Fred M’membe, Socialist Party leader, frowns at rising police brutality against opposition members

Socialist Party (SP) President, Fred M’membe, has expressed concern over the increasing unlawful use of force by the Police under the United Party for National Development (UPND) government.

M’membe said several opposition members such as Patriotic Front’s (PF) Deputy Chairperson for Information and Publicity, Emmanuel Mwamba, Economic and Equity Party leader, Chilufya Tayali, have been brutalized by the Police upon arrest.

The Socialist Party leader in a statement issued on Saturday in Lusaka alleged the brutalized individuals were carrying the scars of Police cruelty.

He said this police brutality was illegal and can end in death, injury, and devastation especially that it was fuelled by political prejudice and hatred.

“All too often, police officers who kill or injure people after using force unlawfully are not brought to justice,” M’membe said.

He said there was need to make sure that police stop using force against the law abiding citizens, and those who injure, maim or kill unlawfully were brought to account.

“Under the law, police officers should only ever use lethal force as a last resort and this means when such force is strictly necessary to protect themselves or others from an imminent threat of death or serious injury,” M’membe said.

He said governments that routinely trample on other human rights, such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, often authorize heavy-handed police responses to criticism, protests and demonstrations.

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M’membe said the impunity for the police in these situations often led to a deadly cycle of brutality.

“But how many people must be brutalized by the police before our human rights defenders, both statutory and voluntary, can speak out? M’membe asked.

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