HH complains of Govt harassment
Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:13:29 +0000
President Michael Sata has instructed police officers and other security wings of government to curtail UPND president Hakainde Hichilema‘s freedom of movement, speech and association, it has been learnt.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr. Hichilema said that the continued curtailing of his freedoms was a sign of fear for the UPND leadership that it would tell the nation the truth about the failure of the PF government.
Mr. Hichilema said that there were many things inZambiawhich had gone wrong which the opposition needed to inform the people.
He cited the mealie meal shortage on the Copperbelt, Kasama and other parts of the country as some of the major issues the people ofZambianeeded to know the truth about.
“I wanted to go and see the extent of the situation on the ground on the Copperbelt a few days ago over the mealie meal shortage in Chingola, Chililabombwe, and Mufulira, but Mr. Sata and the PF heard my mission and sent hooligans to waylay me at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport,’ he said.
Mr. Hichilema said that the PF were determined to cause fracas at the airport which would have in turn blamed on him.
He said Zambians were not free to conduct their daily business because of the intimidating and violence tactics exhibited by the PF hooligans.
“Do you still have a country? You don’t have, do you still have a leadership? No. And they arrange that immediately I get into the market I must be attacked and the police was aware about this.
’The only thing they could do was to send information saying that we will not allow HH to go into the market without arresting those planning to hurt me. This is the police that is compromised, working in tandem PF hooligans,” he said.
“I want to assure the people ofZambiathat the PF will not cow down Hakainde because I have not committed any crime, I will represent the people who are being cheated by this Donch Kubeba government,” he said.
Mr. Hichilema said that even those who voted for President Sata and the PF were shocked about the degenerating of democratic standards under the PF government.
“Even the people who voted for this government on the Copperbelt now know that they made a mistake because it has failed to provide jobs, and worse still no plan on how it will address the issue of mealie meal shortages,
“I told the people the people ofZambiathat you vote for President Sata and the PF you will be jumping from the frying pan to fire. Recently people were saying that I was bitter but are you hearing them saying that anymore? No, because they know that I said the truth.”