STATE INTIMIDATION WON’T SILENCE ME - ZUMANI

…says the UPND is attempting to outlaw free speech and freedom of expression as it is pushing Zambia to become an authoritarian State

CHRIS Zumani Zimba has vowed that no amount of State harassment and intimidation shall cow him down from authoring his political write-ups on governance issues which are critical of the UPND administration.

Dr Zimba says his being summoned by the police and the warn-and-caution statement against him was a real sign that the UPND was working to transform the country into an authoritarian State where constitutional rights such as free speech and freedom of expression would be outlawed.

Dr Zimba said in an interview that he was a political scientist and had been writing and authoring political analyses for the last 20 years and is wondering how his articles had become criminal acts under the UPND government.

“The State is trying to intimidate me but let them know that I will not stop what I am doing… writing political commentaries on governance issues and how democracy is being eroded in Zambia.

I am a citizen of a functioning democracy of which free speech and freedom of expression are fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

There shall be no democracy without free speech and freedom of expression and when the police recorded a warn-and-caution statement, I realised there was a push by the UPND to transform Zambia into an authoritarian State,” Dr Zimba said. He said he was conversant with the country’s Constitution and that telling the UPND that it could be deregistered after losing power in 2026 or beyond was not a crime.

Dr Zimba said his warn-and-caution statement the police had recorded was unconstitutional because he had not come in conflict with the law to warrant the State to start harassing and intimidating him.

“My articles have been vindicated by what OCiDA has done… petitioning the US Government to impose sanctions against President Hakainde Hichilema for undermining Zambia’s democracy.

So, the police should have started with OCiDA members and or they would have to summon every citizens enjoying their rights of free speech and freedom of expression.

Why am I being targeted over the 12 reasons why the UPND will be deregistered when they lose power? Dr Zimba wondered.