UPND Criticises Government Abuse Of Police Resources

The United Party for National Development has criticised the government for wasting police time and resources after a convoy carrying UPND Alliance presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema was blocked by police from entering Malambo constituency. Officers were armed and fired tear gas and smoke grenades at UPND supporters. 

In a press statement shared on Facebook, UPND presidential spokesperson Anthony Bwalya said the Patriotic Front government was abusing public police resources in order to “impose a dictatorship on the people of Zambia”. 

He said his party was aware that most police officers wanted to carry out their duties in a “fair and equitable manner” but that this was being undermined by the PF, who deliberately intimidate officers who disobey orders to carry out state violence against Zambian citizens. 

Bwalya said that what happened in Chipata was part of a “wider scheme” by the PF to infiltrate institutions such as the police and subvert Zambia’s democracy.

The scenes near Chipata on Thursday were reminiscent of events last month, when members of the UPND were blocked by police from attending a funeral for a fallen party member in Ndola. A few days later, HH was shot at by officers with teargas and live ammunition while attempting to attend a church service in Chingola. 

A recent survey by the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) found that police in Zambia disrupt or attack political rallies hosted by the UPND far more frequently than any other major political party. 

The CCMG also noted that police were far more likely to use excessive force against UPND supporters, warning that this was severely limiting the campaign space for political parties.