CLIMATE OF FEAR

WE do not think Zambians should be living under a climate of fear that there are citizens who are contemplating to overthrow the government through illegal means.

What they would naturally expect is for the law enforcement agencies to move in swiftly and arrest the alleged conspirators to face justice.

We do not expect Government to sit on such information – if indeed it is there – and issue blanket and veiled warnings about arresting those advocating for a violent overthrow of the government.

For this reason, we agree with Mr Harry Kalaba who has expressed worry that the government has not moved to arrest anyone even though it is aware of such plans.

Mr Kalaba, the president of the Citizens First has demanded that the government through its security wings should immediately move in and foil the coup and arrest all the perpetrators because Zambia was a democratic country where leaders were elected and not imposed through insurgency.

He said Zambians are alarmed that the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Mr Jack Mwimbu, is aware that there are some people who are advocating for a coup against a legitimately elected government and yet has not moved to arrest the people scheming such insurgency in the country.

On Tuesday, Mr Mwiimbu, while delivering a ministerial statement in Parliament on former President Edgar Lungu said the government was aware that there are some people who were advocating for a coup in Zambia.

Mr Mwiimbu said no action had been taken against the alleged coup agitators because the government had a responsible leader in President Hakainde Hichilema, whom he described as the biblical “Solomon” in State House.

“Do not dare us. Some people have been advocating for a coup in the country. That we have not taken action is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of responsibility. Other people have been advocating for a coup in this country and statements have been made when there were coups in West Africa.

They were saying they wished there could be a coup here but we have not taken any action because we have a ‘Solomon’ in State House,” Mr Mwiimbu said.

But Mr Kalaba feels it was being irresponsible for the UPND government to alarm the nation and investors that the country was under threat of being plunged into insurgency and that if the security wings were aware of such unconstitutional conspiracies and were not taking action, then they, too were complicit.

Said Mr Kalaba: “It is the duty and mandate of our security wings to defend and protect a legitimately government from subversion. If Jack (Mwiimbu) and the government are aware that there are people advocating for a coup in Zambia, it is his responsibility to arrest those conspirators and bring them to book.”

Zambians know the genesis of Mr Mwiimbu’s ministerial statement and do not agree with the government position.

It stems from a statement by former President Lungu in which he 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 against innocent citizens.

It was issued in the aftermath when the whole country watched and witnessed 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.

Arising from that incident and many others, Mr Lungu warned that the heavy handedness of the police could compel the public to rise against the government.

We do not expect Government to let Zambians live under fear reminiscent of a police statement and that is the more reason Mr Kalaba wants the authorities to stop issuing threats but arrest the so-called conspirators.

Zambians value their freedoms and do not want to live under a climate of fear.