Emeritus Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu issued a statement on October 19, 2023, expressing concerns about what he termed as emerging authoritarian tendencies of the New Dawn government.He called for a halt to the interference with statutory institutions and the restoration of the rule of law in Zambia. Below is the full press statement.
By Emeritus Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu
19th October 2023.
We write this statement in light of the emerging authoritarian tendencies by the New Dawn government in which state institutions are now being abused despite the assurances from the Executive arm of government.
Here we attempt to highlight just a few examples;
1.Freedom of Assembly and association
Zambians are now living in a police state where their fundamental rights and freedoms are at the mercy of the state police who have been weaponized against the opposition and those with opposing views.
The opposition Political Parties whose business is not only to provide checks and balances but also to mobilize support through direct contacts with the people are constantly and unreasonably stopped by the State Police to carry out their constitutional responsibilities with impunity.
2.Freedom of movement
Like it’s with accused suspects or indeed those facing Criminal Charges in this Country, Our Former President is Constructively imprisoned by the State.
The former President can’t leave the Country, can’t freely attend some functions of his own choosing or move out of Lusaka without State approval.
The former President cannot leave the Country for medical reasons or review which thousands of Zambians are currently accessing.
What kind of hatred and abuse of State Power is this?
3.Case of Sishuwa Sishuwa and the Hot FM Radio
The State has started using IBA, a ‘captured’ statutory Body to intimidate the private media in Zambia, Hot FM Radio has some of the Best Radio presenters in the Country and one cannot sanction them because you feel offended and you are welding State power. This is another clear case of abuse of state power by the executive branch of government.
The UPND administration is trying to gag the private media through intimidation and harassment by using Statutory institutions like IBA and the Cyber Security Act. Sishuwa as a researcher was merely stating the obvious facts as they are being played out by this administration using the media (Hot FM Radio) to broadcast his serious concerns. And that’s within the laws of Country. It’s for the UPND administration to take heed and make amends.
4.The use of ACC, DEC and The State Police
The UPND administration has abused the State Institutions of Good Governance for political purposes to get at many individuals who have fallen out of favor and are deemed unworthy compatriots to their cause.
The removal of the Auditor General’s entire personnel through ACC and charging them with financial misconduct and yet refusing them a Court process is totally inappropriate and unconstitutional.
The Seizure of property before investigations are conducted and freezing personal and business accounts for a period exceeding two years without any judicial process in the name of audits/investigations is purely harassment of Citizens and political opponents using State Power.
There’s More Corruption in the UPND administration than ever before under the watch of d captured ACC, DEC and the State Police. President HH promised to fight Corruption but ns Heart is not in it. Quite shameful, frankly speaking, Authoritarianism is a ruse that fails to solve a fundamental Problem.
5.Dictatorship widens the wedge between the governors and the governed.
The stubborn confrontation with Citizens who criticize the Government is an under appreciation of the Vote we gave you. The conduct engaged in by the Government and the Captured State Institutions whose Heads took Oath to Uphold the Constitution is Potentially prejudicial to the vindication of fundamental rights and freedoms.
You should be reminded that, you are violating the Constitution under which you Took the Oath of Office.
6.The Registrar of Society
We want to remind the Captured Registrar of Societies that She’s NOT a Regulator of Political Parties and must not be abused by some shenanigans in the executive.
Please Stop interfering in political parties’ internal affairs like the holding of Conventions and the like.
7.Civil Society, Church, LAZ and The Diplomatic Corps
We are appealing to LAZ, The Church, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps to take interest in the creeping dictatorship before it takes root in the Country.
We demand that the New Dawn Administration stop interfering with the statutory institutions that are mandated to protect, regulate and enforce the laws of Zambia as the first step in the restoration of the rule of law in Zambia.
Signed
Emeritus Archbishop Telesphore G. Mpundu.
