Chilufya Tayali and mutiny charge

THE next report from the Zambia Law Development Commission should amend or repeal the law of inciting munity that Economic and Equity President, Chilufya Tayali is charged with (Daily Nation, April 7 2022).

It is either the piece of legislation is a “colonial mentality” hang-over or there is over-zeal in the police command in trying to protect the new dawn administration from criticism and in the process overstepping on fundamental freedoms.

Like Mr Mulenga Fube rightly observed, Mr Chilufya Tayali lacks the capacity to incite mutiny in the armed forces.

Let me put this lack of capacity into context. With the dawn of the new UPND administration, Mr Tayali has lost two elections. He suffered the first loss in the August 12, 2021 mayoral elections for the city of Lusaka.

The second is the recent Kabwata by-election. He came out fourth with 420 votes and lost to Mr Andrew Tayengwa of UPND who polled 13, 574. The total votes cast were about 27, 700.

How do we interpret these results in relation to the capacity to incite mutiny? If he is unable to mobilise the community for electoral purpose because he has no human and physical infrastructure, how has he developed the crucial network within the armed forces for mutiny? The police command should and must not repeat the drama of the Mongu traffic offence becoming a treasonable charge forcing the Church and the Commonwealth to intervene in such a stupid case.

If Mr Tayali has committed a crime, in the spirit of justice, the police should give him an appropriate charge than go on a fishing expedition to “criminalise” his political career.

His political career is not at the mercy of the UPND administration but is guaranteed by our constitution.