Friday, March 29, 2024

People seem scared to criticize the president because of arrest and forced relocation

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By Venus N Msyani

Today in Zambia people seem scared to criticize the president because of arrest and forced relocation

Under new dawn administration, only the rich can afford to criticize the president. The poor seem not only scared to criticize the president because of arrest but also possible forced relocation.

When one criticizes the president in the language that is not pleasing to the new dawn administration cadres, he or she is reported to police in the remotest part of the country for defamation.

It seems to be a scheme to make accused spent more hours in custody and possibly spend more money.

The Zambian law demands that a detainee appears before a court within 48 hours of arrest and be informed of charges against him or her. Transporting the accused, most of who reside in Lusaka, to far places make it possible to escape the 48 hours law.

On top of that, one has to spend more money on legal process as he or she need to arrange travel for his/her legal team from Lusaka.

For example, on Thursday May 19, Economic and Equity Party (EEP) leader Chilufya Tayali, who is currently a leading President Hakainde Hichilema critic was arrested in Lusaka. The following day Tayali was transported to Lukulu in Western Province where he has been charged for defamation of the president.

On Monday May 23, 2022, his legal team managed to secure him police bond, but after the EEP leader has spent more than 48 hours in custody.

Mr. Tayali will have to use his own transport to get back to Lusaka. He is about 600 km away from home, Lusaka. A poor person may end up opting to settle there in Lukulu; forced relocation.

Meanwhile, prior to last August election President Hakainde Hichilema was onboard hence knowing exactly what kind of freedom of expression Zambians are demanding.

The freedom of expression Zambians are demanding is not possible under the current form of defamation of the president law.

“We have restored freedom of speech, expression & association, allowing anyone to write or say what they want, where they want & when they want.” President Hakainde tweeted few weeks ago.

The president sounds like he is not aware of the ongoing defamation of the president arrests in the country. If he is not, maybe the emerged cadreism will do. Cadres are now openly threatening to deal with anyone criticizing the president. That is not freedom of expression Zambians want.

Today the poor are scared to criticize President Hakainde Hichilema because of possible forced relocation. That is not freedom of speech and expression Zambians want.

32 COMMENTS

  1. It’s worse than ECL….then it was all muddled…. but now it’s systematic like Nazi Germany.

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  2. I can’t be surprised
    Look at the way they worship a simple pastor (they even call the ***** man of God) mean while the bustard is busy shagging their wives,and they pay him for that as well.
    What of a president??,he is a small God!!!.
    Who can criticise a God yours is to lick the boots.
    Blame your selves

  3. You can’t even crack a joke about the President or his tribe. Being around the President has become so boring. From where did this man come?

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  4. It’s the African way
    Work on your mindset then criticise constructively.but the lickspittle only gets negative vibes from any critic’s, so it’s complicated.this problem is multi faceted

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  5. This is extreme exaggeration. There is a very big difference between constructive criticism and ridiculing someone. Pretending you didn’t mean what you meant is shear hypocrisy. Hate speech cannot be allowed to flourish especially when it boarders on dividing the Zambians. Nobody has that right. When an issue arises out of Social media, the location of the complainant is where the case will be heard, That is why it is Lukulu this time. The complainant lives there. It helps to know the consequences of one’s actions,
    .

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  6. Freedom of speech, the most misunderstood political expression – criticise policy, methods, uncouth language whatever BUT you can’t ridicule his or insult the office nor his person: the president is wrong(office) or the president is a dullard are worlds apart – the latter should land you in trouble( person). You CANNOT have an opinion over an issue you do not understand, it is a case-by-case situation.

    “Zambia a total mess, since PF took over from MMD-Nawakwi”, FOE, OK
    “HH stole from zambians during privatisation-Mr X”, accusation and not an opinion
    It’s your take stay legal and avoid the stress, get too clever, you are on your own. FEAR is when “newspapers” stay dumb for 11 years and NOW discover FTJ Varsity, Bangweulu Hospital, Slab Projects…today everybody SUDDENLY aware…

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  7. This article shows total hypocrisy – there is a difference between insulting/defaming a Republic President(an offence that has been in the Zed laws since whenever) and criticising the president. The writer obviously knows the difference but pretends otherwise 🙂

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  8. This calculated curtailing of freedoms of speech is more dangerous than that of the PF, I am starting to believe there is a deliberate scheme over this issue, a sad day for mother Zambia.

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  9. Chimbwi no plan, Muzungu opusa, Nakuchita ububi chi-color, who said these things?

    PUNGWA!

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  10. The strategy of relocating the accused person to face charges in another town may succeed in the mean time but it will yield catastrophic results because people will be fearing to point out the wrong things that the Government will be committing.
    Yes, people will be quiet now but watching at the distance and time will come against the government. I trust this statement. Eat and dance for a while as they did but they are crying now. It will be even worse for you.

    When individuals trust in the visible hands to succeeds often they fail, just reflect over this statement. Zambia is a Christian Nation therefore, our leaders must trust in God . GOD is able for this great country if the leaders can put their trust in HIM who has given them the power to rule us. God is the great…

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  11. SOME PEOPLE DO NOT CRITICISE THE PRESIDENT. THEY INSULT. EVEN IN EUROPE WHERE THERE ARE MORE ADVANCED DEMOCRACIES, WHEN YOU UTTER WORDS THAT DEMEAN OR LOWER THE PRESIDENCY THEY JAIL YOU. RESEARCH AND YOU WILL FIND OUT THAT ABOUT 13 COUNTRIES IN EUROPE, IT IS A CRIMNINAL OFFENCE TO DEMEAN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. FRANCE ONLY DECRIMANISED THIS ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO. INFACT IN SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES LIKE RWANDA AND ESWATINI, YOU CANNOT DO IT. THE WESTERN CUNTRIES CONSIDER KAGAME A DEMOCRAT BUT GO THERE, YOU WILL DISPEAR IF YO0U INSULT HIM. GHANA IS ONE OF THE FEW COUNTRIES IN AFRICA, WHICH HAS DECRIMINISED THIS IN 2017. BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING THAT IT SHOULD BE BROUGHT BACK BECAUSE OF PEOPLE BEHAVIOUR. THOUGH MOST GHANAIANS SEEM TO CRITICISE THAN TO INSULT.

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  12. That’s the problem of too much freedom. The majority of you Zambian boys are mediocre and real *****s. In the last regeme you couldn’t even move or talk properly but now you have a President who is a true Democrat but you are complaining just for the sake of complaining. When will HH really work because you *****s have been on his neck from day one even before inauguration

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  13. It’s good HH is bringing order on social media. ECL tolerated no sense a lot and youths thought insulting and criticizing the president is the order of the day… This need to be put to stop and orderliness on social media

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  14. Come on, Venus, puleeeease, STOP being economical with the truth!!
    Is this what you call “Checks & Balances” in your sorry deluded SICK world??
    – H.H should t3ka M@tako panshi, he’s “munshebw@” & you call this Malumb0?
    – H.H smiles @ Whites only?
    -“This President sits like a girl”?
    – “Ruling a Nation is not the same as Ruling Cows”?
    – “Nakikwebele ati vota pa Bwato, wa vota pa N’gombe”?
    – H.H is a 2@tanist, a C0wboy who cant dress properly”?
    – H.H overpromised, still remember more money in your pockets in 90 days-2ata & I open Mulungushi textiles next week, ba J0na, I know Venus it’s OK for the more money & Mulungushi textiles lie, as they are the chosen tr1bes in your Xen0phobic eyes.
    – H.H should fly, to avoid causing road traffic accidents.
    – H.H should…

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  15. Someone says it was worse than the Lazy Lungu regime.. I know you want to plant that narrative to suit your agenda.

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  16. You know why you fakas cannot developed both in mind or economically? Because you are not principled. When people insulted Lungu, it was criticism, when people criticize Hakainde it is insulting. Has anybody called someone by their genitals? That’s what we call insults… not when someone says YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING, YOU ARE NOT FIT TO BE A LEADER, YOU HAVE MADE LIFE MISERABLE.. These cannot be called insults.

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  17. Kalaba critise HH, has he ever been called by the police, insult the president and you will be summoned to the police, promote tribal hate and you will summoned to any police station from were the allgation is reported. Better to say don’t vote for this one because he is greedy not don’t vote for this man because he is lozi or any tribe and lozy’s are greedy

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  18. You can criticise all you want, but………..

    Do not use facts you can not substantiate in a court if you are called to do so, unsubstantiatedfacts that boarder on alarming the nation…………

    Do not use insulting or derogatory language that is morally unacceptable in our society……………

    You are then free to critics HH and his GRZ to your hearts content………

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  19. #15  Deja Vu 
    May 24, 2022 At 11:53 am

    “You know why you fakas cannot developed both in mind or economically? Because you are not principled. When people insulted Lungu, it was ……..”

    Lungu was called a corrupt theif everyday……….

    An accusation he did not bother denying or taking any to court to prove so ………….

    We know why he did not bother denying that he was a corrupt theif…………

    And those saying kalaba is not being taken to police…………

    Kalaba knows his limits of his mouth, he does not insult or issue alarming statements of lies that he cant substantiate in court, I am sure…………

  20. #Spaka you seem to be one track mind…did you want the president to deny that for you to call it an insult. Always look at two sides. If today I overtake HH’s motorcade I am sure you will call it a crime and yet when HH did that to Lungu you called it a simple traffic issue. Anyway you people are brainwashed no wonder you support gay things

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  21. Who is poor and has been nabbedby the police for insulting or criticizing the president? Is Tayali , Biwman Nakachinda poor? Tayali lives in a rented house in a high class surburb of Lusaka. Rentals in Lusaka are equal to the most expensive perfumes worn by Mrs Lusambo as confessed by her husband. No poor person can live in Olympia where Tayali lives.

  22. #21  Deja Vu 
    May 24, 2022 At 6:41 pm

    “#Spaka you seem to be one track mind…did you want the president to deny that for you to call it an insult. Always look at two sides. If today I overtake HH’s ………”

    You seem to be going senile……….

    What insults were meted on lungu apart fro him being a corrupt theif and drunk ?

    If you call HH corrupt every day , belive me , he will deny it and ask you to prove it……..

    And if the police don’t line the road the president is travelling on , and you overtake , belive me , no one in the new GRZ would be insecure to call a traffic violation as treasonous crime…………

  23. Today in Zambia people seem scared to criticize the president because of arrest and forced relocation
    Very true you can only criticise the president you voted for on LT. Have you ever seen a DeadNBC employee criticise any president from the studio?
    You have to have your tail between your legs to work there

  24. Deja Vu – Do you even know why this boy Tayali is in Lukulu? Defamation is not even about insults…I know you are a CB guy good at shooting them. Defamation is the publication to one or more third parties of a statement about you which has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to your reputation. Chaps like Tayali have a habit of causing trouble when you take him to court he comes begging in his knees

  25. Reflections on Africa Day. The AU must worry on activities of the Bruntherst Foundation based in South Africa. History reveals that the Rhodesian whites sponsored RENAMO in 1976 aimed at overthrowing FRELIMO’s Govt in Mozambique. Sponsorship of Renamo was taken over by South Africa’s racist regime opposed to African rule. Renamo’s insurgents killed many people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. Curiously, the Bruntherst Foundation’s wisdom chose to sponsor African political opposition parties – including the terrorist Renamo. The DA’s white liberals dumped Maimane partly for his connection to the Bruntherst Foundation which has created “MOLES” in the SADC region.

  26. #26 Tarino Orange. All what you have said is very correct. But checking old postings on LT I see it was okay to insult Lungu. If you insult an old man just because he’s not your father, you have actually insulted your own father. Tayali, Siwale, Tukuta were heroes at that time because of the insults and false accusations they leveled at Edgar Lungu. Even now those supporting attacks against Hakainde are wrong…. supposed Mmembe becomes president how is going to handle what he may be protecting today?

  27. @Nancy, the fancy company and luxury of UPND that you are enjoying will come to bite you, the day UPND is out of power.
    The policeman, judge, bureaucrat and cadre that is vengeful will face the vengefulness of the other side the moment HH is out of power.

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