The ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) Spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa says his party is concerned with accusations from the opposition that President Hakainde Hichilema is influencing the criminal justice system.
This follows the prolonged case of former outspoken Patriotic Front Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri who has been detained and charged since February this year.
This is in connection with the murder of a UPND member Lawrence Banda in 2019 during the Kaoma by-elections.
Speaking at a media briefing at the party secretariat in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mweetwa said shortly after the general elections, President Hichilema from the onset reaffirmed that his administration will not interfere in the work of the justice system adding that the situation still remains unchanged.
He said although his party is equally concerned that Mrs Phiri has been detained for this long, there are other UPND members who are currently faced with a similar predicament of being detained for a prolonged period of time without trial.
“There are many UPND members who were arrested before elections. Some of them have never seen the walls of the courtroom and we have as an example about eight to 12 youths who are languishing in Monze prisons for almost two years now charged with the offence of murder having been alleged to have murdered Timothy Hakuyu during the gassing,” Mr Mweetwa said.
He however said the case involving the former senior PF party official involves murder which is non-bailable.
“You have seen a number of colleagues who have been arrested before, those from the Patriotic Front as an example, being arrested at 10 hours, two hours later, they are back on the streets with their freedom. The difference with the Mumbi Phiri case is she is facing murder which is non-bailable,” Mr Mweetwa said.
The continued detention of Mrs Mumbi since February has drown concerns from sections of society among them being Green Party leader Peter Sikamba who said Mrs Mumbi’s continued detention is political.
Meanwhile the UPND has commended the Zambia Police Service for the professional manner it handled the questioning of former first lady Esther Lungu when she appeared at the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) offices in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Mweetwa also commended the PF for exhibiting peace when offering solidarity to the former first lady.
“We want to thank our colleagues in the Patriotic Front for somehow behaving in a good manner. I think they are beginning to understand that Zambia is different now, caderism and hooliganism has no space under the New Dawn Administration, they behaved well, at least if you had to look at what it should have been 10 months ago, that is commendable,” he said.
Several Patriotic Front (PF) Members of the Central Committee (MCC) and sympathisers showed up at the DEC HQ this afternoon in a quest to offer support to the former first lady.
Inspector General of Police Lemmy Kajoba warned people planning to meet at Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to offer solidarity to former first lady Esther Lungu of severe consequences.
PF Deputy for Information and Publicity Ambassader . Emmanuel Mwamba noted that the directive given by the Police IG is illegal and against the constitution of Zambia as people have freedom of association, assembly and can express themselves.
At least a more sober comment coming from Mweetwa, better than Haimbe’s statement that it’s normal.
We are aware that murder being a non-baillable offence demands the accused be kept in custody. What both ministers are missing is the constitutional demand that she be taken to court within 48hours, it’s now five months!
I long for a day when a minister will castigate the police for making an arrest before gathering evidence. This lax attitude of saying its normal, there is a case file etc is incompetence of the highest order.
You have identified a problem, acknowledge it, tell us your solution please. This case being high profile should open our eyes to what others are going through.
These ministers are failing the President, the President has made his pronouncements, he wants rule…
They never said HH had to queue for his court appearance. Hypocrisy!
Of law. Minister’s, get to work!
“……about eight to 12 youths who are languishing in Monze prisons for almost two years now charged with the offence of murder having been alleged to have murdered Timothy Hakuyu during the gassing…,”
Why should mumbi phiri jump the queue ??
Afrika ma Afrika. What is your wish?
This has nothing to do with your party but with Government. Where is the government spokesperson. By the way Mumbi can stay in prison even for one thousand years we don’t care. What people are asking for is for her constitutional rights. Mweetwa should tell me what is happening with the guys that killed Konga and colleague in Solwezi on behalf of the Upnd.
Why are you not asking about the killers of the many who lost their lives at the hands of lungu and the PF violent thugs …………????
You are just a piece of amafi because you don’t use your peasize brain before posting.
You are part of the PF theiving corrupt thug family…….
Definitely a tribal supremacists thug who thinks zambia is for one tribe………
That tonga is going to rule you for 10 years, get used to it………..
Spaka… you see you have no ground for argument… how does Tonga tribe come in this? So you have just exposed your tribalism. For your information I don’t belong to any party. I’m a citizen involved with civil right, advocacy, justice and peace.
Stop talking crap………
You are PF through and through……..
Who can you dupe with your subtle tribal supremacists inclinations ???
You have aways supported the PF thugs.
5.5 Believe what you want because you are stu..pi..d. PF, MMD, Upnd, Unip anyone has a s right to belong to any. Anyone has a right to choose what they want. I have a lot to say about you but it’s not necessary especially that you have no skopo
That’s right , everyone has the right to support who ever……….
But you are a coward , with your backdoor support for PF thuggery , then ……….
You want spout that none partisan crap , ??
Grow some cahunas…….
What primitive talk ba Spaka. People dont rule in democracies. Thats why we remove them because they are not Kings but republican presiders
you are inhuman both of you haimbe and mwetwa, this case shall follow you. political positions never last guys, don’t forget about pf. it was behaving a very similar minner.
Mr forehead
#Spaka definitely doesn’t know why PF lost the election
Can someone please explain to him… that what his party is doing can cost them in the the same manner?
Badala………..
HH is destined to rule for 2 terms……
There is no credible opposition…….
The only hope the opposition have is for HH to fail to deliver ……..that ain’t happening
@Spaka Madman…are we talking about terms someone will rule…it is not my problem whether he rules for one million terms maybe to you tribal maggots it’s very important. Not to me because I don’t feed off him like you. We have a topic here and you decide to bring in irrelevant nonsense. Are you God?
I do not think that Spaka is a Tonga or a UPND supporter. In fact, I believe he is quite the opposite, and is saying all these invidious things to incite the rest of the country against UPND and the Tonga people. We Tonga do not support what he is saying. We were the first people to revolt against colonialism. We funded Kaunda and UNIP to go the UK to negotiate with the UK for independence. We gave UNIP the crucial 10% that allowed it to form the government in 1963, instead of giving it to the white party. We even rioted to have Chiluba freed from jail in Choma in 1991, only to find that he was a Tonga hating tribalist when he became president.
Mumbi seemed to know more about this case than a person that is not involved would. I heard her explain and all I can say is that she needs to exculpate herself. That said, it is good that the late is having their case heard, this is morally right.
I am a Tonga and do not support any assertion that any tribe is going to rule for 1 day or 10 years. The Zambians with the best campaign should win, and stay in power as long as the law and continued support of the electorate allow. I do not think that the person who wrote statement is a Tonga. I think it is a tribalist trying to incite the passions of non-Tongas. We do not need these tribal divisions. HH has the most tribally inclusive cabinet since the days of Kaunda, and that is how it should be. What we should worry about are the stupid chiefs who are leasing land to foreigners, and the corrupt immigration officials who are selling the residence permits to allow all of that to happen. Lets defend the only county we have, instead of trying to divide in on tribal lines. There are only…
Mr Cornelius Mweetwa please tell us about the development plans for Southern Province and Choma Central . This is where we miss Edify Hamukale. This fellow its always politics and nothing on development .
Here at Siasikabole, you have never visited
Valid points, but they not the in the discussion at hand.
People languishing in jail for two years without charge, would suggest serious failures in processes. This is not a prideful situation to even cite!
And about the President promising not to interfere, I’m virtually certain, the ‘not interfering’ doesn’t mean ignoring failures.
#plant a tree please.
This has to be left with government. UPND should know what to comment on. These are not party politics but issues of rights that the government should be addressing otherwise when Mumbi Phiri comes out she should sue them for defamation and also contempt of court
Spaka change your tone. Your are a serious tribalist. Conerlius is not a government spokes person and give those comments to government spokesperson. Why bring in tongalism people are discussing on detention of Mumbi . Let us show civility
This Spaka is a serious candidate for igniting a tribal genocide. He must be found and locked up forever in a cell without internet. He is so primitive I would like him to meet me face to face and challenge him to let out that tribal garbage