Bishops Council condemns hounding of opposition parties, demands official explanation from police leadership

The Bishops Council of Zambia (BCZ) has challenged the Inspector General of police, Grapheal Musamba, to give an official statement on the nation’s security concerns which do not allow the opposition to hold rallies.

BCZ General-Secretary, Bishop Able Kaela, claimed that the police had not allowed any opposition political rally since 2021.

The Bishop also alleged that the police had disrupted any attempts by the opposition to engage with the public citing security issues.

He said it would be important for Zambia to know the kind of threats or security concern the country had been facing for the last three yeasr that do not warrant the opposition to engage with the public.

Read more: Moment suspected UPND cadres stormed Mandevu area to confront opposition party rally (Video)

“We have to be on the same page with the IG. What fears is the police seeing that Zambians are not aware of? Maybe, if he were to say it people can understand him better. We want to know his fears. What are you fearing ba Musamba” he said.

Bishop Kaela also challenged government to clearly state their position on whether the opposition would not be allowed to have public rally until it was an election year.

He said the position must be known so that the rallies involving the ruling party could also be stopped. Kaela said an official statement must be made on whether democracy had seized to exist in the country such that no one would be allowed to protest or have a public rally until further notice.

He said what was happening in the country at the moment was unacceptable where the former Head of State was being insulted in the full view of the police and they never cared to arrest anyone.

Kaela also pointed out that, on Saturday Chipata compound witnessed an ugly scene of carders matching with machetes as a way of blocking the New Heritage Party from having a public rally.

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