TENSION MOUNTS IN ZAMBIAN OVER HH’S MYSTERIOUS POLICE CALL OUT
Zambia has been gripped with heightened tension and sense of restlessness as news spreads that the country’s largest opposition party leader Hakainde Hichilema is about to be arrested by the Zambian Police for condemning President Lungu and ECZ on the way they are handling the voters registration process. Hichilema has been detained a total of 17 times including a bizarre treason charge over a traffic offence ever since President Lungu came in power. Political experts say by persecuting HH, President Lungu is copying Uganda’s Museven and Ex Zimbabwean President Mugabe’s tactics of persecuting opposition leaders.
The Zambian Police at mid-morning attempted to deliver summons to the opposition leader’s party Headquarters in the sprawling Lusaka Central Business District, but the guards refused to receive the documents referring the officers to Hichilema’s lawyers.
“Police officers from Force Headquarters attempted to serve the summons at the UPND Secretariat this morning but failed as some vigilant people they found st the Secretariat referred them to the Party Lawyers”, read a statement released by the opposition party’s spokesman, Charles Kakoma.
The statement gave a veiled directive to its membership countrywide to defend Hichilema. “We appeal to our supporters across the country to be alert and offer President Hichilema solidarity”.
Zambians are currently registering to vote in next year’s five yearly elections in a process many pundits are describing as unprecedentedly chaotic and biased towards the ruling party the Patriotic Front of incumbent President Edgar Lungu.
Some observers believe the Police call out may signify the beginning of Edgar Lungu’s escalation on his repressive strategy against anyone standing his way for the coming election which he wants to win at all cost. That the summons comes during the four day extended period of voter registration may not be a coincidence as the ruling party may be attempting to divert attention from the protests that may follow from many Zambians that will be left out of the process.