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In an attempt to prevent the Patriotic Front (PF) from holding the mass rally, the Zambia Police Service have sealed the venue in Zingalume area of Matero Constituency.
This has forced the PF leadership to abort the mission as the heavy presence of the police officers could not allow them to convene a meeting.
As early as 06:00 hours, on Saturday the police officers were seen patrolling the area with officers deployed in strategic areas along Mungwi Road all the way to Twakatane Road, a road leading to the venue.
In an audio shared to journalists in Lusaka, PF National Youth Chairperson, Christopher Kang’ombe, said in an attempt to suppress the voice of the opposition on matters affecting the nation, the ruling UPND through the Police was acting extremely desperate.
Kang’ombe said as a party that boasts about rule of law, the UPND should not have sent police officers to the venue of the rally to prevent the event from taking place.
“In the letter preventing the PF from holding its rally today, August 26, 2023, in Lusaka, the police last week cited, among other concerns, security reasons,” he said.
Kang’ombe said it is, therefore, shocking that as early as 02.00am this morning, Zambia Police managed to mobilize enough officers to prevent the rally from taking place at Zingalume Grounds.
“Hundreds of Police officers have converged at the venue for the rally just to make sure the PF does not get the opportunity to speak to the masses,” he said.
PF Vice President, Given Lubinda, said the party would set a new date for its planned rally to launch its strategic plan following the police refusal for them to hold the mass gathering.
He said the party would not allow the police to set a new date on the party’s behalf in which their planned rally can be held stating that it was not their duty to do so.
Lubinda said this at a media briefing in Lusaka on Saturday after Police sealed off the venue in Zingalume area of Matero Constituency for the mass rally.
“The state’s refusal to hold the rally in Matero’s Zingalume area is a clear indication that Zambia is in a police state and that the country’s democracy is slowly shrinking,” he said.
Lubinda stressed that the party would utilize various social platforms to communicate with their members.
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