By Venus N Msyani
Like on freedom of expression, President Hakainde Hichilema achievement on the rule of law is hard to comprehend.
He is using the fight against corruption to measure his achievement on the rule of law, which is good. However, the president is not being honest on the outcome.
Last April during a press conference, while trying to explain why his fight against corruption has not started yielding positive results, President Hichilema made a false claim.
He claims that his administration is fighting corruption within the rule of law, which was absent under the previous government. That today an opposition leader is called to the police at 14hrs, charged, arrested at 15hrs, and given bond at 16:30.
President Hichilema is not being sincere. There has been no report of anyone getting arrested and securing bond within two or three hours. Suspects continue to spend days under police custody.
Yes, the rule of law was absent under the patriotic front (PF) government. However, one cannot claim it is present under new dawn administration.
Transporting suspects to remote police stations to go and answer charges that could be answered at a local police station would definitely disqualify the claim. It makes United Party for National Development (UPND) government appear worse that PF government.
Calling people clique of thieves is another act that disqualifies the claim. By calling corruption suspects clique of thieves President Hichilema automatically became the accuser.
When the accused (clique of thieves) appear in court, it puts judges in the fix because the integrity of the president (the accuser) comes into play.
Ruling in favor of any accused among the clique of thieves means acting against the president. Would be very surprised if there is any judge out there who doesn’t feel intimidated.
Cadres are openly demanding courts to be occupied by judges who support president Hakainde fight against corruption. Judges who are deemed difficult are being transferred out of Lusaka. Calling it the rule of law implies that we have lost the meaning of the rule of law.
Talking about freedom of expression. The new dawn administration about to break a record on defamation of the president arrests. Almost every week, someone is arrested for defaming the president.
Despite that President Hakainde Hichilema claims his administration has restored freedom of expression in the country. Is there anyone out there who is able comprehend?
It’s easy to insult people, but not so welcome to allow someone to insult you. Whatever opposition leaders say, take it with a pinch of salt….they become something else once they are sworn in.
You know this people who our leaders one thing they forgot is that they doesn’t know that when you’re promising people that I will do this and that they don’t see God in people that is why they tell lies
All the time and they feel that he will do things from his power not God’s power too bad
The rule of law demands that someone who forces alcohol, in fact illicit alochol down the throat of a minor be charged if not arrested. But the President ignores the law and rewards him by keeping him in his cabinet. The HH rule of law?
Good observation Msyani. Indeed, there is no rule of law worth writing home about with the UPND government when investigative wings work at the instigation of the President who calls his political opponents thieves before they have been investigated, charged, arraigned before the courts of law , prosecutors have been able to produce evidence against them, have been proven guilty by the courts after they have been given the opportunity to be heard. Besides what we are seeing more and more under the UPND government is selective justice where those in support of the UPND and suspected to be corrupt like Jangulo and the K 50 million fertilizer scam are not investigated but shielded by GRZ. In addition, hate crimes seem to exist only for those opposed to government and not those in support…
Besides what we are seeing more and more under the UPND government is selective justice where those in support of the UPND and suspected to be corrupt like Jangulo and the K 50 million fertilizer scam are not investigated but shielded by GRZ. In addition, hate crimes seem to exist only for those opposed to government and not those in support of government like Kafue Mayor Buumba Malambo.
Why is Gary Nkombo still a minister? Why is the president pretending that Nkombo didn’t commit an offense? A very serious offense and the president wants all of us to think this is normal?
This Govt is a joke of the century. They are taking this country slowly to No where.
After careful thought, i now know why we are transporting suspects to other parts of the country. It is to keep peace in Lusaka. Imagine Tayali, Imbwili, Bowman and many others all attending court in Lusaka. We are going to breed Lawlessness in Lusaka again. We would have Cadres fighting on the streets, CBD, markets, outside courts. Remember we are trying to clean up our act.
The other stuff, is all about Police processing arrests. Processing Imbwili’ arrest is not like filling in a form for Musonko for a car. no. It takes time, sometimes days. Sometimes we are waiting for the suspects Lawyers to turn up. Lusaka to Kasama or Lusaka to Mongu is a long journey.
I hope Bally still delivers on his promise to have mattresses in all police and prison cells.
After careful thought, i now know why we are transporting suspects to other parts of the country. It is to keep peace in Lusaka. Imagine Tayali, Imbwili, Bowman and many others all attending court in Lusaka. We are going to breed Lawlessness in Lusaka again. We would have Cadres fighting on the streets, CBD, markets, outside courts. Remember we are trying to clean up our act.
The other stuff, is all about Police processing arrests. Processing Imbwili’ arrest is not like filling in a form for Musonko for a car. no. It takes time, sometimes days. Sometimes we are waiting for the suspects Lawyers to turn up. Lusaka to Kasama or Lusaka to Mongu is a long journey.
I hope Bally still delivers on his promise to have mattresses in all police and prison cells….
When UPND was in opposition almost everything PF did was against the rule of law. Now they’re in power and everything PF did which they claimed was against the rule of law is now the rule of law. Can’t someone within the ruling party realize that they can not fool the people all the time? It’s time some of our leaders started realizing that Zambians are not stupid.
And aloso those grown up ‘children’ that Garry offered alcohol are not under age. They legally consume alcohol already. Lets get that clear. You can not spin that one on Garry.
Anyone whether under age or not cannot be force fed what he does not want to consume. It is illegal
Your brain is no longer working