By NATIONAL REPORTER
POLICE yesterday trailed and ambushed Patriotic Front (PF) Mandevu Member of Parliament Christopher Shakafuswa and effected an instant arrest for allegedly inciting violence.
Raphael Nakacinda, the PF information and publicity chairperson has confirmed the arrest of Mr Shakafuswa at a shopping Mall in Lusaka.
Mr Nakacinda said Mr Shakafuswa was arrested for being present at former President Edgar Lungu’s residence on the day the police raided the place and attempted a break-in in search of former First Lady Esther. Mr Nakacinda said the police were trying to manufacture some tramped-up charge against Mr. Shakafuswa of inciting violence at former President Lungu’s residence.
Upon his return from the United Kingdom, President Hakainde Hchilema said it was a crime for the PF cadres to have camped at former President Lungu’s residence after the State decided to withdraw his security.
And yesterday, the police trailed Mr Shakafuswa to a mall in Lusaka and ambushed the Mandevu lawmaker with an arrest and have since detained him at Lusaka Central Police.
But Mr Nakacinda Mr Shakafuswa was the provincial youth chairperson for Lusaka and law maker for Mandenvu who went to offer support and solidarity to the former head of State. Mr Nakacinda said everyone who was present on that day was not happy with the way the Police wanted to bring down the gate at former President Lungu and no one incited any violence against the police.
He said there was nothing that happened that day that would warrant the police ambushing Mr Shakafuswa as if he was a common criminal. “The Police trailed Mr Shakafuswa at a Mall in Lusaka and ambushed him with an instant arrest using the special police grouping. No police call out was issued to him. They just picked and embarrassed him like a common criminal which is very unfortunate,” Mr Nakacinda said.
Mr Nakacinda said the charge they arrested him for was silly and the conduct of the police towards PF law makers was silly which should not be entertained.
He said the unfortunate part was that the government that was in power thrives on using law enforcement agencies to intimidate and instill fear in the opposition.
