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The Citizens First (CF) party has urged the church and citizens not to be intimidated by those in government who have allegedly failed.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, Party Spokesperson, Frank Sichone, stated that the church should instead stand for the truth and defend the freedoms that the forefathers fought for.
Sichone also condemned the behavior by the police to start summoning men of God like Catholic Priest Father Andrew Mukosa of Lufwanyama district on the Copperbelt Province for merely speaking on behalf of the people.
“Surely where is the consciousness even if it’s protecting jobs at the expense of the nation. The church and all of us must stand together with Fr Mukosa and speak the truth,” he asked.
Sichone stated that the party was not even surprised to see a notice from the police to summon the priest for simply telling the truth to his congregants.
He said the party had earlier warned Zambians that the country was now getting into a dictatorship.
“What we are seeing now where priests and citizens are told to shut up is simply the manifestation of this dictatorship government of the United Party for National Development (UPND),” Sichone claimed.
He stated that this was unacceptable, especially that the same police had refused the opposition to hold any rallies which was an infringement on their freedom of expression as enshrined in the constitution.
Sichone peoposed that the Police should have advised those who were sending them to do this illegality to follow the right channel to engange the church through its mother body than unleashing them on innocent citizens for simply expressing themselves.
“This UPND government does not mean well and all of those being used to perpetrate illegalities when citizens have the right to speak as enshrined in our constitution will pay the price one day together with the UPND in August 2026,” he said.
Sichone also challenged the government to build more courts through the Constituency Development Fund because the opposition was more than ready to go to the courts so that they can remind this government on their rights that they enjoy as citizens.
He said government should be reminded on the need to respect the rights and the constitution.
Zambia Police on Sunday withdrew an invitation extended to the priest by its Copperbelt Division.
The Catholic cleric was billed to appear before the police on Tuesday April 9, 2024, for questioning following his earlier comments regarding the economy on Good Friday.
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