The United Party for National Development (UPND) has written to the Law Association of Zambia, Human Rights Commission, and Church Mother Bodies for intervention into the arrest without formal charge of four of its members for more than the required 48 hours.
Addressing the Press at the UPND secretariat yesterday morning, party Spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa expressed concern at the continued detention of former local government Minister Ackson Sejani, Choma Mayor Javan Simoloka, Mazabuka Mayor Vincent Lilanda, and Choma businessman Fines Malambo without any formal arrest and charge.
“Further to the subject above, we write to register our great concern over the continued arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial detention of our members by the Patriotic Front administration using the Zambia Police,” he said.
Mr. Mweetwa who is also lawyer for the detainees said the detention of persons under the suspicion of Commissioning of a crime was a clear violation of the Zambian Constitution, saying Article 18 of the Zambian Constitution provides for the Presumption of Innocence of individuals.
“The Zambian Constitution in terms of Article 18 provides for Presumption of Innocence to all persons held by Police for the commission of a crime. Section 33 of the Criminal Procedure Cap 88 of the laws of Zambia provides that a person taken in custody has to be brought before the court within 24 hours of his detention. The manner of arrest and procedure are contained in Article 18,” said Counsel Mweetwa.
we have criminals running the system
Ackson Sejani was the master mind of the jihad war using the Mapatizya formula, advocate of ‘only a Tonga can take over from Mazoka’ when picking Under 5. He should remain caged as he is a danger to the Nation as we approach 12 August. This tells you how far the UPND have come as violent party, fighting whichever ruling party is there.
Under 5 tawakatekepo makaka!
AUGUST WILL BRING OUT THE TRUTH
THEN PF WILL HAVE TO EAT ITS WORDS AND CRY OVER ALL THE MONEY ILL SPEND
Complete breakdown of law and order, and abuse of human rights. However time to account always comes
Lungu and cronies will also be detained without charge for long periods…..
Hiding in the name of the “until proven guilty” is not enough. UPND and PF teach your cadres not to break the law. First, they commit the law and then you come and tell us that let them be released, atase bane. We call such AMALIBU YAKUILOMBELA.
Politics that brings division comes from UPND and it is high time we face the reality. When these UPND thugs beat up people in Southern Province whom they suspected voted for PF in 2016 and burn they properties has never been spoken of and no one from UPND condemns the act. We know you and we are now prepared to face you head-on. To be humble is not the weakness. So stop talking about the ruling party because there are very much accommodating
Phuck off upnd. Phuck all your tribal members, their fathers mothers and entire triba clans. Phuck their thoughts, phuck their arrogance, phuck their tribal sentiments and phuck their leader who is the biggest phucking moron.
Oh by the way if you don’t agree with the above, then phuck you too.
Have a good weekend
What kind of lawyers are these cowards of UPND. We have cowards in Zambia no wonder PF can do whatever it wants. Why have they noit gone to the courts to compile the Police to bring these people .
U see ECL is double faced! On one hand ECL is telling and promising Election Observers that Zambia is going to have free,fair and credible Elections in August 2021 but on the ground his Police is abducting Opposition Activists and not prosecuting them in Court. At a personal level ECL is pushing for an illegal and unconstitutional Third Term. HH the Leading Opposition figure is being threatened with arrest, detention and being poisoned in Police Cells. These are not ingredients of a free,fair and Credible Election. We hope Election Observers are seeing how hypocritical ECL is. Election Observers should pressurise ECL to respect the Republican Constitution and Rule of Law as we approach the Crucial August Elections.
BRING OBSERBERS NOW
THAT WILL ASSIST THIS GOVERNMENT IN CHANGING THEIR ATTITUDE
THE WORLD IS WATCH YOU PF MAKE NO MISTAKE
You should try your best not to take anything trolls say seriously. No matter how poorly they behave, remember these people spend countless unproductive hours trying to make people mad. They’re not worth your time of the day.
Insults and raw hatred are shocking
Cornelius Mweetwa is wasting time. He ought to apply to the High Court for an order to immediately free Ackson Sejani and the mayors of Choma and Mazabuka because they hv not been charged with any offence within 48 hrs of their arrest by the police.
Can UPND tell the nation, what is Mapatizya Formula? Who was the biggest advocate of the formula. Now, tell me, do you have moral right to cry foul over the arrests?
Don’t drag the Church Mother bodies in this. I know you have sympathisers in there. But it would be better if you keep the Church out of your criminal acts.
Earlier you have used Church to further your sinister agenda of opposing Cyber Security Bill. Now you are using it to pressurise the government to release the criminals! What is going on? I don’t understand why the Church is also siding with anti social elements?
Ackson Sejani is a known criminal. He is the tribalist face of UPND. People know how he treats people, other than Tonga. By the way, who was the person to launch the campaign that only a Tonga can take over from Mazoka? Remember?
If the Church intervenes and writes to the President, like it did with Cyber Security Bill, then it will send a dangerous message. People will start thinking that even Church is ready to be exploited against exchange of some benefits….. Who knows?
No one can be kept behind bars without valid reasons. UPND members detained by police have committed serious crimes, which need to be investigated. They will be released if innocent.
Why are you not challenging the so called illegal detention in Court? It’s of no use crying foul in a press conference.
PF administration is not using anyone. Police and other law enforcing agencies are autonomous and work free of any govt interference. Stop peddling lies.
Get one thing very clear. If you commit crime, then you will have to face the music. No one can save you, not even the Church.
If the Church intervenes and writes to the President, like it did with Cyber Security Bill, then it will send a dangerous message. People will start thinking that even Church is ready to be exploited against exchange of some benefits….. Who knows?
Bang on! Now UPND surrogates will hide somewhere. I think the party should have consulted good lawyer before writing the letter. The rookies in the core team are taking UPND down, brick by brick.
When People say ECL is Double faced this is what they mean. Elsewhere ECL is promising Election Observers transparent, free, fair and credible Elections but on the ground he is abducting Opposition Members who haven’t committed any crime. ECL is pledging Credible Election but manipulating the New Voters Roll to favour PF strongholds. PF Cadres are threatening and intimidating Concourt Judges to make sure that Concourt shouldn’t hear and determine Petitions on Lungu’s Third Term Eligibility in an Objective and Professionally manner. Very soon ECL will be using the New Cyber Law to close Media,Civic and Political Space. ECL is planning to remove HH’s name from the Ballot Paper by Hook or Crook. On Election Day ECL will definitely close the Internet and Social Media so that they…
You send thugs on the streets to commit heinous crimes when your thugs are arrested, you write to the human rights commission for your thugs to be released. That is UPND for you. These MPs from UPND that is the only work they do to get paid, they never sat in Parliament to debate substantive national issues.
Gassing???