Lungu Orders Crackdown On Rallies At PF Campaign Launch

President Lungu has directed the police and the Ministry of Health to more strictly enforce Covid-19 regulations against political rallies, despite holding a public campaign launch event this morning.

Speaking at the launch of the the Patriotic Front’s election campaign in Lusaka on Wednesday, the president told the hundreds of supporters gathered that he would no longer be holding public rallies and that he expected opposition parties to do the same.

Apparently unaware of the irony, Mr Lungu charged police officers to “ensure enforcement of the Covid-19 pandemic health regulations and guidelines without fear or favour”.

“What will it benefit you to be holding rallies, but then sacrifice the lives of our citizens and voters to COVID-19 and death?” He added.

It comes as the opposition UPND Alliance are planning to hold an event launching their campaign in Kitwe this Saturday.

UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema has told reporters that the party will still be going ahead with its campaign rallies, as Covid-19 cases have massively subsided.

He accused President Lungu of being “hypocritical” since the PF event outside the Mulungushi International Conference Centre “was more like a rally” than anything else.