Inspector-General of Police, Kakoma Kanganja has advised political parties intending to hold public gatherings to seek certification from Public Health Inspectors before notifying the police on their intended activity.
Mr Kanganja advised that the Zambia Police will only approve public gatherings on condition of presentation of certification from Public Health Inspectors and compliance to health guidelines, failure to which the events will be cancelled.
“Failure to comply with such guidelines in instances where a public gathering is allowed, shall lead to cancellation of such a gathering.” He said
He said the police is only re-emphasising the guidelines as they are already in existence and the public is aware.
Mr Kanganja has urged all groups and individuals to keep the guard by adhering to public health guidelines as advised by the Ministry of Health.
TIMES ARE A CHANGING
FIRST NO POLITICAL GATHERINGS NOW PERMISSION ?? YET COVID IS AT ITS HIGHEST ???
INCONSISTANT GOVERNMENT TIME AND TIME AGAIN
PF OUT
Which law empowers the PIG (police Inspector general) to issue this edict?
“Failure to comply with such guidelines in instances where a public gathering is allowed, shall lead to cancellation of such a gathering.” He said
PF are so predictable its so unbelievable…we have a President who was happy to fly around when covid-19 cases were seriously high he doing campaign rallies now he is issuing directives to follow guidelines even using the police. This IG has been silent on PF thugs Kamba’s public threats on SC Sangwa. They know that by the time this is challenged and heard it will be end of July and damage will already have been done.
This is where ECZ needs to come in as all this is unconstitutional …I miss the days of Justice Ireen not the stooge ECZ Chairmen that is there!!
Is Soweto market certified? At what point do you get certification?
Lazy Lungu is a candidate he can’t dictate campaign procedure, he’s an interested party…you dont need to study law to work this one out and if we had strong institutions they would have ignored his silly desperate directives. I said it 5 years ago that opposition should have copied the Odinga formula of the Kenyan opposition and lobbied for policies that strengthened the public institutions
The PF including Edgar Lungu were holding public gatherings and campaigning throughout 2020 during the first wave of covid. What is the difference now?
Tanzania, Malawi,Ghana ,Burkina Faso,Côte d’Ivoire , Guinea , Seychelles all held Presidential elections during covid-19 epidemic.
ZAMBIANS DONT BE CHEATED
We’re waiting for you to find Pheluna and Milton Hatembo. I doubt if you’ll celebrate this year’s Christmas as Mwami 1. I hope you have already packed your bags
Surely during the 90 day Campaign Period Political Parties don’t Police Permits. Kanganja doesn’t know what he is talking about. Political Parties are allowed to Campaign freely during the Campaign Period as long as they comply with Covid-19 guidelines for holding Elections. ECZ must wake up guide this process in consultation with all Stakeholders. ZPS should be careful in implementing illegal directives from State House.
Although I agree that we need to adhere to covid-19 and other public health guidelines, I don’t agree with the institution that is going to enforce this: the Police. We have public health offices are district level and that is their job. Also every party must observe these and not only some. ECZ is the supervisor of elections but they are conspicuously absent in this matter. Why is ECZ allowing this? They should provide the guidelines after consulting the Min of Health and call all parties to a meeting to explain how this will be managed. These podium announcements are worrying to say the least. Let’s all realise we have one country to protect. One Zambia One Nation One People!
There is a lot of confusion going by conflicting statements coming firstly from ECZ, Ministry of Health and now Zambia Police Service, IG on restriction of holding rallies due to high spike in Covid-19 cases. One can read between the lines that the ruling PF intention is to disadvantage the opposition political parties. If the opposition parties does not take on the ECZ, ZPS and Ministry of Health they will hit a lot road blocks as they try to reach out to the masses to put across their message. Political rallies were held in various countries during covid-19 pandemic such as in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda, Chad etc and there was no reported death of many people. If ECZ does not conduct this forthcoming general election there are going to be a lot of petitions never seen before in this…
I woke up with a very bad stomach. I have been running to the toilet all morning. Upnd diasporans your attempts to bewitch me won’t work. I am protected from the east
Some one attempted to poison me
If UPND need to gather, then…. Permits of covid.
Because your Luo and Lusambo are everywhere, day and night. This dirty.
It is very interesting, that ECL is still the President and still has the mandate to ensure adherence to public health safety. He posses the power to issue statements to police to enforce the law on illegal gatherings, which police must comply with.
On the other hand, he is a presidential candidate and should not issue statements on how parties ought to campaign.
ECL, through his DCs, is ‘donating’ bicycles with his name and the DCs are thanking him.
Veep is equally doing the same.
The President, his vice and DCs are campaigning every other day in the name of visiting projects.
Covid is real, large gatherings ought to be avoided, look at India. If people mask up and observe distance, perhaps it may happen.
Take a leaf and learn from Mmembe, nothing is stopping him.
so this will be meant for all opposition parties to make sure they can’t campaign the only party that will be granted permission is the PF…
we need to change this corrupt society we live in !!!!!!
Does the Ministry of Health (MoH) have capacity to provide masks to citizens attending political campaigns? If not, then the MoH should not expect all citizens to wear masks during political campaigns. When the MoH in liaison with ECZ developed COVID prevention guidelines during political campaigns, the MoH should have budgeted for provision of facilities and services during political campaigns to ensure citizens participating adhere to these MoH and ECZ agreed guidelines. MoH and ECZ should not expect political parties to shoulder expenses on guidelines without any support from MoH and ECZ. When will public institutions take their responsibilities of providing public services expected from them by citizens?
This is OPERATION Changanya! Mugabe & Museveni Style. When you saw Jameson walking hand in hand with Mugabe or visiting Uganda, his mission was to learn how to terrorize the Zambians who does not support his party