ELIAS Munshya has charged that there is a direct campaign by President Edgar Lungu to Zambia Police to kill Zambians.
He says President Lungu is an extremely weak person but that, “when you are weak and you are trying to become a dictator, you become extremely dangerous”.
Munshya, a lawyer, spoke in a live Facebook video on his page from Calgary city, Alberta in Canada on Monday night.
He says President Lungu has “militarised” the police not to protect any citizen because: “he is preparing to kill you.”
“He is not preparing to protect you; he is not preparing to provide security to the people of Zambia. [But] he is preparing for blood!” Munshya warned. “What was so urgent for purchasing high-tech ambulances and hearses for the Zambia Police? It’s for carrying bodies when they shoot you dead.”
He also spoke about the issue of Zambia Police shooting dead UPND supporter Joseph Kaunda and State prosecutor Nsama Nsama Chipyoka last Wednesday and President Lungu giving Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja an ultimatum of up to Monday, December 28 to furnish him with a report.
Munshya, however, noted that the President’s ultimatum to the police was “pretty much meaningless.”
“The reason why I’m saying it was meaningless is because I know the nature of the gentleman, the President. He is an extremely weak person! But when you are weak and you are trying to become a dictator, you become extremely dangerous,” he said. “Those are the things that are working in His Excellency the President of our Republic. He is so weak as a person, as a leader. A person who is so weak as a leader becomes dangerous. He gave that ultimatum but we all knew that it would not amount to anything.”
Munshya added that President Lungu had no capacity to act against the police, because “everything that the police are doing are doing so under his direct command.”
“The people who were killed were killed by President Lungu using the police. That’s why the police cannot create any report,” Munshya said.
“The killings that the police are carrying out in Zambia are as a result of President Lungu’s direct actions. President Lungu is using the police to kill our people!”
Munshya argued that President Lungu could not act against the police because it is him that was empowering the police to be “this murderous.”
“There is a direct campaign by no one other than the Commander-In-Chief to kill the people of Zambia using the Zambia Police Service. This is the reason why this President cannot act against the police,” he said.
Munshya further pointed out that the Zambia Police did not have a constitutional right to kill any Zambian.
“It is not true when the Zambia Police spokesperson (Esther Mwaata Katongo) says that by killing Zambians, the Zambia Police is carrying out its constitutional mandate. That is not true!” Munshya argued. “In fact, the Bill of Rights, which is part three of the Constitution of Zambia, protects Zambian citizens against the actions of the police.”
He highlighted that Part Three of the Constitution protects every Zambian from arbitrary actions of the police like killing, beating, “spitting or being pointed firearms at, when innocent.”
“President Lungu has guns but the Constitution comes in to shield the citizens, so that he (Lungu) does not use police guns to shoot and unnecessarily interfere with their liberties,” he said.
Munshya regretted that the PF government is working hard to re-define Zambia’s democracy.
“President Lungu wants to re-define Zambia’s democracy. He is seeking to revise Zambian democracy. For example, when the police shoot at people who have gathered, he is saying people have no right to gather,” Munshya explained.
“[But] if a President is unwilling to let citizens to enjoy their rights, then he must excuse himself. If he can’t excuse himself, he must be excused.”
He further said it was President Lungu’s foul language that made police officers to be riotous.
Munshya reiterated that President Lungu bought military-grade equipment for the police.
“That military-grade equipment for the police is not to protect or control citizens. They have purchased military-grade equipment in order to be ready to kill the people of Zambia,” Munshya charged. “They have bought armoured tankers and you have seen the pictures. President Lungu has militarised the police! There will now be no distinction between our soldiers and the police!”
He asserted that: “he purchased military-grade assault rifles.”
“Here is the question; why did the President, together with his Cabinet, authorise the purchasing of military-grade equipment for the Zambia Police? Munshya asked.
He is distressed that while police officers’ salaries were annoyingly low, the government could opt to procure expensive combat equipment for the police service.
Meanwhile, Munshya told President Lungu that “people’s blood talks.”
“It is for that reason that we shall not let you to go scot-free. We are going to hold this government accountable and we shall neither relent nor forget,” said Munshya.