UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema is disturbed with reports of law enforcement officers whipping and beating citizens as they enforce measures on COVID-19.
Mr Hichilema says Law breakers have a constitutional right to due process, which includes being brought before a competent court.
He says corporal punishment is not the answer and the statutory instruments that have been issued to fight Covid19 do not prescribe the punishment being metted on erring citizens.
“Law enforcement is based on the principle of “Innocent till proven guilty”. We don’t have to see people getting killed extra judicially before we speak about this behaviour”, he said.
He said a civilised society functions by the rule of law and if the country is to aspire to a higher level of development and governance, leaders must behave in a civilised manner at the very least.
Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo recently vowed he will ensure that people advocating for the human rights of those being whipped for defying the Presidential directives are also whipped.
Meanwhile, Zambia Breweries has pleaded with distributors of beer and bar owners to follow government’s directive to close bars and night clubs during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Zambia Breweries Country Director, Jose Moran said distributors and bar owners must do what is right for the community.
“At Zambia Breweries, there is one thing we love as much as beer…and that’s bringing people together for a better world. But our world has changed. Now we all must step up and do our part by staying apart. We must do what is right for our communities and for each other,” said Mr. Moran.
He stated that as a law-abiding corporate citizen, Zambia Breweries stands with the authorities and the nation in the fight against coronavirus.
He, therefore, advised bar owners to consider incorporating takeaway services in their businesses to continue running during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“For bars and pubs owners, we can still operate our businesses as takeaways for home consumption. But we need to stay closed and avoid unnecessary crowds. Let’s be part of the solution and not the problem,” he emphasized.
Mr. Moran maintained that beer lovers can buy beers at any licensed outlet and enjoy responsibly from home until COVID-19 is defeated.
He said people need to stay at home and avoid gatherings only for the period of COVID-19 during which the government has directed everyone to stop unnecessary travels and gatherings.
He stressed the need for togetherness in the fight against COVID-19.
And Mr. Moran has disclosed that the brewing company, through its Budweiser brand, is sponsoring online parties to reduce the temptation of opening night clubs.
He said the company has since partnered with Zambian DJ Sebastien Dutch to host online parties on Saturdays for party lovers to club while at home adding that two social distance parties have so far been hosted.
The stone age has never left Africa…..
There is reason why civilized societies use lockdowns to control humans, right now with this iron fist(pabwato)(pamaka) people don’t even know whether its beer consumption that is not allowed or meeting in groups, with our police that is prone to misinterpreting laws, hope no mistakes will be made police basapaye mwana wamuntu from those beatings we a seeing.
The public interest comes before any individual rights you think you have. We cannot have a situation whereby lives are lost because a few foolish goats think that their rights are more important than those of 17 million others. And let me ask foolish hh, where in the charter of human rights is there a right to drink beer in a public gathering ? This is why you lose elections. For a person with an MBA you lack commonsense. If you don’t listen to simple instructions the only way some people listen is through force. Kz
Kaizer… You are a fool, calling people goats, you should have and response fort the. You *****.
*****
I would agree. A fine os a more civilised punishment.
Abnormal people still think this abnormal act of whipping people is normal. No matter how grave the issue may be, corporal punishment is not in our statutes. Even if corona virus is a life and death issue, no one is allowed to beat, assault, or injure anybody in the name of Presidential directive. If you want to start beating people, include it in bill 10, debate it and turn into law, for now, whatever you may yap, know it is illegal, brutal, uncivilized and archaic to beat people.
Just keep a record those brutal video’s of PF Minister Bowman Lusambo abusing Zambian people.
Come 2021 ,the people of Zambia will be reminded of how he brutalized Zambians in the name of enforcing presidential directives.
That moment when you eating groundnuts enjoying then one rotten one spoils everything…… LATELY I HAVE BEEN ENJOYING YOUR LEVELHEADEDNESS in removing politics for the common course. Its not and i repeat not everything you should comment on ..whipping people is that wrong you ignore just to show solidarity to whats obtaining on the ground. you can you eastern wise way of not answering in case you are called on phone to comment….voice mail or give mutinta tosay bali mu bafa basamba….
The statements by Mr HH president of UPND over abuse of political power as cases to which PF regime will be answerable once out of power, is the most fearful and dreading PF government has with sleepless nights to contain with. As they say every time has its beginning and ending. What is important is how you manage the time in between the two ends.
Misguided message HH as usual – there is no civility in people disobeying legal directives. That is your starting point. To use your usual style of attacking government actions at every opportunity is completely offside here. Just imposing a fine on such reckless behaviour by drinkers wont solve the problem – they have money to buy beer, they are prepared to pay a fine to drink beer, period. These rascals risk putting all of us into problems. A whipping is the only punishment that they fear.
The largest beer company in Zambia advising people to stay at home and drink from there by buying their brand from the supermarkets and shops…people just stop drinking beer all together and adhere to a plant based diet so you don’t compromise your immune systems which instrumental in fighting covid-19.
Why don’t they Close Brewery companies? End of the Story.. Why?
All those applauding Bowman’s whipping if citizens are celebrating dysfanctuanality. The law is very clear as in what to do with offenders.
Covid 19 knows no human rights.So advice people with wisdom.
Tarino for once I agree with you. Zambians like to pull on that alcohol it’s not even funny. This is the downfall of its national growth. Alcohol gone and Zambia wins. Africans are the most blessed people, but the most myopic in terms of not realizing this.
The drunkard tarino orange is advasing people not to drink or drink at home but the sober hh is talking of civility where there is law breaking, so who is sober between the two? hh go and drink if you so wish, you will be whiped as well lusambo is not a coward like you, dare him ,the rest will be history
MR HH , SORRY… FOR NOW POLICE AND BOWMAN HAVE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB… THOSE WHO ARE BEHAVING IN A WAY THAT IS LIKELY TO ENDANGER OUR VERY SURVIVAL ON THIS EARTH HAVE TO BE WHIPPED. THAT IS THE ONLY LANGUAGE THEY WILL UNDERSTAND…. WHIP THEM PLEASE AND WHIP THEM HARD…..THERE IS NOTHING LIKE HUMAN RIGHTS HERE. WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO START REGISTERING 2000 DEATHS PER DAY BECAUSE OF A FEW INDIVIDUALS. PLEASE LETS ADHERE TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM GRZ. FOR OUR OWN GOOD…
Nzelu – A lot of our black America brothers and sisters are dying because they eat to much artificial laboratory rubbish from KFC, McDonald s etc…which doesnt do good for their immune systems …they will even queue up when a new burger is out.
@ Mr P. The law is supreme in this land. No one has the right to mete out any form of punishment on another. Not that I’m in support of what the offenders are doing but clearly what the minister is doing are acts of lawlessness.
Hakainde have you forgotten we dealing with Dunderheads PF bandits pompwes….very uncivilized….what do you expect from someone who thinks eating too much cheese is healthy…someone who can’t differentiate filthy from spotless….Lusaka vs Dubai
@ Tarino Orange
Yes lets start cooking in our own kitchens now…those KFC and McDonald foods are poison…too much chemicals and preservatives….
H2 that’s why ur losing always even where a nursery child
Is seeing sense you fail why??
Getting your point well it’s like you are indirectly feeling for those wrong doing characters.
Do you really feel for the 17million zambians?????
Mr HH in my observation i find you rather funny in your politics , you never said anything when ritual killings were the order of the day and the gassing the people of Zambia was one of their nightmares to talk about, and Zambia lost more than 50 lives but you kept your mouth tight we are still waiting know who ever was behind such evil.
Now there has arisen the new disease in the name of corona virus which is a deadly killer , people are dying like flies all over the world I would rather have people beaten to secure their lives than allow them to die in large numbers .
Mr president please come to this earth and be reasonable in your thinking, you don’t seem to be connecting with easily with zambians
Even if it is hating someone honestly are you sure he never openened his mouth about the gassing and ritual killings?? Where were you during the same period when these things were happening? Did you have wax in your ears and and did you lack site even to see him on TV or read on social Media.
Zambians we are really fools sometimes. The problem is that people are now earning their lives as professional fools and since the qualifications are low many enrol on a daily basis
Sometimes, you need to be cruel in order to be kind. COVID 19 is no jocking matter. The same people who are misbehaving are the ones who will get the infection and end up endangering the lives of health workers! These ill-mannered People are the ones who deliberately infect others once they have the infection. We have seen how some Covid 19 patients deliberately cough into the faces of health workers and Public Service drivers thereby infecting them. You can hate Bowman Lusambo for his overzealous and unorthodox approach but the people who got whipped asked for it! They were warned. Some people can’t do the right thing without a Sjambok on their back! Whip them hard! This is a Human Rights issue. We need to protect the human rights of our health workers against willful infection by the…
Its clear to see who has a noxious agenda on this forum … I am just surprised the laid back LT moderator is forever fast asleep, its no surprise LT is being accused of fueling this self distraction lunacy.
Its only in uncivilized countries were this would be seen as normal even by a F.ool who calls himself a presidential advisor
I agree with hh on this one. I totally condemn the uncouth language by Bowman. I also agree with ZB director Morgan. Maybe cabinet should have incorporated more stakeholders before shutting bars, gyms, betting parlours and now salons. While minibuses pack people like a lucky star cans and markets remain packed….
@Aristotle ”basapaye mwana wamuntu from those beatings we a seeing”
South African man was allegedly beaten to death by a group of soldiers last Friday 10/04/2020 around 17: hrs… It’s reported that Collin Khoza was beaten to death for drinking alcohol inside his home. Its just day 18 of lockdown and he is already the 9th person to be killed by either police brutality or soldiers since the lockdown started in that African country. They found him eating inside his home with his brother and one bottle of beer and started beating him and his brother, after the police left he started vomiting blood and died in his bed.
Meanwhile Street vendors are back and the Pot bellied Facebook Lusaka Mayor Sampa has backtracked as he has been out ranked by top PF officials in the capital really laughable.
Having failed to control cadres violence, it remains to be seen if this behavior will be controlled. Speaks volumes of the civility of some of our citizens. Covid 19 is a real balancing act for authorities. In one breath, taxes from breweries are desperately needed but at the same time bars and taverns should be closed. What a dilemma…..poverty is a curse indeed
Is Akainde’s in normal operational mode?? Just be cause the Human Rights Commission has expressed themselves against the right way to deal with these charlatans naeve ati human rights, Human rights my foot., He also said they were not guilty until proven by the courts of law. Just the other day New York was burying 2000 corpse and you think this is a Joke.
Who gives Akainde airtime kanshi to continue spewing nonsense.
Your excellence sir president Hakainde Hichilema on this one your voice is a big miss , how do you feel when see American , Italy , UK , Spain there everyday record of positive cases this are rich with high technologies but they have failed to control the situation and everyday world continues losing lives of important in people cause of covide 19 and you now econom of your country can you managed to control this situation of people they don’t comparate with the measures think the orders north Korea put in place so stop talking about rights which will destroy our country better you talk about right of saving lives the only way us Africas we can do to help WHO by following the measures because non has passion to find cure
So for you HH human rights is more important than Human Life? A dead human cannot have rights! If say the police follow your advice and start rounding up patrons and put them in holding cells so as to appear in court, how are they going to implement social distancing in cells? Shutting your mouth when you don’t have something positive to say is wisdom
Hh is not Zambian, please be careful when we’re dealing with him!!!
If they close brewery companies you same people you start saying that they are distroying companies what’s wrong with you people.
As usual in Africa we miss the point if implementation after copying something from TV.
The ‘social distancing’ phenomenon as a way to minimise the spread of the COVID-19 is a Chinese/Asian and Western concept but we differ remarkably in terms of its implementation.
Where I live, information, education and sensitisation is King. No whipping is recorded but police have been given powers to issue on the spot fines for thise s!lly flouting the rules. The Prime Minister (equivalent of our President) is on national TV everyday with top medical experts giving briefings and updates on the strategy, status, etc. This is also done at the State (provincial equivalent) government level.
More importantly stimulus package in billions of dollars is being provided to those affected:…
…More importantly stimulus package in billions of dollars is being provided to those affected: businesses; individuals; job seekers; renters; mortgage holders; health care workers; etc. Childcare has been made free.
Shops have guidelines and sports and public events have been shutdown.
It’s an all encompassing and comprehensive strategy that looks at every aspect of life and actually works and doesn’t rely on thuggery showboating of some sorts by some minister who wants to be seen to be everything, the alpha and the omega!
“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”!
We have a lot of followers in PF including ECL who have titles of leadership but are really not leaders!. Bowman Lusambo is a good for nothing grand stander who is always reactive and abusing power. The president and PF should have provided leadership by planning and clearly laying down the consequences of disobeying the directive such as issuing fines instead of committing crimes by the overzealous police beating people. THIS IS A FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP just like they did with the gassing! VERY SAD.
I think we woken up mate, some of us do have allotments and we grow our own staff, organic seeds from zambia
If this ka boy HH thinks he has right to movement without it being checked, then let him go and cross great east road with his eyes closed and then let him come and report to us what happens.
I have observed something, those poor countries that have failed to offer meaningful bailout packages are using corporal punishment to “enforce” lockdowns. The richer countries are respecting human rights but charging fines. It’s an interesting mirror of our respective societies. It’s time to ask tough questions and close breweries if we really want to control this pandemic. Shebeens will keep mushrooming as long as there is beer readily available.
COVID 19 has created an enabling environment for dictators. If you want to know whether your country is a Dictatorship or not, now is the time to check. Just go out to drink tonight and come back and tell us how it was. Good luck!
How did Zambia come up with irrational people like nshilimbemba? Hate is wired in his brain. It is pity we have such creatures who think that they are humans. Their thinking is weird.
Let HH be infected with convid 19 first we see whether he will talk of human rights… Human rights are not absolute and those defying orders should be whipped so that they don’t infect others…
*****.
If the police were doing very little to enforce he would be saying the opposite. This is a Political opportunist.
THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. Human Rights also has a Right to Life clause. People ignoring lockdown rules are endangering the lives of everyone in the country. If people will not obey the struggle to save lives they must be dealt with……even whipping if they refuse to break up their gatherings. Dispersing Stubborn ignorant people is not easy. The police must enforce the law even to force. They are authorised and do not need courts to make someone go home. Can you imagine how busy magistrate courts in the time of Covid19, when they should be shut.
Honestly, we don’t have money to feed or sustain people/businesses, and he recommends taking people to court who should have right to due process! By the time they’ve been heard all the judges will have caught COVID and died!
HH is liability to UPND!!Kainde is the reason why UPND has been losing elections since 2006!!Surely are human rights more vital than human life?Why should Zambia risk the lives of 17 million people for the sake of few drunkards?Many Zambians are in support of ZP and Hon.Lusambo’s actions!!I guess Kainde does not pay DSTV for him to watch CNN,BBC,SKY NEWS,ETC AND SEE HOW WHITES ARE DYING LIKE FLIES FROM COVID-19!!If America is failing to control covid-19,what about poor Zambia?HH must learn to keep quiet on certain matters than opposing everything done by Govnt!!ON COVID 19,KAINDE IS 110% WRONG!!!Some people do not listen,so ZP has to use force!!Even western countries are using force or risk losing million lives dying from corona!!!Under Covid-19,ECL and PF Govnt’s image has really…
Iwe Ka Kaizer, watch your Mouth, never say Never, tomorrow will be HH and you will be the first fool to be locked up with your stupid Boy Lusambo.
Quite a funny proposition: “take them to Court so that they pay fines”. Congestion will at Court now – that is where transmission will take place en masse. They pay, and go back to drink – catch them, they go pay at Court and go back to drink (for them it will be like you have increased the price of beer – and they can afford). Whip them, they go home and will not come back to the bars/streets the following day – problem solved. That is the way this part of the world works. That is why Iraq, Libya have known no peace after Saddam, Qaddafi.
Kwena HH, some peoe are really just something else. The day HH will learn to keep quiet we will mistake him for a Wiseman. For now he has proved himself to be otherwise.
Most Zambians have lost their thinking faculties. HH is not opposing enforcing the regulations, nor are other right thinking people. It is the manner in which it is done. There are other policing methods other than this. You cannot justify assaults on the citizens as a way of dealing with COVID – 19. This is brutal and breach of rights. It is also being done piecemeal. What about people still crowding in all sorts of places? It’s not only drinkers who congregate. Things have to be done constructively otherwise there will be anarchy. The 50 people gathering should have been reduced and travel restrictions imposed as well. Tackling COVID – 19 doesn’t mean exposing your ignorance.
I notice that some people always support the local team even when they know that certain things are wrong. And i believe they do this just to show allegiance. That is being fake, a true friend is not one who agrees with you when you’re wrong, a true friend is one who tells you that you’re wrong when you’re wrong. what is the benefit of pretending just to show someone that you’re in support, how will your friend know that he or she is wrong if you always follow the wind’s direction? Does the Bible tell Christians to beat people who can’t follow rules? when this thing is all over this nation will be judged by it’s decisions and there will be a question as to whether we are true Christians or we just pretend. Have we stopped believing that repentance and prayers can save us and…
I feel so sad when our leaders in this christian nation behave worse than those in a den of thieves. Look at the vulgar language of some of those here from the ruling ‘elite’! Where were they when we banned capital punishment in this country? It is too easy to beat up people. It takes thinkers to avoid brutality and yet win the fight.
@Fwanya you are evil. Karma will deal with you!!
KZ,U ARE A BIG FOOL.U ARE THE WORST FOOL EVER BORN ON THIS EARTH
Harold Muna – There is a difference between people congregating for an other reason and drinkers. Alcohol impairs your thinking and therefore, you become a danger to yourself and other people very easily. Let’s distinguish between the two. Corporal punishment is the quickest way to control people’s behaviour – we abhor excesses, of course.
@Harold Muna
Intelligent thinking trunces Right Thinking (is that when you join the status quo). There is danger, logic implies change of behaviour. The scientists have spoken. The WHO has spoken. All around the world people a felt to stay indoors for protection and saving lives. No right thinking person would be out drinking and gathering with no social distancing given the advice from right thinking scientists and health specialists like WHO.
What makes you think you are right thinking anyway. A little education will inform you of the role of the police in enforcement especially during emergencies, why do you think they have truncheons and guns, bullet proof vests. If police beat people wily nilly, then yes that is wrong. But not if people are breaking the law.
Akainde is a missed call
If you check the CV of all those who are supporting beating, you will notice that most if not all have been very dull from their early days in school.
On the other hand, check the CVs of all those again. Most likely they will be A+ students or former. Most likely what you support is a clear reflection of who you are.