Amnesty urges Zambia to act against human rights abuses

By O’Brian Mwiinga

LUSAKA, Zambia

Amnesty International chief regretted the widespread human rights abuses in Zambia and urged President Edgar Lungu to take steps to end the scourge.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty said he met Lungu at the state house Monday after he ended his three-day fact-finding mission in Zambia.

“During this meeting, Amnesty International asked the Zambian government through President Lungu not only to uphold but also to end the ongoing human right abuses in Zambia and allow the people to freely exercise their rights as provided by the national constitution,” Shetty said.

He observed that police were using the vague provisions of the public order act and the penal code to limit rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association as provided by the local and international instruments.

Party supporters were also violating the state instruments not only to subdue but also to suppress critics of the Zambian government and that of the ruling Patriotic Front, Shetty said.

He cited the Sept. 29 incident when police detained a group of human rights defenders were arrested and detained after they attempted to marched towards the parliament where they intended to demand answers from the government over the procurement of 42 fire trucks that cost $42 million.

“Amnesty also met representatives of different communities on the verge of losing their land and access to food due to large-scale land acquisitions in different parts of the country by suspected supporters of the ruling party.

“These people are fighting to remain on their land, through courts, after losing,” he said.