Friday, March 29, 2024

Fred M’membe and Nevers Mumba Condemn Arrest of Chishimba Kambwili

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The arrest and detention of Patriotic Front (PF) presidential candidate Chishimba Kambwili on charges of unlawful assembly has sparked controversy and criticism in Zambia. The arrest was made following a protest over the high cost of living that was staged by youths at Kambwili’s residence on January 26, 2023.

The Socialist Party President, Dr. Fred M’membe, was among the first to voice his disappointment with the arrest. In a post on his Facebook page, Dr. M’membe described the situation as “ludicrous and ridiculous” and accused the police, who are under the command of Mr. Hakainde Hichilema and his UPND government, of violating international human rights standards. He stated, “The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association are, together with the right to freedom of expression, at the core of a democratic and open society. Yet, this government of Mr. Hichilema and the UPND, who claim to be liberal democrats, are further diminishing the enjoyment of these fundamental rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and are increasingly becoming more and more repressive.”

Dr. M’membe also pointed out the silence of the United States and its European partners on the situation and labeled it as “double standards” and “hypocrisy.” He asked, “What type of liberal democrats are these? Are these the democratic credentials the United States is exalting and honoring them for? Or is it their anti-China and Russia stance, the allowing of an AFRICOM office in Zambia they are exalting and rewarding them for?” He called for the immediate release of Kambwili and his colleagues and stated, “We demand the immediate release of Mr. Kambwili and his colleagues.”

The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) President, Dr. Mumba, also echoed the displeasure with the arrest. He stated, “I just arrived back in the country and I have just been briefed about the charges made against Honourable Chishimba Kambwili. I believe that this is an unfortunate and unnecessary arrest, and will only serve to reverse the good strides we have so far made as a nation in returning to normalcy, respect for the rule of law, and the unnecessary targeting of political opponents.” He added, “For the record, we urge the Police Service to accord him Police Bond and to not take us back in reverse to things we have moved on from. Let us forge ahead, together, towards the Zambia we want.”

Kambwili, along with Charles Kakula, who led the protest march to his house, is currently in police custody and awaiting court appearance. The arrest has been met with resistance, with Kambwili himself describing the police officers surrounding his residence as “unacceptable.”

This development has sparked a new wave of criticism against the UPND government and its handling of human rights and democratic values by the critics. The arrest of Kambwili is being seen as a step backwards for the country, which has been trying to move towards normalcy and respect for the rule of law. The critics hope that the international community will be closely monitoring the situation in Zambia, particularly in light of the recent criticism and accusations of double standards and hypocrisy.

22 COMMENTS

  1. Nevers, you are an hypocrite. Stop pretending. You are still a useful 1d10t. Pretending to sympathise with Kambwili and yet you are happy 1d10t.

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    • @Henry He’s now tired of waiting for an appointment… especially when he saw numbskull Kawana showing off his new Chipaso.

  2. WHAT VIOLATION HAS THE GOVERNMENT MADE. ARE MEMBE AND NEVERS SO DULL THAT UP TO NOW THEY STILL DONT KNOW THAT THERE ARE RULES /GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW WHEN ORGANIZING PROTECTS . I AM OW REALISING WHY MMBA CANT GO BC TO THE PUPIT

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  3. But the POA is still on the books and yet to be repealed. As such, its continued enforcement is consistent with the rule of law.

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  4. 2H should stop it because he is making Chimbwili famous. Manny and Milesi were doing a good job to sideline him but now you are making him a superstar.

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  5. I didn’t take it seriously when CK claimed that HH called him and followed up with a text to threaten him with arrest. What has happened has given credibility to those claims. Any President that does that is dangerously petty. I’m disappointed

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    • All the arrests, ECZ elections malpractice in Kabushi and Kwacha are by instructions from Community house. Why should the president call a citizen of this to warn him about something? Haven’t the police got enough resources and knowledge to handle such issues?

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    • Deja Vu – Of course you had to mention Kabushi and Kwacha we know the reason why…just tell your mates Bonanza and Bowman to try farming or take them as your partners on your farm

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    • Tarino Orange. You must be from another planet if you think those elections are worthy to be called elections. The Kwacha one was even worse…. even the”winner” knows it deep enough to fail an erection even if a woman takes of her clothes in front of him.

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  6. Why are some tribes so sensitive to be identified with their ethnicity? Instead of being proud of being what they are, they turn to vindictiveness. Why?

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  7. What CK said is what has exactly happened meaning Ck has reliable interligency,he said he will be arrested detained for 10 days and that bail will not be granted and this is what has happened mmmmmmmmmmmmm kkkkkkkkkkkkk kkkk zakana ma days. Nibamwankole.Zambia is now hazambia.

  8. Few politicians are as detestable as Chishimba Kambwili. I think journalists are letting this country dwn by not matching Kambwili with those who disagree with him so that they can engage him on many issues facing Zambia. Kambwili knows very little Zambian history. If he did, he would be saying some of the things he says.

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  9. “I believe that this is an unfortunate and unnecessary arrest, and will only serve to reverse the good strides we have so far made as a nation in returning to normalcy, respect for the rule of law….”

    Ba Nevers, we never returned to normalcy, it’s purely been window dressing by this pungwa regime, otherwise rule of law there’s no.

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  10. If we are not careful, the Police are going to de-campaign UPND. Another lady wearing tuPF regalia in Mansa was forced to the so-called UPND offices in the market. What are the Police doing by allowing UPND offices in markets when the President has condemned such acts and why didn’t they arrest the UPND cadres who stopped an innocent woman from wearing tuPF regalia?
    Hon. J Mwiimbu, must take great interest in the behavior of some of the police officers majority of whom are still tuPF loyalists.

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  11. On his trip to visit CK, Sampa bemoaned the sighting of a snake in the rural police post. Sampa is shooting his own foot as well as the heart of PF. Shameless *****s.

  12. Some in the name of democracy will become expendables like Chilufya Tayali, the political functioning illiterate

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