Imboela condemns police brutality

By NATION REPORTER

POLICE brutality against politicians, especially women has escalated under the UPND government, Saboi Imboela has charged.

Ms Imboela, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has strongly condemned the arrest of opposition political party leaders who on Friday peacefully protested against the US$577 million Ndola-Lusaka Dual Carriageway construction contract awarded to Micro Ocean Investment Consortium.

Those arrested included Chishala Kateka of the New Heritage Party, Kasonde Mwenda of the Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) and Jackson Silavwe of the Golden Party of Zambia (GPZ) as we as a Daily Nation female journalist Namo Phiri.

Ms Imboela, the leader of the NDC was however not arrested although she was among the three opposition political party leaders who were protesting.

In an interview, Ms Imboel said it was disheartening that the UPND government did not want opposition political leaders express themselves on national matters that were affecting Zambians.

“My colleagues were arrested like common criminals. Kasonde Mwenda was airlifted and thown into the Kasalanga like a common thief. I was there watching and asking the police why they were arresting people on a Friday. All they told me was they were following orders,” Ms Imboela said.

She stated that the Ndola-Lusaka Dual Carriageway Public Private Partnership (PPP) which the UPND government had embarked on had raised serious concerns among Zambians and it would be prudent for government to explain to citizens what the true status of the contract was.

She stated that while the UPND thought the Ndola-Lusaka Dual Carriageway PPP arrangement was a brilliant idea, the ruling party had not fully explained to Zambians and that was why the contract smacked of corruption and was not making sense.

Ms Imboela said the brutal arrest of the opposition political party leaders was uncalled for and was a sign that Zambia could slowly be degenerating into a dictatorship.

“The brutality of the police under the UPND has been escalated, especially the brutality towards women politicians. Previously, the police would treat female and male politicians differently and with some restraint and respect. Under the UPND, we are all being treated the same because the leadership does has no regard for the female gender. That probably explains why they had abolished the Ministry of Gender. May be the UPND is preparing a female president that is why that are so brutal and barbaric towards female politicians. I was arrested and now Chishala Kateka is in police cells,” Ms Imboela said.

She recalled that the UPND arrested Mumbi Phiri with the force of brutality and ensured that she was detained for as long as their ego could be soothed.

“We have a lot to say about how Ms Phiri had been arrested, detained indefinitely without trial but we cannot say these things for fear of being contemptuous.