CORNELIUS MWEETWA SLAMS COPS FOR HARASSING Harry Kalaba
…says cops are working alone in harassing opposition
By Staff Reporter
“In reference to the action we saw on the Copperbelt where my brother the President of Citizens First Mr Harry Kalaba was ´seemingly harassed´ for going to the market,” Mr Mweetwa said, “That’s not what UPND stands for.”
27.11.22


The UPND spokesman Mr Cornelius Mweetwa has publicly caned state police for their wanton appetite to abuse Zambians and violate civil rights which has become rampant in Zambia.


Mr Mweetwa, a Legislator and Provincial Minister for the Southern Province made the statement on the heels of the public humiliation and harassment of Mr Harry Kalaba, the President of the opposition Citizens First party that occurred in the Copperbelt province of Zambia one week ago.


“In reference to the action we saw on the Copperbelt where my brother the President of Citizens First Mr Harry Kalaba was ´seemingly harassed´ for going to the market,” Mr Mweetwa said, “That’s not what UPND stands for.”


The provincial minister who sometimes doubles as government spokesman said the ruling party is averse to repeat rights violations, they perceive were committed against them by the previous government of the Patriotic Front (PF) although the jury is still out on his claims.
This is because opposition people are being arrested for days without charge, sometimes staying jail for months before trial date is set like in the case of former PF law maker Ms Mumbi Phiri still incarcerated in Mongu for almost one year now after being linked to a crime.


Mr Mweetwa warned the police that they could face sanctions if they continue punishing innocent Zambians because, “those (rights violations against Zambians) are things that were done against our President Hakainde Hichilema in the past we can’t condone them in the present.”


He said overzealous police must tone down and, “we ask those police with a political hangover to stop now. We don’t need police to harass the opposition. We don’t need police to continue to be an extension of partisan politics, we can meet the opposition in the marketplace of ideas without the help of the police.”


His remarks on the Kalaba harassment have been welcomed by commentators such as PF presidential aspirant Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba who said, “if something was wrong under the PF administration, it remains wrong in the new dawn. It must be condemned”
Citizens First President Mr Harry Kalaba, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs was briefly held by the police in the Copperbelt province of Zambia last week for having lunch at the market with friends and sympathisers.


A pattern, however, has emerged in Zambia where state police arrest perceived foes of the ruling party for several days without charging them with a crime, mostly beyond 48 hours.


He western diplomats that used to condemn the previous PF administration at any whiff of human rights abuses have remained silent.
While Mr Mweetwa´s statement has been hailed as mature, many remain sceptic and even believe that the Minister is grand standing as the number of arrests in Zambia escalate among perceived enemies of the state.


President Hichilema for instance always tells police and other law enforcement to investigate before arresting but the arrests continue weekly anyway suggesting he is complicit to the violations.
Source: Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa official video statement

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