Hakainde Hichilema arrest barbaric

By Willias Madzimure

The PDP condemns the recent arrest of United Party for National Development Hakainde Hichilema who has charged with treason for allegedly obstructing the motorcade of President Edgar Lungu; we view the arrest as an act of persecution.

Police in Zambia arrested and jointly charged Mr Hichilema and five others with treason. They even went on to invade his home and harass his family.

The People’s Democratic Party’s finds the allegation of disobeying police with the intention to harm the President as laughable.

We are also aware of the fact that the UPND leader had been accused of assembly without a permit after he gave an impromptu address in the rural Mpongwe.

He was granted bail in October after being charged with sedition, a move we also think was an attempt by the ruling party to silence dissent.

President Lungu’s behaviour now reflects that of his Zimbabwean counterpart President Mugabe who criminalises the right to political choice. He persecutes those who disagree with him.
Just like Mugabe, Lungu is now using repressive state apparatus like the police to silence the opposition.

In Zimbabwe so many people were charged with treason including war heroes like Lookout Masuku who later died under house arrest, Dumiso Dabengwa, Welshman Ncube, Morgan Tsvangiral, PDP President Tendai Biti among others, the charge which the state could not sustain in court.

We view the closure of democratic space in any country as an unacceptable reversal of the gains of the liberation struggle.

In our recent statement we urged SADC to rise to the occasion emulating what ECOWAS did during the Gambian Crisis. In this case a mere statement from SADC would do the trick. We want to salute the foreign governments, organisations, political parties and individuals who have condemned the barbaric act.

Willias Madzimure
PDP International Relations Secretary