GOVERNMENT has established that the youths arrested in Kitwe on Monday when Roman Catholic Church priest Frank Bwalya appeared in court were allegedly hired by some politicians to cause confusion.
Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that some of the youth confessed that they were hired to cause trouble at the court where Father Bwalya, who is Change Life Zambia chief executive, was to appear.
Mr Mangani said although the police warned and released the youth yesterday, after paying admission of guilt fees of K50,000, Government was concerned that some politicians were becoming desperate and abusing young people.
He warned the youth to take charge of their lives and avoid being used by some politicians who had personal interests to satisfy.
The minister said the Government wanted to see politics based on issues and decency instead of violence.
He warned perpetrators of violence to be careful, as the Government would deal with them sternly.
Meanwhile, the 24 protesters who were arrested for conduct likely to cause the breach of peace have been released.
The protesters, who included Patriotic Front Copperbelt provincial youth vice-chairperson and Bupe Ward Councillor Elias Kamanga, were released yesterday after paying admission of guilt fines.
Copperbelt police chief, Antoneil Mutentwa confirmed the release of all the 24 protesters, who were apprehended outside the Kitwe magistrate courts.
They were part of the mob that became unruly and forced police to fire teargas to disperse them.
This was during Fr Bwalya’s court appearance on charges of conduct likely to cause the breach of peace.
Mr Mutentwa said those arrested would not be charged with any other offence other than conduct likely to cause the breach of peace, after Magistrate Mercy Makubalo warned Father Bwalya to ensure that his sympathisers did not disrupt court proceedings again.
Mr Mutentwa had said on Monday that the police would wait to see if the 24 would be cited for contempt but that since the court had only issued a warning, they had been released with just one charge.
He refuted reports of damage to any vehicles or looting of any shops in the town centre during the confusion.
He said police had not received any such reports and added that those dispersed from the court ran through the town centre and did not damage any property, especially that there was heavy police presence.
And the Authentic Advocates for Justice and Democracy has called for the arrest of people championing the removal of the Government.
General secretary, Laiford Mwanza said in a statement yesterday that it was wrong for civil society organisations and Fr Bwalya to engage in the ‘red card’ campaign over what he termed as straightforward issues.
Mr Mwanza said all the methods the civil society organisations wanted to use in registering their grievances were wrong.
He said that switching of lights during the day signalled danger and that there was no danger in Zambia for anyone to switch on headlights during the day.
He also said the unnecessary honking and whistling was noise pollution and constituted a chargeable offence under the country’s laws.
He said the colour red signified serious consequences and those brandishing red cards were inciting people to revolt against a democratically elected Government.
The Zambia Direct Democracy Movement also said it would not allow sponsored non-governmental organisations, some churches and political parties to destroy the country due to irresponsible behaviour.
Executive director Edwin Sakala said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that he was aware of a number of organisations that were being sponsored by foreign powers to divide Zambia.
“I challenge the so-called big parties to deny the fact that they are funded and given the agenda by foreign powers,” Mr Sakala said.
[Times of Zambia]
Hired by whom? if they really confessed then the said names. Can the minister give out those names, he must not take us for kids by lying to us .
This is very sad and it has been sad for a very long time. I bet your boots and one titty if you could get me to act in any way for your political behalf. Ever seen one of the National conventions for these monkeys? They got some of the most irrelevant people to nominate and rally for them. Zambian politicians, if they may be called so, are just a bunch of retards trying to gain milage in the wrong direction. I keep asking, when you get into politics, or let’s just say a “Government Office”, what is your end game????
A Zambian priest who is leading a campaign to force the government to resign has been freed on bail after spending three nights in jail. Father Frank Bwalya denies charges of breaching the peace after distributing red cards – the symbol of his campaign.
After being freed, he told the BBC he had “never felt so confident” about his message and said the government was corrupt and dictatorial. Officials have denied the arrest was politically motivated. The priest’s critics have labelled him a rabble-rouser, but Fr Bwalya said his campaign has wide support. “People agree with our message because it’s their own message,” he told the BBC’s Focus on Africa. “The people would have liked the government to go yesterday – but we’re a country of laws and there are procedures.” The priest…
The priest was arrested in the northern city of Kitwe on Friday when he was distributing his red cards – a symbol borrowed from football, when players are shown a red card when they are dismissed from the game. He is encouraging Zambians to honk their car horns and show their red cards on Fridays, to display their displeasure with the government. Dozens of protests gathered outside the court during his hearing, and police fired tear gas to disperse them. Analysts say he enjoys wide support in Kitwe, an opposition stronghold. The priest is spearheading the anti-government campaign, which is being backed by several other groups of activists.
Should Religion and Politics mix in Africa?
Should Religious Leaders in Africa criticise their Governments?
An outspoken Catholic priest in Zambia was this week arrested for handing out Red Cards against the governing party in Zambia.Father Frank Bwalya is leading a campaign to force the government to resign.Religious leaders on the continent have often been criticised of meddling in politics by politicians but do religious leaders have a civil duty to hold their governments to account?Is the priest right to criticise the government or is he overstepping his responsibilities?Do religious leaders have a role to play in the politics of your Country?Or should they stick to preaching? If you would like to join Africa Have Your Say to debate this topic LIVE on air on Wednesday 17 March at…
If you would like to join Africa Have Your Say to debate this topic LIVE on air on Wednesday 17 March at 1600 GMT, please include a telephone number. It will not be published. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/africahys or follow us on Twitter @bbcafricahys. You can also send an SMS text message to +44 77 86 20 20 08. BBC Have your say, Africa
Published: Tuesday, 16 March, 2010, 17:24 GMT 17:24 UK
ADD YOUR COMMENT
State the names or be called a Anarchist like William Banda.
MMD all for agitating of violence with no facts.
Everybody wear the color RED.
What can they do arrest EVERYONE??
That would be funny.
Mangani is a cheap lair. Who can believe that those protesters were hired. Even the most ignorant person would know that those people are agrieved by the incompetence of this Government. Mangani is cheap boot licker trying to do whatever he can to keep his job. That kind of misinformation of people won’t work, trying to cover the truth, misinterpreting facts, trying to make people believe what he would love them believe. Sorry it won’t work. People know the truth about the happenings so you can’t cover it up. And for your information Mangani and your likes the fire has started burning for change Zambia and it will continue and we achieve change
Iwe chi African @ 3-6, a (URL) will suffice. Ubufontini =))
Mangani, you excel in your ways of intimidation, oppression and suppression of other citizens, but remember that we all are Zambians and have a right to speak, positively or negatively, on how those exercising power and managing the national affairs ON OUR BEHALF are performing. Stop being overzealous in your efforts to silence or oppress your fellow citizens. Remembers also that the measure you are measuring out to others may one of these days be measured out to you. You will not be minister of home affairs for ever. Why should you always be breathing out threats oviolence to your fellow citizens?
If the Youth were hired, why has mangani failed to arrest the offenders who hired them? The answer is very simple. The Youths were hired by the MMD.
Fellow Bloggers, Sata has been under intense uncoordinated ceaseless attack from the MMD.The reason is simple they are afraid of him, not that he is a bad man as they project. Why do they care on someone you can wallop on election day? They are trying to get HH to take over the PACT, the MMD think HH is a walkover. The truth is whether HH or Sata stands, any of the two should win. The only possible way is to get maximum support of supporters of the other. Hence all HH sympathisers get this right. HH needs Sata and Sata Needs HH. lets unite to get ride of MMD.
“Johannesburg – Angry protesters banged on police vans and tried to force their way into the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning, where hip hop artist Jub Jub was set to appear on murder charges.
Police officials on the scene LOADED THEIR GUNS WITH RUBBER BULLETS and prepared a WATER CANNON as crowds became aggressive and pushed against the gates of the court house”
Mangani, LEARN from this. Never load your guns with live bullets when dealing with un armed civilians.
# 11 you are right. How much money is mmd wasting to hire all kinds of people to farbricate lies against the PACT.
Remindz one of the statement that “women didn’t vote” and so that’s why KK waz defeated in 1991. In the prezent set up we have people who are just angry, thoze that are just hungry and thoze who are both angry and hungry. I don’t think anyone needz to hire such people to react to any situation.
IWE CHI MANGANI,STOP GUTTER POLITICS AND JUST DO YOUR JOBS,YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST INCOMPETENT ,USELESS MINISTERS WHO ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR MMD
usual story, too much of a coward to mention who he is accusing. just wasting oxygen
stop gutter politics Managani and do your job.You are one of the most incompetent ministers causing problems for Rupiah
one thing i do not understand with this Frank bwalya, and maybe some one can helpme, the elections are around the corner, why not express his disdain for GRZ throu the ballot box ?. That is the right way to kickout a goverment, not the revolutionary tacticks he is using. If he is a true man of God, he should know that his actions can cause civil wars.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY FELLOW ZAMBIANS, HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY VIOLENCE. THAT RED CAMPAIGN, IS A PANDORA BOX, WHEN IT IS OPENED YOU WILL SEE WHAT WILL BECOME OF THOSE RELATIVES OF YOURS IN ZAMBIA. YOU SAW HOW THE BLOG MADE IT A BEMBA ISSUE YESTERDAY, NOW THESE ARE LITERATE PEOPLE WHO AVE BEEN EXPOSED WHO CAN LODGE SUCH A CAMPAIGN, WHAT MORE THE KAPONYA’S AT HOME. ZAMBIANS STOP PLAYING AROUND WITH THE PEACE WE ARE ENJOYING, JUST ASK ANGOLA, RWANDA, CONGO, WHAT CIVIL STRIFE WAS LIKE THERE. PLEASE IF YOU LOVE OUR COUNTRY ZAMBIA, ENCOURAGE THIS MAN CALLED GENOCIDE BWALYA TO CHANGE HIS STANCE, THERE IS NO NEED FOR THIS STUPID CAMPAIGN, HE SHOULD JUST GO OUT SUPPORTING WHICH EVER CANDIDATE HE SUPPORTS. STOP THIS STUPID CAMPAIGN. ABASH THE VIOLENCE, TRIBALISM, AND POSSIBLE GENOCIDE. ABASH BWALYA.
Well, Bwalya went in knowing something like this would happen, I am quite certain. It’s remarkable that he was still waving that red card in the authorities’ face straight after his release, dressed in red to boot! I think we could be making a big noise over nothing here. Both sides, Bwalya and the authorities, seem to be standing for what they believe in and no one is getting hurt. The problem is people like this minister coming out with such irrelevant information, it’s obvious he has no evidence.
Now my mind is made up. I will put my weight behind the pact. Win or lose they seem to be more sensible than the Mwadya Mweka Daddy (MMD).
Father, let us go the Thai way. I’m ready to donate a pint of blood!
Ah, I meant to say that chiMangani is a primary school teacher and what bullies primary school teachers are.
On March 10, the Vatican’s chief exorcist, the Rev Gabriele Amorth (who has held this demanding post for 25 years), was quoted as saying that “the Devil is at work inside the Vatican,” and that “when one speaks of ‘the smoke of Satan’ in the holy rooms, it is all true – including these latest stories of violence and paedophile.”
This can perhaps be taken as confirmation that something horrible has indeed been going on in the holy precincts, though most inquiries show it to have a perfectly good material explanation.
Concerning the most recent revelations about the steady complicity of the Vatican in the ongoing – indeed endless – scandal of child rape, a few days later a spokesman for the Holy See made a concession in the guise of a denial.
It was clear,…
There are two separate but related matters here: First, the individual responsibility of the Pope in one instance of this moral nightmare and, second, his more general and institutional responsibility for the wider lawbreaking and for the accompanying shame and disgrace.
The first story is easily told, and it is not denied by anybody.
In 1979, an 11-year-old German boy identified as Wilfried F. was taken on a vacation trip to the mountains by a priest.
After that, he was administered alcohol, locked in his bedroom, stripped naked and forced to perform oral sex on his confessor.
(Why do we limit ourselves to calling this sort of thing “abuse”?)
Ba King Solomon, I think this news we know about it. We also can read and understand news on CNN. So, what is your point in bringing this up? What does this have to do with the Mangani diatribes? Why don’t you ask your Mangani to mention names if he has balls? Why is there too much women in MMD though all you put on pants pretending you men? Soon you will be telling us stories about Benny Hinn, then you might move to how King Solomon died. Please, stick to the issues at hand. So, now we are supposed to be discussing issues about Milingo and the Moonies? Come on, get a grip man.