The Young African Leaders Initiative is saddened by the arrest of Laura Miti, Pilato and their colleagues and has called on Law Enforcement Agencies to ensure the due process of the law is followed in dealing with the matter.
YALI President Andrew Ntewewe said he has learnt that the arrest is on the basis of the Public Order Act a colonial, archaic and undemocratic piece of legislation which requires an appeal.
Mr Ntewewe has however that Civil Society Organisations and Activists, the arrested inclusive have called them names for advocating for the national processes aimed at repealing the Public Order Act 1955 and enhancing the Bill of rights through the referendum in 2016.
“Our involvement and effective participation at the National Dialogue Forum, National Democratic Summit, submissions at the various Parliamentary committees is not a sign of weakness or being surrogates or sellouts of PF; its about putting national interest above personal, partisan egoistic interests. We have preferred to prioritize a national agenda as opposed to narrow, short sighted political expediency”, he said.
Mr Ntewewe said sadly, the CSOs have been absconding these processes to repeal some of these draconian pieces of legislation in preference for antagonism and political partisan expediency.
“If we had for of once put national interest first, the Bill of rights would have been expanded in 2016 through a referendum. Our people’s right of assembly, freedom of expression and movement would have been enhanced and guaranteed”, he added.
Mr Ntewewe said if all members of civil society had in earnest, participated effectively in the National Dialogue Forum, today the Public Order Act 1955, would have been repealed and replaced with a better, more democratic and humane piece of legislation.
He said the arrest of Pilato and three others is a lesson to all Zambians to put national interest first and ensure that they participate effectively in national processes to enhance democracy and human rights.
“For as long as the current legal framework is not strengthened to promote democracy and human rights, incidences of this nature will be the order of the day! It must also be borne in mind, that these laws cannot be fortified by the governing party alone, it requires conceited efforts by all of us! Currently, there is political will for this to be done”, Mr Ntewewe said.
“Finally, on a sad note for now, we painfully have to state that our colleagues have made this bed, so please sleep in it! Reflect deeply for the greater good of our country and the future of our children and children’s children”, he said.
Croc tears for Laura Miti are coming from unusual places.
Kikikikikikijukija!
Yaba!
The same Laura, Pilato and other upndead sympathizers together with upndead main stream gang have protested and assaulted the flow of NDF both in and out’a parliament where the law of the POA is rightly supposed to be fixed and amended. The same POA is active and putting these kids to check.
I personally don’t like messing around with the POA in its current state. I mean I Like it.
Mtewewe trying hard to come back after loosing Constitution amendment thing.
Good job Boma.
Free the Defenders unconditionally.
Life is dynamic u my think u are clever by mocking others, but karma will always come back to u. Ba ntewewe pretence in life is not good u may think u are the learned about bill 10 but their are most learned not even close to u who have spoken against the draconian NDF participation. Zambians know that all those people who participated in that forum of yours where doing so not in the interest of Zambia but their selfish bellies and posterity will judge each one of u. Time will come when u will all be exposed bwana u cant claim to dupe people all the time baba. Eat now but the time of reckoning is coming.
Have you read the POA fully?
If you have, you would understand what this guy is talking about.
If you haven’t, access it by googling. I wonder why pilato could be behaving like an illiterate and always choosing the way of rubbing shoulders with the law.
NDF was designed to mitigate Pilatos present status.
If you have nothing good to say just shut up. We know your true colours and it’s a well known fact that you and your fellow mercenaries can tomorrow match along Cairo road without any permit and nothing will be done to you. Selective policing and justice…
Super analysis, Andrew. When CSOs narrow their focus to partisan politics, this is what happens. I read an article which highlighted the damage CSOs do to African governments by causing confusion so that western agendas are pushed. That’s why South American and Asian governments don’t treat these organisations very well.
Let that dirty piece of man alone. He fails to appear clean with that freedom When he is incarcerated,he will start to stink
A man looking for work in government pretending to be concerned with true advocates. I smell double standards.
What a scumbag of a human being.. rejoicing in the persecution of someone whose only crime is to oppose a sitting government’s misdeeds and wrongdoings. He is blaming their own arrest and persecution – at the hands of a dictatorship government – on themselves, what kind of reasoning is this? These are the gallant brothers and sisters who are sacrificing to fight this evil stain in our generation called the PF. This Ntewewe spineless douche is sleeping with the PF and he wants everyone to do the same. What has he achieved in his so called participation in these govt mockery initiatives? One day these same laws that he’s celebrating the incarceration of others will be used against him once he falls out of favour from these scumbags.
Very misleading headline, at “saddened”, the…