THREATENING ECL
THE threat against former President Edgar Lungu by Jack Mwiimbu, Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security is totally counterintuitive as it flies right in the face of logic and facts.
The whole country watched and witnessed in real time as events unfolded at Lusaka™s Kabwata Police Station when police pepper-sprayed, teargassed and fired live bullets at people who were seated a distance
away from the premises of the police station as they expressed solidarity with Patriotic Front Secretary General Raphael Nakacinda who had been detained.
The ensuing stampede and teargas did not only affect the PF sympathisers but also choked ordinary Zambians in the nearby shopping centre and patients at Kabwata clinic. Many innocent people were equally traumatised by the sounds of the AK47s which the policemen fired.
Arising from that incident and many others, former President Lungu warned that people would rise and force President Hakainde Hichilema to hand over power before 2026 elections if police continued with their inhumane and brutal conduct
Therefore, to suggest as Mr Mwiimbu did in Parliament yesterday that fi–being a former Head of State, perhaps there could be something he knows which Government was not aware offl is absurd.
By Mr Mwiimbu™s understanding, this suggested the existence of a ploy to remove Government considering that the minister added: fiCoincidentally, similar statements have been made by some senior members of the clergy and other political leaders. As such security wings should take interest in the matter. There could be some covert operations being undertaken.fl
There is absolutely nothing covert going on. The tenets of democracy and rule of law are being abrogated openly with impunity by the executive, law enforcement agencies and the legislature to the horror and outrage of the public and church leadership, who have not hidden their feelings.
These include, the Miles Sampa debacle, the arrest and indefinite detention on fake aggravated robbery charges of opposition activists among others.
These are the factors that lead to public outrage. As a democratic country, the citizenry have an expectation of integrity, rule of law and more especially the respect of human right, including liberties and freedoms.
Indeed, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, while in opposition expressed himself in the same manner as former President Lungu had done by condemning excesses by the police and other arms of governance. He called for early election because he considered the PF Government as a failure.
It is however not surprising that Mr Mwiimbu castigated the former President, considering that the Parliamentary question that gave rise to the answer came from the ruling party and the demand for a statement was made by Speaker Nelly Mutti, who has exhibited all traits of a biased presiding officer in the House.
It was to be expected that a threatening and stringent statement would follow.
Zambians expected an environment in which good governance was the norm rather than the exception, an atmosphere bereft of Mingalato and indeed an atmosphere where all institutions of governance operate in a transparent and open manner.
Judicial independence, it has been said, fosters public confidence in the legal system because people believe that judges are impartial and free from external influence. They are therefore to be trusted to be fair and just. Is it the case in the current administration?