More stakeholders’ blasts State police

THE police are abusing constitutional rights of citizens, the trend which is devaluing democracy, human rights activist Wesley Miyanda has said.

Mr Miyanda said the arrest of United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) members Jackson Silavwe, Saboi Imboela and the two Journelists was unnecessary as they did not interfere with the police activities.

He said Zambians expected officers was to simply ask the two named UKA leaders and the two media personnel to leave the football ground, without necessarily detaining them.

“The arrest and detention of United Kwacha Alliance leaders namely Jackson Silavwe, Saboi Imboela and the two Journelists by Zambia Police should be condemned in strongest terms by all well-meaning Zambians.

Of late, our police officers have been on record to abuse constitutional rights of citizens, the trend which is devaluing our democracy and multiparty system. What we expected from Police officers was to simply ask the two named UKA leaders and the two media personnel to leave the football ground, without necessarily detaining them.

“Our observation is that the issue of UKA has in the recent past taken the centre stage in the political landscape and we seem to have an invisible hand blocking its registration. We wish to appeal to UKA sponsors to stop organising public meetings until the organisation is fully registered with the Registrar of Societies,”he said.

Mr Miyanda said UKA should not ride on the registration of the eight political parties making up UKA Alliance, stating that if registering it as a political party has become a challenge due to unnecessary restrictions by government through Zambia Police and Registrar of Societies, then UKA leadership should consider using any of the political parties to come up with a concrete alliance.