GOVERNMENT must not dismiss the US Human Rights Report on the basis that it does not reflect the remarkable progress achieved by the new dawn administration in advancing human rights.
We are not surprised that Government feels the report contains inaccuracies misrepresentations as stated by the acting Minister of Information and Media, Mr Makazo Chikote.
Afterall, the new dawn administration has always boasted about the enhanced freedom that Zambians enjoy, particularly with the removal of political cadres from markets and bus stations.
The new dawn administration came into office promising that its governance would be based on the rule of law.
But the US Department of State 2022 Country Report on Human Rights has cited arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture of suspects as well as corruption in the UPND government.
The report said torture of suspects had remained prevalent under the UPND government.
In particular, it also stated that police tortured suspects in detention facilities and that on February 20, 2022, police detained and reportedly tortured former President Edgar Lungu’s barber Shabby Chilekwa for allegedly killing a UPND cadre.
Government cannot deny that there have not been arbitrary arrests especially of those who served in the Patriotic Front regime under President Edgar Lungu.
Most have been picked on allegations of corrupt practices committed while in government and locked up beyond the legally allowed 48 hours without being charged.
While there is nothing wrong in arresting a suspect, it is the manner in which these have been carried out that have made people begin to question the government’s commitment to the rule of law.
Yes, while the police are empowered under the law to arrest any person suspected of having committed a crime, it is the excessive and malicious use of force that citizens are against. It is the conduct of the law enforcement agencies that are tainting its image.
Last week’s brutal arrest of Zambia’s former ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba at a car wash in Lusaka by about nine plain-clothed police officers and kept incommunicado from his family and lawyers has sent shockwaves in the country.
What Zambians want though is for the government to take note of the lapses that have been cited and improve on them?
Merely singing about the improved civic space in the nation is not enough.
It is pleasing as Mr Chikote said that Government had taken note of several assertions and claims about the state of human rights in the country contained in the Department of State’s report.
Mr Chikote said government had taken concrete steps to create an inclusive and accountable society, where every citizen was treated fairly and with respect.
The report, if anything, should help Zambians take stock of where they are as a country in respect of human rights and ensure that no one is left behind.
We feel the letter written by nine opposition political parties to President Hakainde Hichilema to complain against his administration’s human rights abuses provides the government a chance to reach out and listen to their concerns.
Human rights must be enjoyed by all
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