By NATION REPORTER
HOME Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu was yesterday found in breach of the parliamentary standing order 65 of 2021, for making contradictory statements in the House concerning the arrest of three members of Parliament.
This followed a point of order raised by Shiwang’andu Member of Parliament Stephen Kampyongo, over the response to his question on why the police were only acting now on cases which allegedly occurred five months before.
Making the ruling on the point of order, First Deputy Speaker · Attractor Chisangano said the minister was out of order when he stated that police were arresting PF members of Parliament in the new government for offences that were committed sometime back because police were afraid of being disciplined.
Mr Mwiimbu said when he delivered a ministerial statement that on the arrest of Chinsali PF member of Parliament Kalalwe Mukosa, and his Kawambwa and Pambashe counterparts Nixon Chilangwa and Ronald Chitotela respectively, for offences that were committed five months earlier, said that the three law makers were not being arrested much before the UPND came into office because officers were afraid of being disciplined.
Rising on a point of order premised on Standing Order 65 (1) (b) of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2021, which provides that a member who is debating shall ensure that the information he or she provides to the house is factual and verifiable, Mr Kampyongo wondered whether Mr Mwiimbu was in order to state that police were afraid to arrest citizens.
He further stated that if the police had not been afraid to arrest sitting ministers, they could not have been afraid to arrest ordinary citizens who he referred to like then UPND leader.
Mr Kampyongo said he found Mr Mwiimbu’s statement on the floor of the House as contradictory and not factual.
In a ruling delivered by first deputy Speaker Attractor Chisangano yesterday, the Speaker said that Mr Mwiimbu contradicted himself on the floor of the house by suggesting that police were not arresting those in the PF when he had given examples of prominent people that police had arrested without fear.
“Honourable Members, from the foregoing, it is clear that by giving examples of some ministers who were arrested while the PF was in government, stating that the police could not arrest Mr K Mukosa MP, Mr N Chilangwa MP and Mr R Chitotela MP when the PF was in power is not factual, the honourable minister made contradictory statements in the House,” said Ms Chisangano.
The speaker ruled that Mr Mwiimbu was out of order. “The rules of the House demand that any in
