The Human Rights Commission has called on the Zambia Police Service to investigate and arrest the suspects in connection with the brutal assault of the Patriots for Economic Progress during a peaceful demonstration against the alleged overpricing of 42 fire engines in Lusaka yesterday.
The Commission has confirmed that the PEP President, Sean Tembo, reported the case of being attacked and robbed by some known and unknown people who were allegedly armed with dangerous weapons such as guns and machetes on Cairo Road in Lusaka.
Commission spokesperson Mwelwa Muleya said it is therefore expected that in accordance with the rule of law, the police will swiftly act on the reported crime in order to end impunity and lawlessness that has in the past resulted in grave violation of human rights such as deaths and injuries of victims.
Mr Muleya said the fact that Mr. Tembo reportedly provided the Police with names of suspected assailants should relatively make the work of the police easy in initiating investigations and bringing the suspected culprits to account through the due process of the law.
He said the Commission has engaged the police command to find out why there was no police protection or policing of the lawful public procession as required by law.
Mr Muleya said the Police have however, the police have indicated that there was a last minute advice to Mr. Tembo that the police was not going to be available to monitor the procession because they had a sudden commitment.
He said the Commission is deeply concerned at the growing and apparently justified public perception that the police deliberately and maliciously neglect or refuse to protect individuals with divergent or dissenting views in order to justify their routine violation of the right to freedom of assembly through the abuse of the Public Order Act.
Mr Muleya said the right to freedom of expression of divergent views and opinions is the foundation of a multi-party democracy and a pluralistic society such as Zambia, and the state has an obligation to respect and protect that right without any form of discrimination.
He has called for political tolerance, civility and respect for the rule of law and human rights.
Mr Muleya said those who commit crimes must be punished to avoid creating a fertile ground for impunity, civil disobedience and anarchy, which is inimical to national interest.
Dont be distracted lets just vote PF bandits out of office…enough of donchi kubeba….we know the game plan….dont kill UPND’s momentum trying to draw attention
ZP can’t investgate anything? It’s corrupt and useless. Boss kaziue Zulu can’t let them investigation into the corruption.
Ba lungu never gave power to the speaker! How much is fuel today? How much is meali meal today? Government employees been paid today? How’s load shedding Finisised? Ba lungu please please say anything about economy .
this is only crime Kaizer is not mentioned yet.
Why have relations in Zambia become so toxic? It seems that everything is now down to fists and brawn. And most disheartening, the prevalence of guns!…they seem to have become menacing accessories to be waved in people’s faces What happened to solving disagreements amicably – respecting another’s point of view?
Make me understand this, Chilufya Tayali is beaten by upnd cadres in full view of everyone; The same cadres manhandle the speaker of Parliament at a funeral and there’s silence from such institutions. Are certain people more special than others to deserve a public outcry??? I am not supporting violence but why are these public outcries selective?? Is democracy good only for certain people and not others???
HRC my foot is commenting from partisan position, the procurement was already done and money spent, a done deal. All those protesting over the spilled water from the bucket are sheer time wasters. Why should you leave your business, work station to go and get scotched in the sun and get robed on dead issue?
Would it not be helpful to advocate for revised and transparent public procurement procedures as the current ones are a source of the current misunderstandings and wrangles. Even in parliament i often wonder people question the perceived wrongs done in place of putting measures to avoid the same in future. Remember that the governance systems and procedures in use were designed by white oppressors to benefit themselves, and we have just adopted those practices without analyzing and…