Edgar must not inform police

By Daily Revelation Editor

The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) says the conduct of the police in Kabwe was a classic example of abuse of the public order Act, as it was based on the misguided notion that citizens needed the permission of the police before they could enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed rights, including the freedom to freely assemble and associate.

LAZ president Lungisani Zulu stated that citizens regardless of their political affiliation and status did not need the permission of the police to freely enjoy their rights and liberties but the police needed to protect citizens as they enjoyed their rights including the right to assembly.

LAZ further expressed concern with the continued abuse of the Public Order Act by the police, as this has potential to roll back on the democratic gains the country has scored so far.

We won’t go into detail on what is now public knowledge over the incident which happened in Kabwe where a police officer stormed the office of Catholic Bishop Clement Mulenga where he was having a meeting with former president Edgar Lungu.

The police officer who identified himself as the head of security in that area demanded to know what the former president was doing in the area and that he must have informed the police on what exactly he was doing there.

We understand about the police having to accord the former president security given his status as former head of state, and all the other services they can extend towards him.

However, there is also a line of thought that the police could be needing him to inform them about his movements because they want to monitor his political activities and the people he is meeting with, given his status as a political competitor to President Hakainde Hichilema.

The police have clearly not handled themselves properly in terms of presiding over people’s freedoms, with them working extra hard to stop all opposition mobilisations through rallies and other means, and therefore forcing the opposition leaders to use other means in getting themselves to interact with the masses, which may carry their own risks.

However, it is the duty of the police to stop law breakers from carrying out their criminality. Why on earth would anyone be upset and become so agitated with someone taking a walk in the Central Business District of any part of the country for that matter? Instead of being driven by the fear of reprisals from those who are angered, the police must actually be working towards ensuring that they sternly warn all those who threaten violence and ensure severe punishment against them if they go ahead to effect their violence.

Those in government too and even those in the opposition should actually be educating their own cadres to respect other peoples freedoms of movement, association and other rights. Edgar or any other Zambian for that matter has no reason to be informing police about their movement plans.

We urge Musamba to work towards enforcing the country’s constitution than pandering to the narrow thuggish interests of those who plot violence just because they are upset with one’s enjoyment of their constitutionally given rights. By coming out in the manner he is coming out, Musamba is essentially admitting that the police he is heading have failed to uphold the constitutional provisions of this country and guarantee the rights of every Zambian. Such a serious indictment on him indeed.