UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema has reiterated his call on the PF government to make a bold decision by immediately declaring hunger  a national disaster.

Mr Hichilema says this will help avoid the hunger situation to spin out of control which will result in the unnecessary loss of human life.

He noted that already, 2.3 million Zambians are stressed with 450,000 already declared as living with famine-like conditions and this will just get worse with this situation.

Mr. Hichilema says the famine Early Warning Systems Network has predicted a high probability of below-average rainfall throughout Southern Africa in the 2019/2020 period and has therefore called on Governments, the donor community and partners to expect a typically high food assistance needs throughout 2020.

He said it is already very clear that the start of the 2019/2020 rain season has been erratic with early season deficits which will obviously result in poor crop performance, unlike what the Zambia Meteorologist Department forecasted.

Further, Mr. Hichilema said most scientific studies are suggesting that the Southern African region is the global ‘hotbed’ and epicenter of climate change whose effects will greatly affect food security for prolonged periods.

He said with this evidence, any regional government’s effort to declare the hunger situation a national disaster will certainly receive the much needed international assistance.

“We have on countless times reminded our colleagues in government, that the hunger situation is a crisis that requires the tenacity and fortitude to deal with, by declaring it an emergency. This enables our local and international partners to activate the international instruments for aid to begin to flow into the needy areas”, he added.

The US State Department says it is dismayed by the treatment of its Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote by Zambian authorities.

In response to a press query following reports that Ambassador Foote has been recalled, an official at the State Department says the US government is dismayed by the treatment of its representative to Zambia.

“We are dismayed by the Zambian government’s statement that Ambassador Foote’s position “is no longer tenable,” which we consider being the equivalent of a declaration that the Ambassador is Persona Non Grata,” the official said.

“Despite this action, the United States remains committed to our partnership with the Zambian people. We seek an open and frank relationship of mutual respect, commensurate with the generous aid provided to the Zambian people by the United States.”

The official added, “The Department of State works tirelessly to protect and promote the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all human beings around the world, regardless of gender, religious belief, national origin, sexual orientation, or economic circumstance. The United States firmly opposes abuses against LGBTI persons.”

“Governments have an obligation to ensure that all people can freely enjoy the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms to which they are entitled,” the official said.

“As Secretary Pompeo said in September 2019, “Unalienable rights are at the core of who we are as Americans. We abhor violations of these rights, whenever and wherever they are encountered.”

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.

National Democratic Congress Leader Chishimba Kambwili has challenged Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja to resign over the arrest of Pilato describing him as the worst Inspector General of Police Zambia has ever had.

Mr Kambwili said the arrest of Human Rights Activists Pilato, Laura Miti and Bonwell Mwewa is unacceptable and an infringement on people’s rights to assemble.

He told Journalists after appearing in the Lusaka Magistrate Court that Churches are exempted from notifying the Police to have any form of gathering.

Mr Kambwili said the hounding of Pilato at the Catholic Church in Livingstone is therefore unacceptable and has urged the Police to refuse to be used by the PF regime to stifle on the rights of citizens.

Police in Livingstone on Saturday arrested Human rights defender and artist Pilato and charged him with unlawful assembly.

And Human rights activists Laura Miti and Bornwell Mwewa have also been detained by Police after they travelled to Livingstone to negotiate Pilato’s release.

Pilato was addressing scores of youths at a Church in Livingstone’s Libuyu Township at a meeting dubbed Youth Insaka.

Police stormed the meeting and picked him up and later charged with unlawful assembly.

Chanda Mbao released the official video for his hit single “Too much” that features Slap Dee.