Shrinking Democratic Space Worrying…cries Zambian Civil Society amidst arrests and detentions

Shrinking Democratic Space Worrying
…cries Zambian Civil Society amidst arrests and detentions

By Daily Nation-27.10.23

Zambia, once known as the proverbial last bastion of democracy in Sub Saharan Africa is teetering on the brink of losing that coveted lofty position as the ruling party UPND comes continuously under fire for abusing the rights of citizens.

This comes especially after personalities in the opposition perceived to be enemies of state got either arrested or detained by state police for one alleged crime or another.

This view has been aired by a group of 12 most influential non-governmental organisations in Zambia, most of them that previously backed the UPND when it was in the opposition raising a debate in the country on how far the state could go on stifling dissenters rights to expression and association and or including participation in the democratic space of the southern African nation civil society or CSO says is ´increasingly´ shrinking.

In a rare statement signed by the 12-member group representative in Lusaka the capital Ms Linda Kasonde, the consortium pointed out the below as the main indicators of a shrinking democratic space:

• Trends of undemocratic tendencies by the ruling party
• Intolerance of divergent views
• Shrinking space for freedom of expression
• A lack of Freedom of assembly which they now fear have the potential to plunge the country into the ´abyss of demagoguery and political repression´ to mention but a few.

The 12-member civil society group are also concerned that despite Zambia´s President Hakainde Hichilema who was propelled into office with the rallying cry of ´greater free expression and association´ having repeatedly expressed commitment to the rule of law and safeguarding human rights, gross violation abounds and rise in Zambia is lagging in that area now.

Human rights violations and trends of growing intolerance to dissenting voices´ by presidential appointee are on the increase says the 12-member civil society group that rarely issues public statements against the government, in which most of its former members have now been given full time top government jobs, lessening even further, the number of critical voices.

TO THE DEFENCE OF THE HH GOVERNMENT COMES MWEETWA

Like in every story, however, Cornelius Mweetwa, the Chief Government Spokesperson says “there is no democratic space that is shrinking in Zambia under President Hichilema” more like one British Premier once quipped, ´crisis no crisis. ´

Mweetwa adds that the CSOs are ´at liberty to express their freedom of expression and assembly without looking over their shoulders´ even through the sheer issuing of the statement.

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mweetwa said government acknowledged the concerns raised by the 12 member CSOs adding that ostensibly they must count themselves fortunate because they have ´not ´been arrested´ for their dissent.

He however said the speed at which the CSO had moved to condemn the arrest of Sean Tembo, the leader of Patriots for economic Prosperity (PeP) should have been the same speed they should have condemned his insults against President Hichilema, he did not specify.

Needless to say, opposition leader Tembo arrested after police broke down the security door of his residence in the presence of his family has reported the alleged abuse of his rights to the International Criminal Court of Justice or ICC in the Hague against the government of Zambia. He remained in detention at the time of this publication by the Zambia Daily Mail.

In a joint statement which was delivered at Kapingila House in Kabulonga, Lusaka, Ms. Kasonde the executive director of Chapter One Foundation, who spoke on behalf of the other rights NGO´s called on government to urgently address what they have termed the ´embarrassing dent´ on the country’s democratic image which seems to have suffered a huge blow.

Below are the civil society groups that have raised red flags against the government:

Chapter One Foundation, Action-Aid, Alliance for Community Action, Bloggers of Zambia, Christian Churches Monitoring Group, GEARS Initiative Zambia, Centre for Trade Policy and Development, Council of Churches in Zambia, Free Press Initiative, Transparency International Zambia, NGOCC, PANOS and Zambia Council for Social Development.

Ms Kasonde advised government to act in line with their constitutional mandate by serving the country without fear or favour because if the undemocratic trends were left unchecked, there was a real threat that the gains so far achieved could be reversed.

WHAT THE INCIDENCE DO ACCORDING TO CIVIL SOCIETY

“The incidents of intolerance for dissent, preventing citizens, including those with dissenting voices from discussing issues of national importance is the very opposite of democracy,” the civil society says.

They add, “President Hakainde Hichilema has repeatedly expressed commitment to safeguarding human rights and the rule of law and we are taken aback by such action (of repression) from his appointees.”

The CSOs have also raised concern on the failure by public authorities to protect the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, citing some examples below:

• The dismissal of a Zambia Daily Mail photojournalist Starfrance Zulu who lost his job because he took a picture of people in northern copperbelt Zambia queuing up for the staple food, mealie meal made of ground corn.
• The threat against the influential Hot FM Radio station owner Oscar Chavula by the state-run Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) for hosting Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa, a politics Professor often seen as critical to government. Dr Sishuwa opined that there was growing tribal discrimination in Zambia under the UPND government that could erode the gains in democracy.

And on the sidelines of the arrest of opposition leader Tembo, another opposition leader Harry Kalaba, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs challenged the western donors, in the past administration of the Patriotic Front that criticised President Edgar Lungu to do the same under the current administration of President Hichilema.

INCIDENTS OF STIFLING ASSOCIATION

In recent months, state police have halted opposition parties from holding public political rallies to speak to their supporters of the state of the nation, especially regarding the increased high cost of living.

Among the opposition parties that have been denied permits to public assemble as per law required are the PF, Socialist Party and to some extent Citizens First.

Conversely, a youth group that sought march or demonstrate against the high cost of living, high food prices and fuel were stopped from proceeding by police due to unspecified ´security´ concerns.