🇿🇲 MORNING WIRE | Amnesty Faces Backlash Over Banda’s Capture as Zambia Opens Mining Investment Summit
Amnesty International has come under fire over its response to the capture of former Petauke Central MP Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda in Mozambique, with human rights advocates questioning why the organisation has focused on his treatment without equally addressing his alleged threats against President Hakainde Hichilema and members of the Tonga community.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Amnesty demanded answers from Zambian and Mozambican authorities over the circumstances surrounding Banda’s capture, including whether established legal procedures were followed.
The organisation also called for access to legal representation, family members and medical care, insisting that Banda’s rights must be respected regardless of the charges he faces.
But human rights advocate Sikaile Sikaile challenged the organisation’s position, pointing to Banda’s alleged assault on journalist Peter Sukwa and his Facebook broadcasts, during which he repeatedly insulted the President and made threatening remarks.
“Human rights advocacy loses its credibility when it becomes selective,” Sikaile said in his public response.
Political analyst Farai Ruvanyathi also criticised Amnesty’s intervention, arguing that the rights of alleged victims must not be overlooked when defending those accused of criminal offences
The controversy follows Banda’s capture in Mozambique last week after more than two years outside lawful custody. Opposition figures, including former diplomat Emmanuel Mwamba, have described the operation as an abduction, while Zambian authorities maintain that he was apprehended and brought into police custody.
Meanwhile, Presidential Legal Advisor Christopher Mundia has warned that individuals accused of threatening the President and inciting violence through social media should not expect to evade the law by operating outside Zambia.
Away from the political controversy, President Hichilema is expected to officially open the Zambia Mining and Investment Insaka in Lusaka today, with more than 1,500 delegates gathering to discuss investment opportunities, mineral development and regional cooperation.
The five-day summit, running from October 19 to 23 at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, is expected to attract government representatives, mining executives and investors, including presidential envoys from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana.
In another story, the Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested and charged Chama District Education Board Secretary Titus Mbewe over alleged procurement irregularities involving more than K2 million.
ACC spokesperson Joseph Mwenya said Mbewe allegedly authorised payments for maize and beans before the necessary procurement approvals were secured and before the goods were supplied.
The education official faces two counts of abuse of authority of office and one count of wilful failure to follow applicable procedure. He has been released on bond pending his court appearance.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s rental laws could undergo significant changes as the Zambia Law Development Commission moves to strengthen protections for tenants and landlords.
Commission Director-General Hope Chanda said the proposed reforms would address security deposits, boarding houses, rental disputes and tenancy agreements.
The commission has conducted consultations in five provinces and expects to prepare draft legislation by early 2027.
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