By Agness Changala
Human Rights activist Laura Miti says it is a bad example that Central Province permanent secretary Milner Mwanakampwe is still in office, despite using vulgar language on a radio programme.
Miti said it’s also concerning that President Hakainde Hichilema has not made any pronouncement on Mwanakampwe, yet the Kabwe resident John Chalwe Kaume who engaged in an altercation with him, has been punished for merely reminding him of the UPND campaign promises.
And Chapter One Foundation and Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia have taken interest in the arrest of Kaume by the police.
Last week, Mwanakampwe and Kaume engaged in sharp disagreements when the latter reminded him about the campaign promises UPND had promised and failed to fulfill.
In response to Kaume, the permanent secretary said, “tulepipa amafi mwanyele (we are still cleaning the poop you and the PF left),” he said.
Mwanakampwe further told Kaume that development cannot be delivered overnight, like some teeth in a baby.
After Kaume’s call to the radio station, police arrested and charged him with conduct likely to cause the breach of peace.
Central Province commissioner Roy Kashimba confirmed the arrest of Kaume in an interview with Daily Revelation, saying when the police summoned him for interviews, he did not cooperate but started misbehaving.
“So he was charged for conduct likely to cause the breach of peace. That’s all,” said Kashimba.
Giving his side of the story, Kaume explained that just after the radio programme, some UPND cadres went to his shop at Green Market where they demanded to see him, but at the time they went there, he had already received information that some UPND cadres were looking for him on an allegation that he had insulted not only Mwanakampwe, but the Head of State.
Kaume explained that at the time he was being pursued by the UPND cadres and the police, he had already reported the matter to Kasanda Police Station where the permanent secretary issued strong language against him while on a phone in a radio programme.
He said while at Kasanda Police Station, he was ushered into some office where he was only told that the UPND cadres had reported a case where he was alleged to have insulted Central Province permanent secretary and that a formal statement had already been taken from the UPND party members.
Asked to give her views on Kaume’s arrest, Miti said as far as she is concerned the citizen did not do anything wrong saying citizens should be free to air thoughts on the way they are being governed.
“Kaume did something right, he did not do anything wrong. Citizens must be free to air their thoughts on the way they are being governed and anybody that… then brings recriminations whether it’s verbal or it’s physical for me it’s an offence,” Miti said. “And so that is something that must be followed through.”
She said citizens should be able to speak and anybody that stands against them should be punished by the law and that this should not be debatable.
“It’s not something debatable. It’s not an issue that’s debatable. Example that PS is still in office, for me that’s what I find concerning. That the President has not made any pronouncement on him, he is not being punished, and instead they want to punish the citizen, I think that’s a very bad example,” said Miti.
COF executive director Linda Kasonde confirmed that her organization is dealing with the matter but did not divulge further information.
“We don’t comment on cases we are handling but we are dealing with it,” said Kasonde.
And MISA Zambia programmes manager Jane Chirwa also confirmed that MISA had taken interest in the matter and was working with COF.
Inspector General of Police Graphael Musamba said he is not aware of the case involving Kaume and the reasons behind his arrest and subsequent charge of conduct likely to cause the breach of peace.
