Africa-Press – Zambia. Inspector General of Police Lemmy Kajoba has said that opposition Economic and Equity Party(EEP) leader Chilufya Tayali Police was on Sunday night apprehended and detained for posting a video on social media bordering on bringing the name of the President in disrepute.
In a statement released to the media yesterday, Mr Kajoba remind members of the public of the need to respect the office of the Presidency as it is protected by law and that all those wishing to offer checks and balances should do so within the confines of the law.
Mr Kajoba further warned members of the general public that the rights enshrined in the Constitution are not absolute and should not be misconstrued to be an excuse to commit a crime.
“Anyone who will commit a crime with an excuse of exercising his rights will be arrested as the rights enshrined in the constitution are not an excuse to commit a crime.
A comprehensive statement will be issued in due course once police have concluded the formalities on this matter, the statement concluded. Meanwhile, stakeholders and individuals have demanded the immediate release from detention of MUVI Television journalist Innocent Phiri and camera man Obvious Kaunda.
The two were picked up as they covered police raiding Chilufya Tayali’s House in Lusaka. Police raid at Tayali’s house came in wake of his live facebook broadcast in which he attacked President Hakainde Hichilema regarding a number of issues.
Phiri and Kaunda remain detained at Lesoleil Community Police Station in Roma Township in Lusaka. After visiting the duo at the police station, Socialist Party President Fred M’membe told journalists that Phiri and Kaunda are being accused of obstructing police.
“They are charged with obstruction of the police. Police did want Comrade Innocent Phiri to cover their breaking into Tayali’s house and arresting Tayali. They wanted them out but the same people who are sending them when they used to be arrested wanted the media to cover them. They wanted the media to tell the people where they are? What is happening to them? They called for the media but today the same people who used to call for the media, don’t want the media to cover their friends when they are being arrested? What type of a society is creating? Is this the democracy they promised our people? Is this the justice they promised our people? Is this the fairness they promised our people? Is this the media freedom they promised our people? Democracy requires a lot of tolerance. Democracy is noisy. What we are seeing are kilometers or miles from democracy. This is not the Zambia they promised our people,” Dr. M’membe said.
MISA Zambia Chairperson Fr. Dr. Barnabas Simatende, OMI said journalistic work should not be stifled through detention of journalists who are conducting their duties in a professional manner.
“MISA Zambia is calling for the immediate release of MUVI TV Journalist, Innocent Phiri and his camera person, Obvious Kapunda who remain detained at Lesoleil Community Police Station in Roma Township in Lusaka. The two were detained on Sunday, 13th November 2022 at around 21:00hrs when they went to cover a Police raid at Chilufya Tayali’s residence in the Roma area. MISA Zambia earlier today visited Mr. Phiri and his camera person to offer solidarity and has called on stakeholders for support and not to relent until justice prevails. MISA could not get full details of their arrest but were informed that police will issue a report later,” Fr. Simatende said.
“We would like to appeal to the Zambia Police Service to expedite the process and release Mr. Phiri and his camera person. Further, MISA Zambia wishes to remind the Zambia Police Service that the media has a critical role to play in a democracy and detaining a journalist equates to infringing on peoples’ right to access information. Further, journalistic work should not be stifled through detention of journalists who are conducting their duties in a professional manner that allows the nation to be informed on events happening within the Country,” Fr. Simatende said. Lawyer Simon Mulenga Mwila has also condemned the detention of the two media practitioners.
“Free Muvi TV Journalists Innocent Phiri and his Camera person Obvious Kapunda who were detained yesterday for getting to the scene to cover the police raid of Mr. Tayali’s residence. We shouldn’t drag our journalists into our political battles. Ba UPND sort out the lack of medicines in hospitals, our farmers have not received their farming inputs. Please arrest the high cost of living and work on the economy so that it makes sense to the common man. Not economics yamuma books yet people are starving in these compounds.How many people are you going to arrest for speaking out? Zambians are no longer gullible abantu bali buka.People are suffering and time is moving fast as you are arresting all your perceived political enemies. This is not the change Zambians vote for last August,” Mr. Mwila stated.
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