OPEN LETTER TO TASILA LUNGU, DAUGHTER OF FORMER PRESIDENT EDGAR LUNGU, REGARDING ALLEGED POLICE BRUTALITY
Dear Hon Tasila LUNGU ,
I recently came across two videos that I believe require some correction, as they contained remarks made by Members of Parliament. The first video featured the Lundazi MP, who argued that the police were selectively arresting individuals from the Eastern province. I found this statement to be highly immature and unreasonable. What kind of country are we trying to build if people feel entitled to break the law simply because the person in power belongs to their tribe? As lawmakers, it is your duty to strengthen our laws and protect the future of our nation not regions.
Based on the argument by Lundazi MP, it is clear that we have regressive thinking by some of you lawmakers. Those who wronged Zambians must be held accountable regardless of region. We need justice and sanity restored. The targeting of certain regions under the PF administration may have influenced their current mindset.
The second video featured two MPs, Hon. Mundubile and yourself, Hon. Tasila Lungu, accusing the UPND government of police brutality. While I do not wish to justify any wrongdoing, if indeed it has occurred under the UPND, I would like to remind you, as the firstborn of the former president, that many of us appealed to you to sit down with your father and advise him to exercise proper leadership during his tenure. However, neither you nor your mother took any interest in doing so. It is essential to consider the well-being of others when you are in a privileged position, something that many of those in the PF failed to recognize and appreciate.
Some of us survived by God’s grace during your father’s administration. We do not wish to return to those experiences, and personally, I do not want to witness any Zambian becoming a victim. However, those who have committed crimes and those who continue to do so should be held accountable.
One thing I can assure you, Madam Tasila Lungu, is that if your father’s successor had been careless, the situation would have been terrible for your family and the PF. Fortunately, he ensured that nobody from his camp sought revenge. Instead, cases such as the murder of Lawrence Banda were legally addressed, and I’m sure you are aware that the murderer dined with your family at State House. Unfortunately, this was not viewed as violence according to Lundazi MP, Mr. Mundubile, and yourself, Madam Tasila. It is worth noting that you are now expressing concerns about police arrests affecting your members, but I am referring to cases where your government was responsible for the loss of lives, such as Mapenzi, Mukonka, Kennedy Mudenda, Kungo, Nsama Nsama, Joseph Kaunda, Obed Bwalya, Frank Mugala, Vespers, and many others.
The moral lesson here is that those whose relatives hold certain positions of power should advice them to conduct themselves appropriately while in office because power is transient. Laws such as the Cybersecurity Act, which the PF introduced to target the opposition, are now being used against the PF themselves, who never imagined they would be in the opposition. Let us all learn the lesson that voters are not foolish, despite what many self-serving politicians may deceitfully believe.
Remember, the police officers who once hunted us under ECL are now the same officers under HH. It’s surprising that you accused them of being political cadres, as it implies you recruited individuals who have now turned against you. So, who should be held responsible, ECL or HH?
My dearest sister, understand that your father greatly disappointed our nation, and just appreciate the best course of action HH is striving to accomplish for your family and the Zambian people.
Yours sincerely,
Sikaile C. Sikaile
Concerned Citizen