27 UPND members arrested in Kitwe
POLICE in Kitwe have arrested and detained 27 United Party for National Development (UPND) members for unlawful assembly.
Copperbelt Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga said the 27 were arrested on Sunday around 18.00 hours in Kamatipa Township where they were holding a meeting without informing the police officers under the Public Order Act.
Ms Katanga said the UPND members, 16 women and 11 men, were apprehended at house number KC 27/27 in Kamatipa Township and were held at Mindolo Police Station.
“Yes, I can confirm that on Sunday evening police in Kitwe arrested and detained 27 UPND members for unlawful assembly.
The UPND members, 16 women and 11 men, were found holding a meeting at house number C 27/27 in Kamatipa
Township.
“They were arrested and are detained at Mindolo Police station.
They are still in police custody and will appear in court soon if they fail to pay admission of guilt fines,’’ Mrs Katanga said.
Ms Katanga advised politicians and Zambians in general to inform the police whenever they wanted to hold a meeting as stipulated in the Public Order Act.
She warned that those who would decide not to follow the law whenever they wanted to have a gathering would be arrested and put in police custody.
“The Public Order Act clearly states that those who want to hold a meeting or any form of gathering should inform the police, but if people decide to do things as they wish, then the law will catch up with them,” Ms Katanga said.
She said if the law caught up with the perpetrators, they should not cry persecution. “No, let us make each other’s job easy by following the law,’’ she said.