ZAMBIA POLICE ‘MISLEADS’ ITSELF: ‘DON’T BEAT AND TEAR-GAS HUNGRY AND ANGRY PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY CAN RISE UP AGAINST HH AND REMOVE HIM PREMATURELY’, ECL WARNED POLICE AND HIS UTTERANCES ARE NOT SEDITIOUS OR CRIMINAL AT ALL
By Dr. Chris Zumani Zimba
Let us watch this video together and make independent decisions than being misled as we discuss only 12 points:
1. After the city council inspector confiscated his only income generating machine and refused to release it, Mohamed Bouazizi doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire and died. This is what triggered an uprising in Tunisia in December, 2010 countrywide and saw the ousting of President Ben Ali in January, 2011 as he was blamed for high unemployment, poverty, economic hardships, and council police brutality against street vendors.
2. What happened in Tunisia in 2011 is exactly what president Lungu was reminding and advising the police. The context of President Lungu’s interview was necessitated by police brutality at Kabwata police, prevailing hunger, high cost of living, staple food scarcity, unnecessary police provocation, citizen anger and possible civil uprisings against a government.
3. In 2015, Former US Senator, Pat Roberts said “Show me a nation that cannot feed itself, and I’ll show you a nation in chaos”. Today, Zambia is facing a staple food crisis and national hunger is the word.
4. We sold our maize reserves, there are no rains, famine is looming, mealie meal is becoming too expensive each day, and many people are hungry and angry. Look, these are economic conditions of what existed in Tunisia in 2010 before the uprising.
5. In 2017, the World Food Program USA (WFP) produced a report on “food-related instability” in the US and linked ways that ‘hunger drives conflict’. With high cost of living, food shortages and this national hunger, President Lungu’s warning to Zambia police’s violent and inhumane treatment of hungry and angry citizens is timely and beneficial to President Hakainde’s rule and government.
6. In 2023, British Red Cross confirmed that “Soaring food prices, conflict and climate change are plunging Africa into a severe food crisis with plus 150 million people facing extreme hunger”. Since Zambia is part of this situation, the police must know that harassing and tear gassing hungry people like they did at Kabwata police is politically very dangerous for this UPND government of HH.
7. Hungry and angry people easily raise up like they did in Tunisia in 2011. If the police keep on harassing and beating up innocent citizens like we saw at Kabwata police station, the same police will be directly undermining law and order and peaceful coexistence because hungry and angry citizens are too dangerous everywhere and anywhere.
8. In countries like Venezuela, Iran, Tunisia, South Africa, Libya, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and many others, we have seen how street protests or uprisings were initiated and championed by people who were agitated, irritated and irked by their own governments of which the police were the main triggers and catalysts. This is where President Lungu’s warning must be taken serious by the UPND government and everyone.
9. President Lungu’s statement was conditional: if police brutal behavior is not adjusted against citizens, it has the potential to trigger citizen protests, chaos and consequently force HH to step down prematurely.
10. ECL’s statement was a strong caution to the police not to provoke and anger people’s emotions anyhow because many are already struggling with economic hardships, are unhappy and depressed. This is objective, sound and practical advice to any government.
11. Therefore, my appeal to Zambia police is that, don’t deliberately mislead yourselves concerning ECL’s statement. Don’t allow politicians to urinate on their professional integrity and institutional reputation.
12. Don’t accept to be dragged into partisan politics by anyone. This is important because, politics is like wind, it is never consistent in blowing towards one direction but ever changes directions any day, anytime.
Dr Chris ZUMANI Zimba is a Political Scientist, Researcher, Author & Consultant specialized in Comparative Global Governance and Democratic Theories. He holds a PhD, MA, BA and Cert in Political Science. Zimba was President Lungu’s Political Advisor from December 2019 to August 2021. By philosophical approach, Dr. Zimba is a Pan Africanist as well as Afro-Christian by religion.
Email:chriszumaniZimba.cz@gmail.com
Zumani you are a bitter person just like your Boss. Nothing credible will come from you as you will always be on his defence
In any case you are untitled to your own opinion.
The red brick should deal with chaps like you.
PF members are not hungry. Angry they may be with HH for closing their access to the candy shop. Edgar Lungu allowed them to steal and become rich as Bowman Lusambo so proudly said on Radio Phoenix.
I don’t waste time reading this Zumani’s long winded, meaningless articles.
So I can’t comment.
Ba,Zimba, firstly yo,research of the events, in Tunisia, have half truths,before those events unfolded,there was a political stand off, that actually started in parliament,,and their president, who overstayed in power, & wanted,to continue, by way of manipulationof constitution,,, that’s.why it was an all Arab countries uprising, it was not only in Tunisia..go & research further,,infact just to cut the long story short…Had PF,crookedly won, the 2021,elections? The uprising, in Tunisia, could have actually happened to Lungu,..Mr Zimba, kiss yo lucky stars,it never happened,,you could have, if lucky joined KZ, in exile,,and for yo own, information Mr Zimba,,We Zambians,as a collective Love, our Country so dearly,,and we will not & never destroy it,,for the sake of, serving & pleasing a politician’s selfish personal interest,,Never & never again..more especially, past PF & ECL, Our collective powers ,lie in our Vote,,we remove arrogant & Powerful politicians, thru’ the ballot box,,not thru, uprising,,,,& no politician will dictate to us ( 20million),on how or what to Do…even H H, we, the people,,shall,collective ly,,decide,,to peacefully retire him in 2031,,,period!!
Ba Chalwe, I salute you. Our country, Zambia, comes first and no politician, whether Mr. Hichema or Mr. Lungu should be allowed to mess us up.
We got rid of our Super Ken peacefully through the ballot. We dismissed the notorious, thieving and violent PF peacefully through the ballot. So why is this Mr. Lungu suggesting getting rid of the legitimately installed government by illegal means? Why has he suddenly assumed the role of being our spokesman? Ati, the people will rise and end HH’s rule prematurely before 2026!
Mr. Lungu’s sense of judgement is extremely poor and to imagine this was our President for seven years! Seven wasted years, how foolish! But we still persevered and did not rise up and end Mr. Lungu’s reign prematurely inspite of the very difficult circumstances he subjected us to.
Beating and tear gassing that is the DNA of PF.
Zimba it’s you who is in Hungary because you have no job. You were used to stealing money from state house now you’re bitter with hatred and vengeance. Police are law keepers,if you break the law you face the music. Why should normal people go to a police and drumming and dancing. Tell you former boss to behave Zambians made him rich
Stupid article.