Police in riot gear on Sunday patrolled the streets of Chawama Township in Lusaka in an effort to block opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema who was due to visit the area.
Mr Hichilema had announced that he was going to visit Chawama on Sunday to donate Genset at Chawama Clinic to mitigate the long hours of load shedding.
He was also scheduled to visit Misisi and Kuku compounds and later conclude his tour by interacting with locals in Jack Compound where loading shedding is reported to be at 12 hours per day.
But Sunday morning saw the heavy presence of police from Lime road to John Howard compound.
Some officers spoken to said they were merely carrying out their orders to block Mr. Hichilema and kick him out of Chawama.
And Mr. Hichilema says he sympathizes with the police officers.
“We understand there was a heavy police presence in the streets of Chawama constituency today. All this we are informed was in an effort to stop us from doing some charity work and blocking us from a planned tour of Chawama,” Mr. Hichilema wrote on Facebook.
He said the heavy presence of police officers in Chawama yesterday should be a daily routine to protect our citizens, as opposed to blocking one individual whose right of movement is guaranteed by the constitution.
“We fully sympathize with police officers for being abused in such a manner. When citizens notify the police to conduct a peaceful protest, hold a rally or any public event, the usual response is that there is not enough manpower. But here we are with the heavy police presence in the streets of Chawama mobilized at short notice for only one individual,” he said.
“As UPND when we take over the reins of power in 2021 from day one, we shall undertake to restore the rule of law and ensure all citizens regardless of political affiliation, enjoy all fundamental freedoms and basic rights as enshrined in our constitution. To the police, please remain there and other places to protect property and life in Chawama.”
Scared little people from chawama.
I don’t see any Chawama dogs in picture, what was Kambwili talking about?
This is Insane, Ridiculous & Outrageous!!. We fought for multi-party democracy so that all Zambians can have the freedom to express themselves and aspire to be president.
Let, HH move free wherever he wants to go and campaign. You are not only intimidating HH, but {putting fear} into young upcoming Zambians who aspire to go into Politics, such as joining any opposition party. Adolf Hitler in German tried that, but it backfired in the end.
This also is abuse of power because those policemen and women are better off being in the streets protecting and fighting real crime. History has proved to us that such kind of intimidating decisions come from State House or Police Inspectors General who are bootlickers. PF on this one, we will not…
cont..
… PF on this one, we will not spare you. You are blatantly WRONG. If that is the case, then we might as well go back to One Part Participatory Democracy { Junk }, from the UNIP days.
It does not matter who made this decision to block or intimidate HH from going to Chawama, but the blame will fall on President Lungu. Cause that’s where the Buck Stops !!
++ ++ We can do better than this. We are all born to be achievers and better our nation !!!
Independent Observer@ 1.2, you are probably too wise, intelligent, a true patriot compared to the whole PF family of m***s and fu****s. I am hoping they are reading your comments. Why are they scared of HH? I must say to you that you are supporting a wrong camp. come and join UPND. I know you probably think you cannot be accepted because you are neither Tonga or Lozi, but we are not what is perceived in the media and the whole PF gang.
Mr INDEPENDENT OBSERVER ()
Your message is loud and clear. Sometimes we forget that we are all one people going by what our founding father put the slogan “One Zambia One Nation”. What has happened to our nation is saddening. My Brother we need a voice for the people.
Like I said last week, I have followed your comments on lusakatimes for some time. I may not agree with all that you say, but I respect your observations and analysis. GOD BLESS
According to Dora, Chawama is a developed area, just like London, Toronto, and Munich, so it doesn’t need donations. As such, they have directed that all donations be taken to Southern Province.
Hampty Hadampty.
Unprecedented development of human rights and freedoms at work or shameful exercise of dictatorships contrary to the Constitution?
Either way, PF “leadership” (LOL) had shown theirs true face of scared little thugs hiding behind armed police.
Just another day in “Christian and democratic” (LOL) Zambia.
I’m just waiting for pf kronies to justify this…sharon, thorn in the as$, explain…
Under normal circumstances HH would have a point. But when you are leading a party not by virtue of election in 2006 but because it can only be led by your trib and you think that it is time for your trib to lead the country, then everything that you seem to be fighting for unravels. At that point HH’s objectives and ambitions and his very movements to serve that objective become unconstitutional and unlawful. Quote me a clause in the constitution which apportions periods of ruling Zambia to tribs.
I think that HH should therefore start by democratically submitting his objectives to the NDF so that other Zambians can democratically give their views.
@4.0 Junior jj
Trying to change the subject? What can justify (mis)using the police to stop one individual from visiting Chawama?
deleted
Some1 commented wisely that Dora and Bowman telling HH to donate to his villagers in Bweengwa and his many cow in Southern province ( referring to the people of southern province) is an insult and stinky tribalism but they should be reminded, if that’s the tribal game they want to play , that lusaka is not theirs tribally speaking. They are just economic migrants from pita weka and chifubu.
Junior you are very stupid all ur comments are always negative we don’t need people like you in Zambia.
DO THE POLICE KNOW SOMETHING THAT WE ARE NOT AWARE OF? I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A LOT OF UNREST AND RIOTS IN LUSAKA AS A RESULT OF XENOPHOBIA IN SOUTH AFRICA. AND HH SUDDENLY WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE UNREST TO STIR FURTHER UNREST BY COMING UP WITH A GENSET THEORY. EVEN THE PF WERE DENIED PERMISSION TO MATCH TO CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI’S RESIDENCE. I AM JUST THINKING , I MAY BE WRONG. POLITICIANS HAVE A WAY OF DOING THINGS.
I’m not a fan of HH but mwandini what this government is doing to him is not right. He’s a free citizen like the rest of us and so should be free to visit any area of the country. The same thing the MMD was doing to Sata without realizing they were making him more popular. We ended up voting for Sata in spite of the fact that he was already ailing by the time he took over power
Prevent this quack character’s maneuvers at all costs!
He’s doing it for political mileage.
Brainless quack you want him to do it for food milage,of cause he is a politian.
Politics is a competition of ideas and small men unleashing state police that is also facing hardships brought about by the regime is an act of desperation and mind you those same police know the source of their suffering and they will act.
MUKONGO WABA NYOKO
ba koswe are scared
TIME IS AN ENEMY TO ALL…PF this is your TIME use it wisely…because you will remember it.
Trust me my brother they are using they’re time, they are robbing the nation so although they are not using their time wisely they are certainly using it
Like it or not Hichilema despite his misgivings is a Zambian and he enjoys certain rights. You can’t stop him from mobilizing his Party. By blocking him you’ve built his image more that what his visit could’ve done. The people of Chawama know what they want. Of course most of them don’t want PF, Edgar and his children including filling stations and malls that have come up and are rumoured to be connected to the first family. It’s a high density area but they only get water supply for less than an hour daily. Shushushu or Freedom Sikazwe please go and investigate if I’ve lied. Edgar must address these grievances because his friend Sichalwe has failed. The Freemason must’ve this info that’s why he’s concentrated his efforts there. Sending the Police isn’t the best way to address…
such issues. Utuntu amambala!
Does HH know that he is a public figure who needs to be protected?He is not an ordinary person he needs protection because he can be attacked at any time,that he should know.
He knows. And he has bodyguards. The Police should move to protect him as he goes around Chawama like any public figure. They should not block him – at – all. Ni ka calo cabe ako bane. Tiyeni tinkaleko ndi uulemu mwa m’tendere shuwa.
Let us debate issue.I have seen PF defending nonsense.Every zambia has freedom of movement and association which applies to HH.The question is was Government in order to deploy such a number to stop HH from entering Chawama? Let us put HH situation as ours and comment fairly
The timing of his tour is very poor. He has given the govt enough reason to bar assemblies in Lusaka after last weeks UNZA escapades. Such gatherings can easily degenerate into a calamity. So caution is needed.
HH has decided to conduct a “tour”instead of a RALLY because he knows no police permit for a tour. But his intentions are seriously BAD. Let him TOUR Kitwe, Ndola, Mufulira, Chingola, Chililabombwe or even Kabwe where there hasn’t been any riots.
these are kicks of a dying horse . no matter the amount of gun pouder will scare a revolution at any given time should people decide so. its not hh its the odds that are against them .
@Ba Chama:
Last week he tried to tour Rufunsa to assess the drought situation. Even there, the police blocked him and demanded a permit which they can not give him. We as a nation have degenerated into an utter disgrace. Ba Kampyongo mukwai have some shame.
ITS LIKE SOME PIPO IN THE PF GOVERNMENT ARE DECAMPAINING PRESIDENT LUNGU.
You can tell on this blog that PF zealots are at pains to defend the indefensible. They are scrapping the bottom of the barrel to try and find ‘justifications’ for blocking a citizens freedom of movement. PF are the pits. Any comment from their GREAT LEADER on this? This is the regime that stands on hills to proclaim commitment to the rule of law, democracy and all other virtues they have read about. It’s just words – they have no inkling of what the terms entail. Their preoccupation is self-political preservation and resource usurpation, to that end.
DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR HH IS FIGHTING FOR WHEN HE KNOWS HE WILL NEVER RULE ZAMBIA. SURELY CAN ONE WINN WITH 3 PROVINCES? IMPOSSIBLE! LET HIM GIVE CHANCE TO MORE CREDITABLE PEOPLE! WE ALL KNOW THE SKELETONS IN HIS WARDROBE. HES NO BETTER THAN THE PEOPLE HES CALLING THIEVES AND CORRUPT. WE ALREADY KNOW HIM AS A THIEF WHO ENRICHED HIMSELF WITH ZAMBIAN COMPANIES PRIVATIZATION MONEY, HOW DO WE ENTRUST HIM WITH MORE PUBLIC MONEY? IMPOSSIBLE! IN 2021 HE WILL LOSE EVEN MORE BADLY BECAUSE SOME PARTS OF SOUTHERN AND WESTERN HAVE LOST HOPE IN HIM!
This guy called HH is worse than Judas Iscariot. When everything is going smoothly and okay in Zambia, you dont and will never hear him praise those in government for good works. The man always waits for an opportunity when there is a challenge natural or otherwise to hit the known media outlets, so what type of a person is he who only think in his small brain that he is the alpha and the omega? Let me give you some tips why this HH has been written off and why he is fake:
1. HH has NEVER mentioned of how to take the interests of those that have retired from active employment and or those above 40 years. You only hear him say “I will create jobs for the youths”. Why does he focuses on the youth? Its clear because these are the vulnerable and desperate class of society. This is a myth,…
contd
1. HH has NEVER mentioned of how to take the interests of those that have retired from active employment and or those above 40 years. You only hear him say “I will create jobs for the youths”. Why does he focuses on the youth? Its clear because these are the vulnerable and desperate class of society. This is a myth, HH has NO plan for the youths.
2. Of all the good works that PF government has and is doing, honestly have you ever heard him give credit to his political opponents? No! This is a sign of hypocrite and a man full of hate, mischief, hate and jealous
3. If you remember very well, during the 2015 drought and subsequent load-shedding that ensued, HH lied to many unsuspecting Zambians that ZESCO had bought fake Chinese Turbines. When the subsqent rain season improved,…
contd
3. If you remember very well, during the 2015 drought and subsequent load-shedding that ensued, HH lied to many unsuspecting Zambians that ZESCO had bought fake Chinese Turbines. When the subsqent rain season improved, the same “fake” Turbines were generating power 24/7 and HH never went to condemned the same “fake” Turbines
4. Southern Province is the most hit Province by the 2018 drought, why hasnt he taken his wealth for donations in that area where its badly needed? Remember HH was calling Government to declare emergence food crisis in Southern Province, why not make efforts to donate in those areas instead of places where him and his friends believe those who come from there are mere dogs?
5. He has always sided with the mine owners at the expense of the ordinary miners…
contd
5. He has always sided with the mine owners at the expense of the ordinary miners whenever Government steps in to ensure the mine owners pay a fair share to the treasury, he has easily forgotten that he is a key man that mishandled the privatisation program the effects which killed many and still continue to be felt on the Copperbelt.
6. He is the only person who aspires to be president of Zambia and yet he refuses to be led by others, including being challenged in his own party, this is a sign of a hard core dictator who can NEVER be trusted with Instruments of Power!
These are but a few things that HH must be reminded of that Zambians arent cheap f00ls that he can just hoodwink and expect to be trusted, fortunately we ALL know him.
Mr Buluzi,greetings to you, i welcome your request to debate issues, allow us to have a good discussion,
1. You say HH focuses on the youth, the reason is simple, apart from the fact that their are the most desperate as you put it, they are also the ones who make up the majority of voters in this country and also they are the least number in employment, if he can try and sort out what the youths, then the levels of crime would drop, productivity will increase, its a ripple effect, you say he has no plan for retires and over 40s,retirees already have a plan its called Napsa, the only thing he has to do is improve the functionality,read about why napsa was formed and from where its formation was copied and how those are making it work,
2. i will make smart conclusion that your current…
This was actually a good thing. HH was being malicious here. Only those that are blind cannot see. If he was wise he would have donated the generators to a different compound clinic. It is that simple, uphold peace and do things with tact.
the blind are those who believe they are ok when the majority of people are no longer following them. its common in zambia whenever the sitting government come to end end so many problems are created by themselves. many times our leaders fail to read the moods of the people. my advice ,its time up.
Starting from Rufunsa through lusaka East to lusaka central it’s the Solis From lusaka North to kapiri it’s the Lenjes,lusaka west to Nampundwe upto sala to Nangoma it’s the Salas, Lusaka South through chilanga to Bweengwa it’s the Tongas, all these are related tribes with 80 to 90 % of what they say being similar and it’s just spoken in different dialects. So these people should respect the original tribes of lusaka and infact going foward election position in Lusaka should go first to the Solis and Lenjes before you put any other.
A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred.