NEVERS MUMBA AND IS A DISGRACE, HE DIESNT STAND WITH THE POOR OR OPPRESSED
Isaac Mwanza Wrote;
Let me briefly comment on Dr. @Nevers Mumba’s assertions in the article he published on his social media page. I know people such as @Muhabi Lungu have already given their comments.
The visit by the UNHRC Special Rapporteur seems to be stirring up some uncomfortable truths, exposing the hidden biases and prejudices that many of us harbour. It is as if the mirror is being held up to our collective conscience, forcing us to confront the demons that we been trying to keep hidden.
I am not therefore shocked by Dr. Mumba’s recent comments on social media, where he claims that offenders in Zambia are trying to portray the country as a human rights abuser.
But he needs to know that the submissions being made by stakeholders, especially CSOs and activists like @Brebner Changala to the UNHRC Special Rapporteur shouldn’t be viewed as a “them versus us” or “us versus them” scenario, as Dr. Mumba and his colleagues in govt are trying to make it appear.
Instead, this should be seen as an opportunity to make an honest assessment of Zambia’s institutions and identify weaknesses that lead to human rights abuses, particularly when it comes to freedom of expression and access to information.
This visit transcends party affiliations, including the UPND, and most of our submissions have been on strengthening the country’s human rights framework rather than personalising issues.
It’s ironic that Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba, who was once a vocal advocate for justice and human rights, is in my humble opinion, appearing to be a defender of abuse of rights by institutions in the name of “they are offenders”. The fact that one is an offender of colonial laws does not take away their rights.
Dr. Mumba’s stance eerily echoes the attitude of some black South Africans who lived under apartheid. They condemned their fellow blacks who fought against the system and were jailed, labelling them merely as “offenders of the law.”
At that time, those black South Africans who were dining or getting paid by the Aparthied regime like the man in the Sarafina movie justified the brutal apartheid regime simply because it was the law of the land.
Similarly, in Zambia, outdated colonial laws are being used to silence critics and stifle freedom of speech and information.
It’s imperative that we tackle these issues head-on. Previous administrations didn’t enforce some of these colonial seditious and insulting laws in the manner the current administration has.
There is a possibility that if we don’t urgently reform the law, we may have even a worser brutal regime than the UPND in future who will even be killing people in the name of the law.
The UPND had an opportunity to address these laws over the past four years, but unfortunately, that chance seems to have slipped away.
It is crucial therefore that we also acknowledge the legacy of colonialism and its ongoing impact on our laws and institutions. The colonial institutions, including Parliament, the judiciary, and Zambia police, were established by the British colonial powers and have remained largely unchanged. These institutions were designed to serve the interests of the colonial rulers, not the Zambian people.
The laws that govern Zambia today were largely enacted and enforced by the colonial regime. Understanding this history is essential to addressing the challenges the country faces today, where laws are often abused by leaders whose actions are reminiscent of the colonial leadership.
The fact that Zambia’s institutions and laws have not been significantly reformed to align with the principles of a constitutional democracy is a major concern.