The arrest of Chishimba Kambwili, a prominent opposition leader in Zambia, for allegedly violating the Public Order Act has sparked outrage among opposition politicians and human rights advocates. Kambwili was arrested after welcoming a group of youths to his residence, leading Citizens First (CF) leader Harry Kalaba to label the arrest “unfortunate.” Mr. Kalaba went on to claim that President Hakainde Hichilema has been using the Public Order Act to suppress opponents, saying, “President Hichilema is on a mission to intimidate and oppress his colleagues in the opposition.”
Mr Kalaba has called for the complete obliteration of the Public Order Act, which he believes is an oppressive law used by President Hichilema to suppress opponents. He has also invited the international community to reflect on the situation in Zambia.
Kalaba has since called on the Zambian police to be professional and to advise the President on what is right and wrong, saying, “I urge the Zambia Police to be professional and begin to advise the President on what is right and wrong.” He also called for the complete obliteration of the Public Order Act, which he called an oppressive law. “The adjustments being made in the Public Order Act which would come in the form of Public Gathering act are cosmetic. We need to get rid of oppressive laws like the public order act. They have changed the name then what next. What we are calling for is a complete obliteration of the public order act,” Kalaba said.
And Hon. Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, a Presidential candidate for the Patriotic Front, called on the government to stop using the police as a political tool against opposition parties. Speaking to reporters, Dr. Chilufya stated, “To weaponize the police as an instrument of political mobilization against the opposition is totally unacceptable in a free and democratic society.”
Dr. Chilufya also decried Kambwili’s detention and alleged subjection to trauma as an act of torture, saying, “The detention of Chishimba Kambwili and further subjecting him to trauma is an act of torture that we cannot accept in a free and democratic society.” He went on to urge the government to exercise tolerance and respect divergent views in the political arena, saying, “The defining character of every democracy is TOLERANCE of one another’s divergent views. Democracy and the subsequent political pluralism it births, entails just that– that we are opponents and not enemies.”
Kambwili was eventually released on police bond and is set to appear in court soon. Following his release, Kambwili expressed confusion over why he was being treated like a common criminal, saying, “I did not understand why police were handling me like a common criminal.”
TIME YOU WENT ON DIET OR A HEALTH FARM
They are scared of us these upnd thugs. Hh should be very careful especially that pf are winning next election. We will treat him just as he is treating us.
My diarrhoea is getting worse. I will sue this govt. They poison me
JOKER FOR SURE
Kaizar Zulu. Do not keep on barking everyday. Your diarrhea must be coming from your strong alcohol misuse. You should forget about PF thieves bouncing to power again. We all have nostalgia to wonderful days under UNIP. Though you Malawian thieves massively ran away from your country to confuse the most honest leadership ever.
Ba Kambwili, you are not special; every law breaker should be treated the same. Ati “I did not understand why police were handling me like a common criminal.” Yaaba!
Africa we have a lot of time to fool around and waste taxpayers money just to settle scores…any arrest of a Politician cost a lot of Taxpayers money due to logistics and at the end of the still no conviction…bail or bond in Zambia means case dismissed….so what has HH achieved from this…..just more Government resources wasted
Kaizar Zulu. Very soon it will be your turn to be disarmed with full forces .
Feedom of speech and assembly is a FUNDAMENTAL right of every human. It i ruling party’s interest to allow people to remain over the ground to speak and guide government in running of nation than pushing them underground to run the nation by Guerrilla tactics.
Why are pf *****s purporting that HH is the one using the Public Order Act to suppress the opposition in Zambia?
This law has been there since the time of KK and pf used this law to stop opposition MPs to visit their constituencies. This law has not been repealed by the parliament, so why do you expect the police to ignore the lawbreakers just because its umwine wachisushi?
Kambwili did not notify the police as the law states, so he broke the law period.
These useless Politicians they can’t survive outside Politics…..why can’t they just hustle like ordinary Zambians…they just want to be in Government so that they can steal and cause more misery on Zambians…..:less Politicians and more Managers in Government”….Plant more trees
Kalaba has no game plan…the man’s vision is as short as his height
On this one we’re on the same page
So far I have always believed that our President is a very busy man, obviously trying to fix things. But I have been taken aback by revelations that he had time to personally threaten CK with arrest! The entire President having time to phone and text Kambwili? Does that explain the number of armed Buju sent to arrest him? This is indefensible! It’s ridiculous to the least. I am very disappointed
So far I have always believed that our President is a very busy man, obviously trying to fix things. But I have been taken aback by revelations that he had time to personally threaten CK with arrest! The entire President having time to phone and text Kambwili? Does that explain the number of armed Buju sent to arrest him? This is indefensible! It’s ridiculous to say the least. I am very disappointed
We can get more from trees than Politicians…let’s just conserve nature and take good care of our planet…..if we do that we won’t need any Politician….instead we will have Managers running our Government…to hell with all Politicians PF,UPND,MMD all useless
When Edgar Lungu told this man that your mouth is your biggest enemy at the Catholic Church during one of Sata’s memorial, the man never got advice. Typical of Zambian opposition leaders, they just talk no alternatives, not even alternative budgets done in parallel to win our hearts
ignorance is dangerous.
All it required was ti inform the police that you are going to have a meeting at such place ar such date.