Wed, 06 Sep 2017 14:13:38 +0000
By Oscar Malipenga
NGOs calling for the revocation of Article 31 are wasting their time because President Edgar Lungu is evaluating the situation on a daily basis, Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda has said.
Responding to journalists who wanted to find out State House’s position on calls by some NGOs to have Article 31 withdrawn, Mr Chanda said Parliament approved it, adding that its evaluation was being done on a day to day basis.
“So, we know that NGOs movements and activism is an industry that people use to earn their living but matters of national security cannot be sacrificed on the platform of expedience whether or not one NGO wants to earn one dollar from this country or that country.
“Who is complaining that police and security services have been able within the period when the invocation of Article 31 has been in place to arrest and foil attempts to sabotage oxygen chambers in hospitals? ” Mr Chanda asked.
Mr Chanda said law abiding citizens had no problems, no worries whatsoever on Article 31. He said Article 31 had actually delivered remarkable results as arsonists had been arrested and they would be presented before courts.
“When the time is right, the President will revoke Article 31.
“I do not want to think people in civil society share the same mind set with the criminals that they must worry about a system that is working.
“If there is one person who is behind bars wrongly because of article 31, the civil society must put up those placards and say citizen x is in prison innocently,” Mr Chanda said.
