By NATION REPORTER
ZAMBIA is on the verge of becoming worse than a police State as the UPND is getting more desperate to hold on to power and Zambians should wake up and defend their democracy which they fought for, former President Edgar Lungu has said.
Former President Lungu says signs are there that Zambia has already become a police State where citizens’ rights and liberties are no longer respected by those governing the country.
The former head of State who is the president of the Patriotic Front (PF) is worried that the UPND regime was likely to get more brutal in their desperation to retain power in the 2026 general elections.
He said in an interview yesterday that Zambians should prepare for the worst because the UPND administration was not going to stop at anything in their quest to remain in government even if it was against the wishes of Zambians.
“I went to see Given Lubinda in Lusaka West where he was detained but the police officers could not even allow me to say hello to him. They had to whisk him away…saying they were taking him to Central Police.
But these are the signs that we are establishing a police State. But as they (UPND) get more desperate to hold on to power, Zambians are going to experience all sorts of absurd things. With the desperation to cling to power against the will of Zambians, the country is going to degenerate into worse than a police State, former President Lungu said. And former President Lungu revealed that a police officer who allowed him to see Emmanuel Mwamba at Chilenje Police Station had been summoned by State House for questioning and reprimand for allowing him to visit Mr Mwamba.
“I am now hearing that the police officer who allowed me to see Emmanuel (Mwamba) has been summoned to State House for questioning and reprimand. Zambians must wake up and defend their democracy. This is how it (dictatorship) starts. But let them know we shall soldier on,” former President Lungu said. Mr Lungu was yesterday blocked by some discourteous police officers from greeting Mr Lubinda who had been detained at Westwood Police Station in Lusaka West.
After visiting Mr Mwamba at Chilenje Police Station, former President Lungu went to Westwood Police Station to see Mr Lubinda but was rudely denied access. Unruly police officers could not even allow him to say hallo to Mr Lubinda as they forcefully shoved the PF vice president into a waiting unregistered Toyota Land Cruiser and whisked him away to some undisclosed location.
There was commotion at the Westwood Police Station as the police officers attempted to block former President Lungu from getting anywhere closer to Mr Lubinda.
Combined efforts by Brian Mundubile, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Opposition Chief Whip Steven Kampyongo, Members of the Central Committee Jean Kapata and Chishimba Kambwili among other senior PF officials to have the police allow former President Lungu to greet Mr Lubinda were crudely frustrated.
