OCiDA urges Police to grant UKA permission to hold rally

OUR Civic Duty Association (OCiDA) member Brebnar Changala has urged the police to grant the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) permission to hold a planned rally in Kafue.

UKA announced on Thursday that it will hold a rally in Kafue on April 13, 2024.

Mr Changala said Zambia was a constitutional democracy and the law stated that when one wanted to hold a procession or rally, all they needed was to notify the police seven days before the event.

“You do not seek permission. You simply notify the police of your intentions to hold a rally,” he said in an interview yesterday.

Mr Changala said Mr Graphael Musamba, the Inspector General of Police had been political and all he was waiting for was to deny UKA a permit.

He said the media should begin to question the police if they had powers to give a permit to which a resounding answer was no!

Mr Changala said it was not within the mandate of the police to give permits but they had just abused their offices.

“UKA has followed the procedure. That is more important. What the IG will do, through the abuse of office, is for another day,” he said.

The civil rights activist said he did not want to foresee anything (police brutality) because he believed a notice was enough.

“I cannot foresee what thieves will come to steal. So UKA has done what is correct. That is all and my advice to UKA is when seven days elapse, they must go and assemble,” Mr Changala said.

He said whether the police like it or not, as long as UKA was within the law, they must stick to the law and not breaking the law.

“Go for it. It is high time the opposition started confronting these rogue workers headed by the senior junkie, the IG. It is high time the opposition started following the law and reclaim their constitutional right,” Mr Changala said.

He said the opposition must not be obligated to law breaking but must follow the law and if the IG wanted, he could go there (at the rally) with his “guns and bullets.”

Mr Changala said should the police want to use force, the law would take its course.

“The police must not go there, but if they are going to go there and cause problems, the citizens must defend themselves. That is my advice,” he said.

Mr Musamba however said he was not aware of such a notification.

But Ms Saboi Imboela said she was in possession of a stamped “received” letter by the police.

Ms Imboela advised Mr Musamba to follow up the matter with his junior officers.

She said UKA would forward a copy to the Police IG.

“At end of the day, we have human rights. The law says we should notify the police at least seven days before the event. So, the law should be respected and every time we keep on saying the police will stop us, we will never meet our people,” Ms Imboela said.

The National Democratic Congress leader said if the police stopped the rally, it would be sad.

She said people had been calling for a rally and so it was the right time to hold one.

Ms Imboela explained that UPND got into power in 2021 because the party was able to mobilise.

She said no opposition had ever held a rally because the UPND stopped them from doing so.