Africa-Press – Zambia. Patriotic Front (PF) National Chairperson for Information and Publicity Raphael Nakacinda has alleged that he has information suggesting that a defunct department under the special division that was responsible for eliminating government critics in the past has been re-opened.
Speaking to the media at Lusaka Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning, Mr. Nakacinda said the controversial department is being re-opened to scare government critics or leaders of the opposition.
He said currently some opposition leaders are being pursued by state agents. Mr. Nakacinda charged that Zambia under President Hakainde Hichilema has been ‘captured’ by foreigners.
“Colleagues, as you have noticed the courts in Lusaka are crowded with matters that involve those that were privileged to serve in the previous regime, a situation that I think the Zambian people are now getting used to. Allow me to take this opportunity to inform the nation of the sad development that has emerged in our country. We have alerted our country of foreigners and individuals that have been contracted by foreign entities that are influencing policy and operating from the state house. We are aware of people that are operating from the Tony Blair Foundation, people that are operating from Brenthurst Foundation that are influencing policy, which is clearly state capture. Now, what is also happening is that by extension we have foreigners that are beginning to participate in the operation and activities of the law enforcement agencies. We have white people that are participating even in the process of investigations. We are suspicious – still investigating and zooming to check whether these are not FBI or CIA agents that have now come into this country for a specific agenda,” Mr. Nakacinda said in a video posted on the Smart Eagles facebook page.
“We also had noticed that a department that had been closed under the special division that in time past used to operate has an elimination department seemingly it looks like activated. We are still under investigations, all allegations and those suspicions are serious especially from those of us in the opposition. We know that this government has been engulfed in failure and so on. These activities involve political leaders being followed around, strange people hovering around their homes, being monitored in terms of times they finish their work and the time they go home. All these activities that we have noticed that they are being undertaken and we are monitoring. We want to advise Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, that we should never never never never go back to the days of One Party State where strange things were happening. Political opponents disappearing, some of them dying in very suspicious circumstances. These we are saying in good faith, in the promotion of our democracy. If the allegations of some department under the special division being opened that was responsible for elimination in time past has actually been opened this is a sad development. So we would want the government to clear (the air on this allegation),” he said.
Mr. Nakacinda added that the government should provide an enabling environment where the opposition can provide checks and balances without any hindrance.
“Don’t use the police to intimidate opponents; don’t use the police to intimidate opponents, don’t use law enforcement agencies to intimidate opponents especially when we expose things that are inimical to the governance system of this country. Our democracy needs to be protected. Those who have chosen to serve this country via politics need to be given the latitude to serve and play their role in this case for those of us in the opposition to provide checks and balances without any interference. Without their lives being strengthened, without our freedom being taken away. That is what we want to call upon Mr. Hakainde to ensure because that is what he promised. So if we are going to have people’s lives being threatened because they have chosen to speak on behalf of the Zambian people, that is very sad,” Mr. Nakacinda said.
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