014,2016
If it is true that parties were allocated days to campaign can UPND confirm whether or not they abrogated the agreement? Moreover, if it is true that Police opened fire using live bullets how many people died and how may have bullet hounds? And why is it that political violence mostly in UPND strongholds?
Abigail is wrong, a bit childish just same as that Amos and ka Brian Moonga the press assistant to HH, so childish. That Facebook and Twitter is so low.
Please lets grown ups be in charge
Zambia and Zimbabwe are used interchangeably in most western media. Especially by dim witted journalists. Recently I watched a show on Netflix where a company was trying to buy a copper mine in Zambia and in the show Zambia’s President was named Kabila. I stopped watching right there and then.
Anyway, am still waiting for the death toll from the live bullets used on UPND cadres or where they all clad in bulletproof vests?!
Watch Prime TV news and See for yourself what these PF thugs in Police uniform did.
She claims the situation does not portray the exact political situation in the country.
Well she is right. How come no died during the shoting. Live ammunition were fire at the upnd. If live bullets are fired, you think hh will be speaking today? I bet he will be laying low in his casket by now. This is no brainer NO live bullets were fired. Hh must respect himself and behave. He was given days to be in sesheke, what he doing there during PF days of meetings?
HH was given days to be in Sesheke?
BY WHO?
Who has authority to give a free Zambian to be in a certain area?
Did we just replace a racist colonialist muzungu with an equally egotistical partisan lowe self esteem mean mistreater?
You are advising cadres and former Daily Mail and Times of Zambia…who are grateful just to be given a job that pays every month unlike back home
These PF id1ots are in denial. They continue to kill with impunity and they will get away with it.
Mwanya bachimbwi PF your time is coming.
People are dying and yet a lot of OF id1ots including this one in the UK are busy dening it.
It is becoming increasingly embarrassing for one to be a Zambian. Jungle laws are reigning supreme. Shame
Kanganja needs to stop this nonsense especially now in this internet and social media era. Word gets out there fast. His counterpart in Zimbabwe did the same and we all saw it despite shutting down the internet. These same cops he is sending to attack others will be the ones ruffing,and beating him to jail once he is kicked out
In Kenya the political foes had a handshake and even Uhuru attended Odinga’s birthday party ,in DRC they’ve gone past their electoral dispute but in Zambia Lungu’s trying to kill a political rival?
In Zambia HH is still trying to be a nuisance. Lt him learn from other opposition political leaders
Motherfker your Kaponya (HH) is still bitter about an election defeat 3 years ago. Tell that weed smoking janjaweed turd to grow a pair
@Enka, go fuuuck Kenya, the worse politicians in earth. They kill each other like hyenas.
Zambia is mature, even a mere Sesheke things look big.
We are told UPND was having a rally when they were attacked. Is this true or not? How can people having their own meeting be behaving violently – against who?
Kaponya (HH) has no idea that this negative fake news will affect his chances in 2021. The coward is a piece of $***
But the video is there and we have all seen it. What is this chaponda disputing? The PF have become overzealous for nothing. Campaigns should be allowed for all those taking part in each election. How can ECL be in all places in Sesheke at one time? This is baffling and mind boggling, let every party even the nashalaneka parties campaign without hindrance. Using live ammunition is totally uncalled for and should be condemned by all right thinking Zambians.
@bamwine, you are right. And those that think that you must always see people shot when you are using live ammo are wrong. A live bullet fired sounds different from a dummy. It is a calculated scheme to scare away opposition supporters.
The world is watching and hearing our voices. We must continue to claim our freedom of assembly and expression back. Currently freedom of assembly applies only to PF. No longer cherished as claimed by Mrs Chaponda.
Dont compaign in uk. They have there own brexit. You think they are interested to hear that he hid in the bush kind of stories
The correct version is that he hid in the sand when police started looking in order to deport him from barotseland back to Zambia
Comment: What’s wrong with you the PF…. you know I am devastated….!
Stephen Sackur knows what truly happened and these issues can be followed better on HARDTALK
It was chaos. Blocking roads with stone followed by bees and lightening.
Comment: what more 2021, I think it will be the end our Zambian democracy
Let us Just bring back Bo KK,all this nonsence will be sorted.
When you assign irresponsible people and dimwits like Mwila, Kampyongo and trigger happy thugs to plan to disrupt an opposition party from campaigning using full military charges without think through of ramifications, and hope that the operation will not get publicity this is the result. Movement of goods to and from Namibia gets affected, Namibia threatens to close the border, innocent citizens are inconvenienced and hurt. This action by police and military was totally unnecessary! It is time this corrupt and violent regime left office!!
In this modern day high tech world, those pictures and videos we are seeing will come to hunt and haunt pf in future.
Have you heard about the flat Earth principle? These days, anything that happens anywhere is immediately known through internet and social media. You can’t hide over the horizon anymore.
So what’s there to discuss with the Sunday Times Newspaper? That the paper shouldn’t be publishing on the political scene in Zambia? I don’t understand. Shouldn’t the PF just give it’s side of the story and explain away the video that has already circulated?
It’s a good thing we have foreign papers focusing their spotlight on Zambia. We are being governed by immature people that don’t understand the meaning of the word democracy.
“We were having a peaceful meeting when about 100 heavily armed men from the ruling party arrived, escorted by police, and started firing live ammunition on us,” he told The Sunday Times yesterday.
Kainde, you even had time to count the people firing live ammunition on you?? No one was killed,are you saying everyone kept firing and missing?
Kainde everyone knows how low you can get. UK Sunday Times can be stupid but not every media house. You have always failed to tell Zambians why you should be voted into office. Remember, voters are in Zambia.
There is video evidence badala…
Wonders shall never end!! The IG, honestly, is he in the right state of mind? How can you send heavily armed police to a peaceful rally and claim that those at the rally were unruly sesheke residents! I am really shocked by this behaviour from Mr Kanganja.
During last presidential elections I advised UPND media teams to make use of video footage of the PF and police brutality…..
Now you are doing it….well done.
They can not deny this.
It is clear for everyone to see…
Keep the cameras rolling…
How many people have been killed by live ammunition???If zero,think twice.
According to HH “thousands “. I really felt sorry for that Upnd Cadre who arrested by police for blocking the the road. He looked very lost and very confused. I just don’t understand why he had to get involved in such activities.
Ba UPND, just accept you have a wrong chap as your leader and you all are evaluated as such. Honestly, why would a known bitter, jealous, immature and a perpetual loser go to hold a rally where the Republican President is addressing the people? Does it make sense? Am appalled that some creatures who claim they are humans can even defend this nonsense? What lie under the sun hasnt HH advanced on top of the hill to the world to try and discredit President Lungu and the PF?
The simple answer to his blind followers is this, was ECL there when HH and UPND was defeated by RB and Michael Chilufya Sata? What was HH’s reaction to all these defeats? Insults, vulgar language, sympathy appeals, weeping and crying! ECL was not there! When it was time for ECL, HH was confident he would defeat…
The true story will not be accepted by Upnd mtunta mafi. …Upnd cadres blocked the road the president was going to use. I don’t know what that means to the cowdung beetles.
contd
The simple answer to his blind followers is this, was ECL there when HH and UPND was defeated by RB and Michael Chilufya Sata? What was HH’s reaction to all these defeats? Insults, vulgar language, sympathy appeals, weeping and crying! ECL was not there! When it was time for ECL, HH was confident he would defeat President Lungu but forgot one thing…, he was is a reject and a reject is simply a reject. Let this sink in UPND otherwise same body different clothes, twalimukana HH, prepare for worse in 2021. Am off to see the progress on Kazungula bridge, peace! The fruits of development countrywide by the PF is being felt by the opposition hence they are behaving like hynaes, PF must increase the development pressure, thats what matters on that day and NOT unfounded and baseless…
Zambia needs an independent international inquiry to investigate all these allegations; as both UPND and PF cadres cannot be trusted. They have a culture of manipulation and intimidating tactics, instead of being transparent. I have observed the majority in decision making positions making up stories to justify their wrongful and illegal acts. So the international community must take what has been published seriously and ask for an independent inquiry. WHy would ECL kill HH, at this time when elections are coming in 2021??. IS UPND trying to attract international attention seeing that they may lose the Sesheke seat or the 2021 elections. It’s better to be mature please. The world has serious issues to look into that the deceptive and manipulative way of doing things by some politician…
Its an Axis of Evil, Akainde, funders in South Africa/Germany and the useless newspaper in UK that specializwes in Fake news. Shame on them.
The video is not fake news badala….
Job well done the Media, Zambians have no freedom of speech n assembly, Abigail u are just are just a cadre, the police are brutal and sure aiming at killing HH in sesheke. Don’t argue with the journalists who are on the ground witnessing exactly what is happening.
The UPND Cadres must stop being manipulative. And so should the Police and PF cadres. As International investigators would easily detect their deception. The cadres must know that if for sure ECL killed HH, the world will not look on, but they will take him before The Hague or an internationally convened criminal tribunal. So Zambian manipulators must know that time will catch up with them some day. Their intimidation tactics are sickening. Why intimidate others who were having a rally if they had a permit?
A few Journalists world over have lost their ethics of doing things. They have failed to do their investigative journalism. How can a “well respected media house” the so called “Sunday Time of the UK” fail to do a very basic process in journalism of failing to get in touch with the other party? This is absolute biasmness by the so called media house. There is a lot at stake in these elections and UK should know better. As they scream to get out of EU marriage, they need to be level headed and do things right.
Newspapers no longer report events. …they now strive to influence.
Does ZNBC get the other side from UPND ?
Spakless for your information yesterday TVZ should that edioot Kakoma distancing your party from the violence that took place in Sesheke. So how much do you want ZNBC to do. Last Friday they showed an ugly thing by the name of Katuka declaring his party ready for elections. Or do you want 24hrs coverage?
Ndanji kaka
We do not buy those little snipers of UPND shown on TV2…….show their rallies or preachers by HH like PF are televised…
And BTW it was you that told us CK will be arrested with in 3 months of his sacking ….what happened ??
“I will die for mother Zambia”says hh,and yet he runs into the bush at a sound of a gun shot and he is busy asking his aide ati bainka ba police….if police wants to kill you they cant even waste time.hh is a chimbwi no plan he enjoys sympathy,listen to him on a rally,no msg.
People must understand that the UK wants to create puppert regimes led by Hakainde so that they can survive the bruises they will get when they exit the EU. This will not happen, we know that the so called Democrats have their own interests in our wealthy for which Kainde has already sold his soul. We will not bow to this demon of violence.
The vidrovshown of the police brutality is not fake badala…..chill
Kainde has realised that the 10 one man- political party leaders he convinced to escort him to a seemingly “National dialogue” table is not working so he has resorted to violence. This violence will not work. Not even with the support of the fake news from the the UK’s so called sundat times.
When I say this nonsense called “dialogue ” is just about HH people disagree. Unfortunately even my Bishops have been duped. This is just a ploy to make HH look innocent. ….just ” invite Edgar through the process so that when he declines to attend he look like he’s not willing to talk peace “.
Violence against his own supporters? Pf supporters are numb skulls…all brain washed.
Slobadani Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic etc thought they were gods, my advise to everyone videos and pictures will bring justice to you in future.
Just like any UPND danderheads and sycophants you suffer from acute inferiority complex because you believe every thing a white man says as gospel truth because cause of group think mentality in the UPND
Video, audio and picture evidence is
mightiest than the guns and pangas.
You must be a UPND sycophant who think that a video clip shot by danderheads and edited by UPND zealots cannot be manipulated. What these group think mentality lapdogs don’t realise is that HH is a sadist that’s why he will die a painful death because he’s hoodwinked his supporters and at the time has hidden the privatisation loot in the paradise papers because of his greedy
Fwanya
Video manipulated where naimwe, manipulated like the highly trained UPND comandos of the bweengwa kidnapping ?
Foolishiness of HH wanting to be seen out said the country after all he could avoided that to happen. He could have waited for PF to finish their things and than he could have gone on with theirs. But he’s Larking same thing up their he’s. He want to make a name out of that out said the country. Uleimwenashyamo fye.
As a UPND supporter, I dont agree with this article and I believe sometimes its the UPND that starts the violence. You know the head of state is on his way and yet you decide to block the way, what do you expect his security forces to do. I dont like ECL but he is our President and he deserves the respect that comes with that title. HH please hold your dogs off.
White trib.als in the UK? Seems so.
Pa upnd. U love complaints. Grow up. HH loves demeaning Zambia. I wonder which other country he comes from apart from mother Zambia.
Also, HH demeans this country which he is campaigning for its presidential office. How then do we trust this man HH?
Tell lungu to behave ……guns and teargas will not force people all the time…
For some inexplicable reason, his supernatural powers don’t seem to work on the President, despite deploying bees and lightning on mere party cadres. Did someone forget to sleep at the graveyard in mukuni village?
Look at this rascal who still believes in “supernatural powers”. Education has failed to change you.
What are the causes of the violence in sesheke? Who blocked the road for who, was it the PF that blocked the road against UPND of it was UPND who blocked the road against PF? LET’S BE FAIR IN OUR COMMENTS, don’t be blinded by the hatred you have to someone.
HH can try all tactics to ascend to presidency. But it won’t happen in Zambia until God says “YES”.
So my advice to HH is push, but push within the confines of moral human capacity.
So HH should avoid to use underhand methods; evil works will NOT lead you to presidency.
We as Zambians are not perfect include the president – past and present. But when it comes to choosing presidents, we PRAY.
If its not your time HH, its not yours.
I welcome you HH to Zambia.
Thank you.
Bambo, through guns and teargas , it is lungu forcing himself on Zambians….
The beauty with this life is that, you can fool some people some times but you can’t fool all the people all the time
If lungu was a confident leader who is winning as he claims, there is no need for him to use guns and tear gas…..let the people vote of their free will…
HH is a wrong person and replacement for zambians i personally not like his immaturity in politics.
his desperation for power stinks
yes His excellency Edgar lungu is not handling issues correctly but to change for HH would more foolish for zambians
HH please behave well respect Authorities, no zambian in his or her right frame mind should die for this selfish character
lies, insinuations are the order of this HH and his party. we have better zambians to lead this nation than HH.
I WISH hamududu was in UNPND that gentleman is good to replace this cheater of people
What a load of nonsense from the mission office in UK, is this all the PF can say. Ladies and gentlemen get ready for the next Zimbabwe in Zambia and if we don’t vote right this is what you will all get.
Abigal Chaponda honesty is a very expensive virtue. Do not expect it from your cheap people. Zambia is not an island the world magnifies it.
why this sure happening in this way awe mwandi when we are trying to enforce one Zambia one nation moto and people are busy planing evil things against our nation God forbid nothing will happen let is all come as one we are all Zambian’s regardless of our political affiliation
I wasted my vote on HH and I have realized that he does not mean well for Zambia. I will only vote UPND after HH has retired. The man is disgracing us to the outside world. Its a shame. Having 3 or 4 of such kind like HH, Zambia can be a forgotten nation. Sincerity is very important. These are just by elections in a small village. Kutekanyafye mr president HH.
bad politics of HH hunger for power respect the president you
zambians are watching your character, you are not the last one or the first to lead poltical parties in zambia
If there were live bullets, there should be evidence. let’s challenge them for these falsehoods. No wonder they don’t verify these stories.