The Zambia Police has capitulated on its earlier refusal of the Socialist Party’s notification to hold a public rally at Kitwe’s Changanamai grounds today.
On June 3, the police advised Fred M’membe’s party not to proceed with its planned rally on the grounds that the security situation in the nation, including Kitwe, was not conducive. The SP was instead advised to come up with “alternative dates when the security situation stabilizes.”
However, a letter signed 7 June by a Thomas Swala, Officer in Charge of Riverside Police Station in Kitwe reverses the police’s earlier decision.
“Reference is drawn from the captioned matter and the subsequent reply of 3rd June, 2024 regarding The Socialist Party’s planned public rally scheduled for 8th June, 2024 at Changanamai Grounds in Kitwe. You are advised to ignore the earlier reply. Therefore, your public rally should go ahead as planned and maximise your internal security measures,” the letter read.
The change of stance by the police has likely emanated from President Hakainde Hichilema’s firm stance against the performance of the police expressed at his recent press briefing on Wednesday, 5 June.
He warned that if the police failed to keep law and order in the country or otherwise perform their duties, he would engage the military.
Citizens and political players alike have been unhappy with the police roundly and consistently denying opposition parties opportunities to organize through rallies and other such public gatherings. This has led to deep criticism of President Hichilema and accusations of a shrinking democratic space.
Things came to a head when heavy police presence and political hooliganism threatening violence attended a failed rally planned by the opposition Heritage Party in Lusaka’s Mandevu area last weekend.
The United Kwacha Alliance was in April equally refused the right to hold its planned rally in Kafue.
