Africa-Press – Zambia. Public Order Act and the defamation of the president law continue to damage achieved democracy in the country and the United Party for National Development (UPND) government seem to be okay with that. The reason is that both seem to favor president Hakainde Hichilema.
In a democratic society, peaceful protests are the fulfillment of freedom of expression. Nevertheless, Zambians are being denied the right to express themselves in front of president Hakainde Hichilema.
On February 20, police in riot gear stopped a march of protesting unemployed doctors. Not because they paused danger to the public, but because they were seeking an audience with the president.
On Thursday, March 3rd 2022, another protest was stopped by police in riot gear again. This time it was teachers marching to statehouse to seek an audience with president Hakainde.
A clear manifestation of the Public Order Bill 2019, a tool crafted by the previous Patriotic Front (PF) government to undermine freedom of expression and assembly.
Hesitating to amend the bill implies that the current United Party for National Development (UPND) government is benefiting from the public order act.
Stopping protesters to march to the statehouse to protest in front of president Hakainde appears to leave the UPND administration happy and it could be a reason why the president praised police on his Facebook on Police day. According to HH, in the last six months of his presidency, police have demonstrated professionalism in carrying out their duties.
Police are attending to peaceful protests in the country in riot gear. If that implies professionalism, the president is reading wrong books. The same applies to the defamation of the president law. A report has emerged that police in Kafue have arrested a youth, Aaron Mwale Jr for allegedly insulting president Hakainde Hichilema and Kafue MP Miriam Chonya.
Definitely, the report has left UPND celebrating. If it is true, how would one expect the HH administration to get rid of the defamation of the president law!
Our integrity will be questioned if we join UPND in celebrating the arrest of Kafue youth Aaron Mwale Jr. We condemned defamation of the president arrests under PF. We must condemn defamation of the president arrests under UPND.
Under the article, The change Zambians voted for is not complete if the defamation of the president law stays the author predicted more defamation arrests coming. It is happening and your voice has the power to stop it.
Public Order Act and the defamation of the president law may not go if our voice does not get louder. The two now seem to serve the interest of the new dawn administration.
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