I don’t see the shrinking space- Nalumango

I don’t see the shrinking space, says Nalumango

By Margaret Malenga

EVER since the new dawn government came into power Zambia has suffered a shrinking democracy, says Mambilima PF member of parliament Jean Chisenga.

During the Vice-President’s Question Time in parliament on Friday, Chisenga raised a question on what the government is doing to ensure democracy does not shrink further.

“Madam Speaker, that is why today we have been awaken to the headlines by the Daily Nation and I read ‘democracy under threat’. I would like to find out what the government is doing to ensure that the democracy that we have enjoyed all along does not shrink?” asked Chisenga.

In response, Vice-President Mutale Nalumango said Chisenga is seeing things from the opposition’s point of view.

“Observation is not an easy thing. That is her observation but when you ask me I don’t see the shrinking space. I see that we have said the rule of law and that must continue and that is how we are going to maintain peace. I don’t know where she is standing. She is standing from opposition and we have to be careful that when you are in a certain position you see wrong,” said Vice-President Nalumango. “She is in opposition. Whatever she is seeing has the opposition lenses. I guess what I’m saying is we all see from different angles. So when you bring questions like that, for us we start searching ourselves and you also continue searching yourselves. And whoever is observing we will also say 1,2,3,4 and we are ready to talk because we are democratic. We want a democratic government. We are committed to that. But definitely we will not allow illegality. Anything that is wrong you can bring it, we look at it together. We are One Zambia One Nation.”

On Thursday, a consortium of Civil Society Organisations said the government should invite or at least tolerate dissent otherwise it is no better than a dictatorship.

In a joint press statement delivered by Chapter One Foundation executive director Linda Kasonde yesterday, the CSOs said criticism allows the government to course correct where it has erred adding that transparency and accountability are the bedrock of good governance.

“We will only improve and grow and strengthen as a democracy if dissent is allowed and if the government is held accountable for what it does. This concept of ‘it’s our turn to eat’ is not a democratic response to criticism. If this government is one of the rule of law and human rights, public institutions should act independently without fear or favour. Legislative and constitutional reforms that strengthens human rights and the rule of law should be prioritised. Rights and freedoms must be promoted and respected including freedom of the media, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. Without that, ladies and gentlemen, we are not a democracy and we shouldn’t pretend to be,” she said.

The CSOs included Action Aid Zambia, Alliance for Community Action, Bloggers of Zambia, Christian Churches Monitoring Group, Chapter One Foundation, Centre for Trade Policy and Development, Council of Churches in Zambia, Free Press initiative, Transparency International Zambia, NGOCC, Panos Institute Southern Africa, and Zambia Council for Social Development.

Kasonde said the civil society organisations believe that as a plural democracy, Zambia needs to embrace the rights and freedoms of every citizen for the nation to develop.

They highlighted a number of incidents that “shows a growing intolerance for dissent and have the potential to plunge the country into the abyss of demagoguery and political repression by the government”.

“Recently, we have observed worrying trends with the failure of public authorities to protect the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly which are the bedrock of our democracy. In June 2023, the Zambia Daily Mail fired a photo journalist for photographing people queueing up for mealie meal in Ndola. On the 13th of October, 2023 the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) cautioned Hot FM radio station over their interview of Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa, a Zambian academic, for not challenging his sentiments on tribal discrimination in the public service. On 18th October 2023, a day when the nation was supposed to be fasting, praying, reflecting and reconciling, law enforcement agency in Lusaka thwarted a planned protest against the rising cost of living. On 25th October 2023, a day after independence day the Zambia

Police Service forced its way into the home of Patriots for Economic Progress (PEP) president Sean Tembo’s house in a bid to arrest him, despite him urging the police to wait for his lawyers to arrive,” Kasonde noted. “Previously, around the first week of September 2023, Mr Tembo had been arrested and detained by the police for alleged hate speech for six days in violation of his right to be brought before a court of law within 48 hours. These examples are but a few that show signs of a shrinking civic space in Zambia. Preventing citizens, including those with dissenting voices from discussing issues of national importance is the very opposite of democracy. President Hakainde Hichilema has repeatedly expressed his commitment to safeguarding human rights and the rule of law in our country and we are taken aback by such actions coming from his own appointees. Such actions not only limit the free flow of information, but also undermine citizen’s responsibility to hold decision makers accountable and to create a so-called governance environment where citizens as right’s holders fear raising any issues with duty barriers either directly or through the media.”

The CSOs urged the government to enact the access to information bill and the public gatherings bill to safeguard the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in the country.

“We further call on the government and public officers to urgently address the embarrassing dent on Zambia’s democratic image and to act in line with their constitutional mandates by serving without fear or favour. If left unchecked, this trend threatens to reverse the gains we thought we had made as a country following the August 2021 general elections and may once again lead the country down a path of democratic decline,” said Kasonde.-The Mast