By ADRIAN MWANZA
THERE is no point for police to detain Economic and Equity Party president Mr Chilufya Tayali without charging him rather they should have taken him to court because he has not committed any criminal offence, PF aspiring presidential candidate Emmanuel Mwamba has said.
Mr Mwamba, who was reacting to Mr Tayali’s detention said if anyone was aggrieved with Mr Tayali’s comments about cabinet ministers, they were supposed to sue him in a civil court rather than treat him like a common criminal.
He said that Mr Tayali had not been charged but just detained at Ibex Police Post and that they had not given any explanation on why he was detained.
“The details are scanty but we hope to get the full details tomorrow (today) but it’s unfortunate that they picked him and grabbed his phones causing trauma on the wife and children,” he said.
Mr Mwamba said gone were the days when people were detained for criminal defamation but rather deal with the matter in a civil matter.
Mr Tayali had been detained at Ibex Police Station after a video in which he was lambasting cabinet ministers for failing to deliver on their promises went viral.
Police spokesperson Rae Haamonga in an interview confirmed Mr Tayali’s detention but said he would avail the details today.
But a close associate said the arrest was as a result of a video making rounds on social media were he attacked Energy Minister Peter Kapala and Information Minister Chushi Kasanda.
Mr Tayali challenged the government on paying men and women in uniform who had not yet received their salaries.
He said the ruling government was not a new dawn but a new darkness and that Zambians would soon rise against them when the hunger levels increased.
Mr Tayali said that the UPND Government had failed to deal with the fuel prices that were skyrocketing.
He said that President Hakainde Hichilema needed to pay soldiers whose salaries were not yet paid.
