WORRISOME LAX ATTITUDES ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY UPND ALIGNED LEADERS
The New Heritage Party is deeply disturbed by the reckless remarks made by the leader of the Economic Front, Mr Wynter Kabimba, a man who is not only a prominent lawyer but also holds the esteemed title of State Counsel. His argument that Zambia’s human rights record under President Hakainde Hichilema is good simply because people can speak freely and still enjoy tea the following day, which wouldn’t happen in other countries like Rwanda and Uganda, is dangerous and frightening.
In his attempt to downplay human rights violations in Zambia, he makes the abhorrent presupposition that because, according to his assessment, the regimes in Rwanda and Uganda are brutal with terrible human rights records, Zambia is better off and it’s president is not worth criticizing. This unhelpful comparison betrays a strange lack of understanding of human rights and justice, especially by a prominent lawyer. Violations are not judged by how brutal they are compared to others, but by whether they exist at all.
It is horrifying to imagine that a State Counsel would believe that we should remain silent about human rights violations unless they escalate to the levels of disappearances, beatings, or killings, which his reference to the two countries appears to imply. Violations, however “small,” must be noted, reported, and stopped. That is the duty of every responsible leader and every defender of justice. This, unfortunately, is a duty the EF leader has chosen to shirk in favor of singing praises for the government.
Maybe we should not be surprised at all! Because this is the same Mr Kabimba who, as Secretary General of the Patriotic Front (PF) in 2011, openly and famously questioned why PF party cadres were not “acting” against those criticizing the then-president, Michael Sata. “Maybe you think you’re still in the opposition?” he questioned the cadres!
What followed this clear incitement, if not encouragement for cadres to take the law into their hands, remains well documented. The PF ushered in years of unbearable lawlessness, intimidation, and violence—an era the Zambian people punished by voting them out of office. And the Zambians have not forgotten at all that Mr Kabimba WAS a part of that PF lawlessness.
Similarly, lest we forget, when once upon a time Mr Kabimba was summoned by the Anti-Corruption Commission to attend an interview and assist with investigations of some matter, Mr Kabimba arrived at the ACC offices flanked by a mob of rowdy party cadres, disrupting due process and demonstrating his disdain for law and order. How can such a gentleman, with this disappointing record, be expected to understand and appreciate tolerance and respect for democracy, and claim moral high ground on Zambia’s human rights situation?
His selective blindness to the abuses of the UPND government is nothing short of scandalous. His metric for “no violations” is that Zambia has not yet descended into a Rwanda or Uganda-like state, where according to him, dissent is supposedly met with brutal repression. But Zambia’s trajectory under the UPND is far from encouraging. UPND leaders, such as Namwala MP Moono Mapani, are openly calling for arrests of citizens who simply reported an unverified story about Zambia’s alleged expulsion from the UN Human Rights Council. When a harmless story becomes a jail-worthy offense, is that not evidence of an emerging culture of intolerance and oppression? Shouldn’t the ruling party be laughing off such stories, especially when the UN have repudiated them, instead of intolerantly calling for jail terms for “offenders”?
The New Heritage Party holds that any human rights violation, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is unacceptable. Our prisons should not be used to silence dissenting voices or punish people for inaccurate or error-loaded reporting. Leaders like Mr Kabimba and Mr Mapani should be at the forefront of promoting and defending human rights, not excusing or justifying violations.
As a nation, we must strive for a culture where the rights and freedoms of every citizen are upheld and respected. Zambia deserves better than the complacency being displayed by those defending the indefensible.
Samuel Kasankha
Vice President (Administration)
New Heritage Party