Hichilema storms Katanga’s office
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema yesterday stormed the office of Lusaka Province police commissioner Charity Katanga to demand an explanation about why last week’s demonstration by his party youths was stopped by police.
But Mrs Katanga said she found it undesirable to explain her police duties to a politician and advised Mr Hichilema to put his complaint in writing or see her supervisors.
Mr Hichilema, who was in the company of his advisor Douglas Siakalima, former MMD member Edward Mumbi and several other cadres, stormed Mrs Katanga’s office at about 12:20 and only left Lusaka Central Police Station at 13:00hours.
“The UPND leader stormed my office with several other people who could not be accommodated in my office. He quizzed me about why the demonstration was stopped. He wanted me to give an account of what happened but I thought I could not be interrogated over my duties as a police officer,” Mrs Katanga said.
Mr Hichilema left Mrs Katanga’s office, making a snide remark that she was too young.
Earlier, Mr Hichilema held a press briefing at the party secretariat where he launched a scathing attack on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mutembo Nchito.
He accused the police of acting like PF vigilantes, alleging that “they brutally assaulted unarmed youth who were demonstrating in support of an independent judiciary and the resignation of the DPP.”
Mr Hichilema accused President Sata of turning the country into a police state and that he (the President) wants to instil fear in citizens and cow them into submission.
“We would like to send a strong message to Mr Sata, that the UPND has nothing to fear, not even fear itself. We will continue to fight until we rescue this country which has been taken hostage,” he said.
Mr Hichilema alleged that President Sata and the PF’s style of governance is taking the country back to the one party rule which was defeated in 1991.
He said since President Sata took office nine months ago, he has never held a press conference to address citizens on the direction he intends to take.
“In normal democracies, Presidents address the nation at the beginning of the year to outline their vision and plans. It is now nine months and Mr Sata has failed to do so. The Bible says, without a vision, my people perish,” Mr Hichilema said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Geoffrey Mwamba has asked Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani to summon Mr Hichilema to substantiate his claims that Government has sent a group of youths to Sudan to be trained by militia.
Mr Mwamba said Mr Hichilema’s utterances are alarming and can easiloy sour the country’s diplomatic relations with Sudan and South Sudan.
He said the police should find out the motive behind Mr Hichilema’s claims, adding that uttering falsehoods is a punishable offence under the country’s laws.
He said at a media briefing yesterday that the UPND leader’s claims are false and uncalled for.
Mr Hichilema, who was in the company of his advisor Douglas Siakalima, former PF member Edward Mumbi and several other cadres, stormed Mrs Katanga’s office at about 12:20 and only left Lusaka Central Police Station at 13:00hours.
“The UPND leader stormed my office with several other people who could not be accommodated in my office. He quizzed me about why the demonstration was stopped. He wanted me to give an account of what happened but I thought I could not be interrogated over my duties as a police officer,” Mrs Katanga said.
Mr Hichilema left Mrs Katanga’s office, making a snide remark that she was too young.
Earlier, Mr Hichilema held a press briefing at the party secretariat where he launched a scathing attack on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mutembo Nchito.
He accused the police of acting like PF vigilantes, alleging that “they brutally assaulted unarmed youth who were demonstrating in support of an independent judiciary and the resignation of the DPP”.
Mr Hichilema accused President Sata of turning the country into a police state and that he (the President) wants to instil fear in citizens and cow them into submission.
“We would like to send a strong message to Mr Sata, that the UPND has nothing to fear, not even fear itself. We will continue to fight until we rescue this country, which has been taken hostage,” he said.
Mr Hichilema alleged that President Sata and the PF’s style of governance are taking the country back to the one party rule which was defeated in 1991.
He said since President Sata took office nine months ago, he has never held a press conference to address citizens on the direction he intends to take.
“In normal democracies, Presidents address the nation at the beginning of the year to outline their vision and plans. It is now nine months and Mr Sata has failed to do so. The Bible says without a vision, my people perish,” Mr Hichilema said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Geoffrey Mwamba has asked Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani to summon Mr Hichilema to substantiate his claims that Government has sent a group of youths to Sudan to be trained by militia.
Mr Mwamba said Mr Hichilema’s utterances are alarming and can easily sour the country’s diplomatic relations with Sudan and South Sudan.
He said the police should find out the motive behind Mr Hichilema’s claims, adding that uttering falsehoods is a punishable offence under the country’s laws.
He said at a media briefing yesterday that the UPND leader’s claims are false and uncalled for.
Mr Mwamba said there are only 17 Zambian soldiers in Sudan for a peace keeping mission.
“This is what I call acts of desperation on the part of Mr Hichilema because as far as my ministry is concerned, we have not sent a single troop or youth to go and train in Sudan.
“Why should we send our youths to Sudan? For what?” Mr Mwamba asked.
The minister said the country has enough facilities to train its soldiers.
He said Mr Hichilema’s allegations are therefore baseless, adding that Zambia has no intentions to go to war with any country.
“Probably Mr Hichilema has intentions to fight people elected to government. I wish to remind my dear brother HH that he should do proper research. His utterances are alarming,” he said.
Mr Mwamba has challenged Mr Hichilema to substantiate his claims with the relevant authorities, saying Mr Hichilema is free to visit any airport and points of exit countrywide to verify his claims.
“He should go and check if at all we sent out a group of youths or troops to Sudan,” Mr Mwamba said.
He said currently the PF Government is recruiting officers as a routine exercise and government will not send any officer outside the country to train as militia.
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