Demand Kampyongo’s Departure, ACA Director Advises

Following the use of live ammunition by police in Lusaka yesterday to disperse crowds, which is reported to have resulted in two fatalities, civil society members have reacted with concern.

Among these are Alliance for Community Action (ACA) Executive Director Laura Miti who has called for the removal of Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo.

Writing on Thursday Miti shared the following opinion piece:

“I would like to know, are we really going to allow the desire of one person to hold on to power, to destroy the country for 17 million of us - most being young people with life ahead of them?

In making this decision, are we going to consider that this person for whom Zambia is being destroyed is (and I say this with all due respect) a stunningly incompetent President who has never run the country.

Does it matter that, in his veritable absence, this President has allowed unbelievable anarchy and lawlessness around him, all designed to have himself, his Ministers and a small group of people amass shocking levels of wealth, with a greed that has  destroyed the economy and impoverished Zambians?  

The question is, why would we allow him to ruin our country which, if never perfect, was the envy of others?

I am, in short, saying, if citizens do exactly what President Lungu expects - which is be angry for a moment, but forget yesterday's live bullets, like we did gassing, it's over for Zambia as we know it.

Minister of Home Affairs,  Kampyongo, has the weapons, they have put up cameras on every street, inserted  thugs who can open fire on a busy street into the police. It's all for next year's election.

They have been forced to do so because they know President Edgar Lungu CANNOT win a fair election.

Meanwhile the PF have decided they are not leaving power.

Instead of replacing President Lungu on the ticket, the ruling party has decided they will mess the country up. Try to pass Bill 10, run a sham registration of voters and ultimately shed blood, if they have to.

All for one incompetent President and those benefiting from that incompetence??

Zambians, I beg you, let us demand that Kampyongo goes, that all these cameras come down, and President Lungu does not stand.

If we do not do this, yesterday was just the beginning!”