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The Copperbelt Trade and Development Forum (CTDF) has called on law enforcement agencies to arrest people that are threatening peace and political stability in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional block.
CTDF Executive Director, Vincent Lengwe, expressed concern over what he termed as escalating, persistent and alarming seditious statements by politically exposed person’s in the country commenting on regional matters.
Lengwe in a statement issued in Ndola on Tuesday said such acts were aimed at frustrating Zambia’s development agenda and jeopardizing her cordial diplomatic relations with the international community.
Alluding to a social media video footage titled; ‘The Grand Regional Scheme’ that Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe and other opposition accomplices, Lengwe said the named conspirators have run out of ideas of providing progressive criticism.
He added that the named individuals have instead opted to incite civil disobedience and mutiny.
“We strongly condemn the opposition leaders in question on their conduct that is likely to cause the breach of regional peace and Zambia’s relations with her neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe,” Lengwe said.
He noted that the SADC Electoral Observation Mission was guided by the established SADC principles and guidelines governing democratic elections in presiding over the Zimbabwean recent general election.
“The unguided statements attributed to Fred M’membe, Emmanuel Mwamba, Raphael Nakachinda and others are maliciously crafted to undermine the integrity of SADC and inciting inter-state conflicts,” Lengwe said.
He urged President Hakainde Hichilema, as Chairperson for the SADC organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and SADC law enforcement agencies to arrest individuals in the habit of overstretching and abusing their freedom of expression.
Lengwe wants SADC to institute appropriate domestic interventions to curb political insurgents that threaten the peace and political stability in the SADC region.
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