FDD President Edith Nawakwi was detained and questioned by police in Mufulira Wednesday afternoon after they accused her of holding an illegal meeting.
Ms. Nawakwi who is on the Copperbelt for party mobilisation was picked up by police officers from Hindu Hall in Mufulira and taken to a police station for questioning.
She was released later around 17 Hours.
FDD Spokesman Antonio Mwanza confirmed the development in an interview from Mufulira.
“We have just left Mufulira now driving out of the town. The police picked us up for unlawful gathering but Madam Nawakwi has given them some lecture,” Mr Mwanza said.
Ms. Nawakwi apparently successfully held a similar meeting in the area on Saturday.’
Copperbelt Police Chief Joyce Kasosa confirmed the matter but promised to issue a comprehensive statement Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, FDD president Edith Nawakwi has advised the ministry of home affairs to consider coming up with seminars so as to sensitize police officers on the provisions and applications of the public order act before campaigns for the 2016 elections start.
Speaking shortly after the police in Mufulira had questioned her for over 40minuets for holding what they termed as “illegal meetings” in the district Ms. Nawakwi observed that the police were ignorant of the provisions of the law they are suppose to be implementing.
She said there is need to ensure that the police are knowledgeable enough about the public order act which they seem not to understand themselves.
“Unfortunately it is very clear to me that my brothers whom I was dealing with seem to think that they have the right to give permission.
Am urging the Minister of Home Affairs Dr Sinbiakula to have seminars for the police before we get into high campaign season. In the absence of the new constitution the minister must try to let the police know that the public order act is simply meant for them to manage different interest groups especially in places with high population and cities,” explained Ms Nawakwi.
The Police on Wednesday tried to disrupt an indoor meeting at Hindu hall in Mufulira where the party was voting for the party’s district executive but the FDD leader defied police orders to have the meeting stopped and continued with the meeting making the over 30 heavily armed police officers wait for them to finish.
And FDD spokesperson confirmed that the party has put in a district executive committee to organise itself in the district despite the police trying to disrupt them.
Mr Mwanza condemned the actions by the police and reiterated the call for the law enforcers to be impartial in the application of the law.
Good for her ,Chipimo and her were the first people to accompany Ukwa to Brazil and they just went there to waste tax payers money
The ZP are enjoying lectures from Nawakwi. She need to be paid for her good work of training the ZP, and especially when there is no minister in Home Affairs since Edgar Lungu was misplaced.
It’s laughable really , this woman is risking her life so she could take Hambulo to state house.
I really want to meet the no brains who still believe in Nawakwi! Zambia’s problems are made by Zambians. They are the most gullible and timid of people. If Zambians were animals, they would be the tiniest of lambs, baaaah
We told Chipimo and Nawakwi that they were wasting our tax money going to Brazil. Look at them both now. One of them even proposing this really outside the box to an extent of being outside the universe. Chipimo and Nawakwi they should just accompany the president next time he goes to England or China.
when will police officers stop being used as state dogs?in zambia the law is so selective and those in ruling party can hold meetings without being interrupted. no wonder they ar sleeping on serious matters like the day light robbery of our resources by vendata at kcm. the minister of finance shud hav reacted and remind us their plans on the introduction of windfall tax other than this political persecutions of our fellow zambians
Dont expect this government to sort out the rot at KCM as they must be very willing participants to the fraud.There is no way the country can loose such collosal sums without the government knowing.
Dispite of all bad doing, chiluba was the greatest democratic president zambia have eve had.
are you sure?
I was at UNZA during FTJ’s rule. It was a nightmare being at UNZA that time. I cant even say more about the opposition if at all there was any opposition.
Can the police also explain Mr. Kabimba’s recent tour and subsequent public gatherings in Southern Province. Which law was applied then? For goodness’ sake give us a break we are sick and tired of this selective application of OUR laws…by the way how far is OUR new constitution from release?
The PF govt needs to figure out how to deal with the mines, get maximum revenues due to the country and not use their energies on enforcing an archaic public order act selectively. We saw Kabimba in Southern province recently. The police gave him his space and there were no unruly opposition cadres to harass him despite him and his entourage making very disparaging remarks of the opposition and UPND in particular. What a shame!
It is not good merely disrupting divergent views that are good for the nation. Alternative behaviour or responsible opposition must be let to flourish freely, that gives dynamism of ideas to learn from. Monopolistic thinking can’t help us. We know Nawakwi, she is good citizen and all she is doing is making govt think outside the box. She is give alternative views which we don’t know, ignored or neglected. Let these alternative or different view points be allowed to flourish, its good for the country’s enhanced development. Why can’t we spend time dealing with people like the mocking owners of KCM who cheated in order to get our mines? Too much politics for too little things! This is like hunting for ants which can fee no body instead of hunting for elephants that can feed many people.
guys don’t just talk any how, the police have the right to do their job accordingly ,worldwide oppositions political parties need permission to hold their meetings, for protection,and avoid what ever comes up.this is to void bringing confusions in the country as most of politician are against the ruling party and to avoid talk about attacking the president ,in short for security reasons. Zambians as some point of your comments just shows how dull you are and the whole world is laughing at you.
Opposition political parties should also reduce the meetings in the country wasting people’s time,they are not providing check and balance to gvnmt but meeting without solutions, and they never talk about what they gonna do if the intend to form govnmt.useless nawakwi
Today, I woke up thinking i would not say bad things about anyone but alas, an id!ot arises, posts an extremely stup!d comment and worse, makes me break my pledge. You, my brother, are an a$$hole.
Most developed and Democratic nations don’t need permission or apply for permits for political or social gathering,they advertise or drop a letter at police station letting them know of the event,the police will not even be around but they may do regular Patros within the neighborhood.i have personally attended several political,wedding,graduation parties here in USA,only once the police requested for the home drinking spree to end @3am due to loud music,which the neighbors complained of.the main reason why most African ruling parties persecute opposition parties is because the people will acquire more knowledge ,which will allow them to vote from a well logic reasons,eg 90 day promise,most people would have not voted for pf based on that notion.
@The young engineers in Zambia,
It’s a lie for you to claim that opposition parties around the world need permission to hold their meetings. Which world are you talking about? Do you mean Zambia? You are just one of those PF cadres taking Zambia back to the dark ages.
A pf fool
you are right dudelove this young engineer is not even an engineer but a floor technician he needs to be shipped to boko haran, trying to bring his boko haran extremism to our country,
Wena stop insulting floor technicians. We are not dumb like Young Engineer!
Sata used to hold meetings when ever and wherever during his opposition days, now he can’t even allow indoor meetings for others. What kind of selfishness is this, pure dictatorship. We will see if there will be enough police to stop campaign meetings during the high season of campaign.
lets look at both sides of the coin. i feel its important that police is notified when holding such meetings. suppose those where attacked what cud hv bn the issue now? the police cud hv bee left in a diffiult situa’ to exaplain. go to london organise such meetings without notifing the police and see if u wl go scout free. on the other hand the police did nt need to permit them since it was an indoor meeting bt provide security upon receipt of notification letter.
Which London are u talking about,msc used to go London while in opposition and he used to hold meetings without police notification.please developed nations cars and police operation is different from Africa.
Dudelove is right on point … The young engineer has his thoughts misplaced. i too didnt plan on saying bad things but … this stup guy thinks that the Police can jsut apply a law that they dont understand. WINTER maize is flying all over the country addressing meetings .. why are nt they applying the public order act for “illegal meetings”.
100% correct and you are supported
when police are needed to protect the innocent from criminals, they’re not available but they’re all available to harrass innocent people like Nawakwi.your time of reckoning will come in 2016
Whilst HH runs away on roof tops almost failing off in the flight from police officers, Nawakwi stands up and starts lecturing them. viva women
These are times of welensky, Sata worked under him as a police officer.
Your name is game meat – can we get anything sensible from the dead animal chopped as meat?
Listen women, a piece of advice do not use the word “women ” and think this can propel u. The words “women” Tonga” “Bemba” what what can not make you win an election. Tell people what you can do for them may be you can win an election. Talking “Bemba” is boastful and will not get u any were. I can encourage Nawikwi to stop using that term if she wants sympathy. But she can organize womens function as an hidden agenda
Where is Manly Mushota? No comments on fellow woman politician?
Viva Nawakwi. Continue lecturing to them and we stand with you. Viva women power!! Viva FDD !! show them the way it is done not running on roof tops as some men do.
this is our democracy going down the drain, where is freedom of speach, freedom of assembly, you mean it s only the p f that is allowed all the freedoms; come on people, the young ones that dà not know what lack of freedom is think it s normal, we lived through the unip era and it was bad, please lets keep our freedom and democracy