By Judith Mulenga
The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) strongly condemns the gunning down, in cold blood, of two people in Lusaka yesterday, Thursday the 23rd of December 2020 for merely exercising their constitutionally guaranteed fundamental freedoms.
CiSCA further puts the blame for the two deaths squarely on the Republican President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu. The action by the police violated all national, regional and international human rights principles and standards, including policing standards. The killing of the two innocent persons has once again demonstrated the continued repression of the citizens by the government of President Edgar Lungu.
The right to life is guaranteed in Article 12 of our Constitution. It is also guaranteed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Zambia ratified in 1984, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which we ratified in 1984 too. The right to assemble is also guaranteed in our Bill of Rights Article 21 which expressly states, “Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of assembly and association, that is to say, his right to assemble freely and associate with other persons and in particular to form or belong to any political party, trade union or other association for the protection of his interests”. The same right is provided for in Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We would like to believe that the opposition UPND supporters turned up to exercise this right.
The Zambia Police command also violated international policing standards as provided for in the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. Principle 9 restricts the conditions under which force can be used. The standard is plain about the use of firearms as the very last resort of police and only as a life-saving action. CiSCA demands to know the threat that the two unarmed people posed to the police.
In confronting the UPND supporters with live bullets the Zambian Police Service further acted contrary to Articles 7 of the ICCPR, Article 5 of the African Charter as well as Article 2 of the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials which all obligate law enforcement officials to respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons.
CiSCA demands for justice for the fallen unsung heroes. Though we know it is an exercise in futility since President Lungu has never listened to citizens’ voices, it is our duty as CiSCA to still ask President Lungu to dismiss Minister of Home Affairs, Stephen Kampyongo and the Inspector General of Police. Their continuing in office has become untenable. Human rights long ceased to be a sovereign matter and Zambia now has a blot on its image and standing in the world. Putting us on the map for all the wrong reasons has been a hallmark of President Lungu’s leadership.
The number is fast approaching 100
That is the number of people murdered under political circumstances under lungus watch……..
No other president has presided over such a murderous record …..
Thanks Madam but we wished you voiced out the previous day when the Minister was talking tough against un armed and non riotous supporters who were going to give solidarity to their leader which can not be an offence on any given day. But as usual even if the President has asked for a report, don’t expect any action at all
Why do we say lungu and pf are responsible for the fast approaching 100 fatalities of political murders ???
Because not a single person has been convicted of these murders…
From the gassing murders to the police shooting to the cader murders , not a single person.
Either the OP and police know who the murderers are or lungu himself protects them…….
How can there be close to 100 fatalities to political violence and not a single conviction ?????
Lungu is responsible , the PF supporters on LT can try to spin the blame , but the fact remains , ……..
Under lungu , close to 100 people have been murdered under political circumstances and not a single conviction ?????
This f00lish organisation funded by upnd and its tribal supporters is the reason we find ourselves in such a situation. An sane human who is advised by the police not to bring unnecessary cadres to a personal call out, would have heed that advice. Not HH. For him he thinks he is better and more important than any other Zambian. His arrogance led to him inciting his cadres to follow him and in end this arrogance has led to the death of two people, one of who is a state prosecutor who was likely to bring cases against hh in court. Only the upnd and police were in attendance. When we say the upnd are violent, people say we are telling fibbles. Well you have the evidence now.
Stop murmuring you food washout politician with a brain the size of peanut. THe law association of Zambia is speaking the truth. Lungu and his surrogates like you make zambia look bad
Ichi chi Kaizar in Chi puba
Your unhealthy obsession with HH and diaspora is going to kill you
CISCA you are not truthful in your assertions ,is it a matter of human or political rights to go into an interview room with a horde of cadres, behind their leader.
trying to force themselves into a questioning room, HH has lawyers who could have accompained him without any loss of life as advised by the police.
zambia is a civilised state ,long are the days of torturing suspects .
The blame squarely rest on the shoulders of HH who carries himself as if he is a republican president
KZ
Notice how KZ does not say anything of the fact that close to 100 people have been murdered under political circumstances under lungus rule…
Not a single conviction , KZ , what do you say ??
There has been no convictions to the close to 100 political murders under lungus rule because PF and lungu are responsible……
There have been numerous assults and decapacitations of civilians , and very little investigations….
Who benefits the most from these two people who died…. I don’t believe the police had two live bullets. Shot two people in the head and no a single other person. Zero. No one shot in the leg , han or anywhere else. Nope this stings of a setup
The Voice of Reason
December 24, 2020 At 2:54 pm
“..Who benefits the most from these two people who died…. I don’t believe the police had two live bullets. Shot two people in the head and no a single other person. Zero. No one shot in the leg , han or anywhere else. Nope this stings of a setup…..”
And the other close to 100 victims murdered under political circumstances , that’s a lot of setups ???? ,
What kind of security wings do you have to have all these people murdered as a setup and no conviction ???
Nothing will come out of this just like the vespers enquiry it will all be swept under the carpet.
No where in the world can going to give solidarity to a leader be an offence. The crowd was not even riotus. We know civil liberties in Zambia having been taken away but why even take life. The tough talk from a minister of home affairs before the event, the usual unprofessional conduct of the Zambia Police which clearly requires restructuring especially at the top is very sad. Instead of focusing on the economy which they themselves as PF have brought down. How do you explain the Police going to shoot young Frank Mugala whose only crime was going to school on that day and now this.
Bizwell Nkhata – What solidarity? Those are just anarchists sponsored by power-hungry individuals. They and their sponsors are also responsible for the loss of the two precious lives. For HH he must be happy because this is what his sponsors want.
FOR HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO SIT AND WATCH THE POLICE KILL INNOCENT CITIZENS WITH THE SO CALLED STRAY BULLETS? I GUESS IT WILL NOT BE LONG BEFORE WE START SEEING CREDIBLE OPPOSITION LEADERS BEING KILLED BY ‘STRAY’ BULLETS. THUS, OPPOSITION LEADERS MUST BE CAREFUL WITH THESE STRAY BULLETS FROM OUR “POLICE”.
ICC or else it will be another cold case.