Anti-Corruption Activist Laura Miti in Court

Civil society activist Laura Miti yesterday appeared before the Livingstone Magistrate Court, where she faced charges of assaulting police officers.

Along with Bornwell Mwewa, Miti is accused of beating up police officers in a police station when she was seeking information on Fumba Chama, better known as Pilato.

According to Miti, Pilato had been arrested for holding a workshop in a Catholic Church facility to teach youth how to engage with governance. His case is pending prosecution for clearance by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

This is not the first time Miti has run into trouble for her activism. The Alliance for Community Action leader has been at the forefront of several protests, principally aimed at exposing corruption.

In September 2017 she was arrested alongside Pilato and a number of other protestors who had gathered to peacefully protest the misuse of public funds as the national budget was being presented to Parliament. The procurement of 42 fire engines at a cost of US$42 million was the focus of the protest, with research suggesting the figures may have been greatly inflated by three to four times the proper amount.

The Lusaka Magistrate Court later acquitted Miti. However, she has expressed her concern regarding events stating, “To a large extent democratic practice is being stamped on, it’s more difficult to speak out, get information. They think they are more powerful than the voter and they will have their way, whatever happens, which is quite different from where we were a decade ago when we had reached the space where you felt that the electorate were very sure that those in power served at their pleasure.”

“I am sad that activists are having to spend so much time and energy protecting democracy, and so little discussing the issues that are critical for the livelihoods of a very poor population. It is heart-breaking how little the current Zambian government seems to care about the situation of its poor citizens. I am also scared that we might lose this fight,” Miti told Amnesty International.