Press Statement for Immediate for Immediate Release
28 March 2020
ZAMBIA POLICE SHOULD NOT BE USED TO INTIMIDATE CRITICS OF THE PF GOVERNMENT
Following the launch of the manhunt on good governance activist Sikaile Sikaile by the PF government through the police, we as UPND youths are saddened by this move to intimidate those who don’t agree with the President.
The police should have used the same energy being applied in hunting for an innocent citizen to bring to book all the people behind gassing which claimed so many lives.
Further, the police should compensate all the victims of extra judicial killings in Zambia committed by the police under the command of the PF government unlike wasting public resources on an innocent citizen speaking for voiceless Zambians.
The fighting of critics like Sikaile is a misplaced priority for the entire PF government.
Sikaile has been an advocate for good governance and human rights for a long period of time and seeing him being subjected to this situation just to silence him indeed justifies all his writing that there is no democracy in Zambia anymore.
President Edgar Lungu shouldn’t be too quick to unleash police officers on his critics instead let him evaluate the content in all the critics’ write ups and do the right thing; that way, he will avoid criticisms.
A week ago, I also read the letter to the President by Sikaile in the newspaper and the issues the activist tabled of youths and women who have been killed by the police are serious issues the President should think about and offer justice to all victims without fail.
The President being in charge of all security wings should know the people who have been behind the killings of civilians that has seen a couple number of youths trying to participate in our political space being murdered and no arrests have been made by the State.
We call upon the Zambia police to stop intimidating and drop all charges leveled against the activist.
We have also noted that the police is very selective in Zambia. When it is about dealing with those who are aren’t government, they respond with force; this is unacceptable and should be stopped.
Phinnias Pumulo
UPND Lusaka Province Deputy Spokesperson