Why Zambia President HH is jittery

It was not until after Lungu protested by camping at the police station that she was released in the night. Additionally, within this same period, the government has twice refused to allow the PF to hold public rallies in Lusaka and Central provinces, despite their compliance with the law, using the excuse of unspecified “security concerns”. Despite condemnation of this continued suppression of the rights to peaceful assembly, association, and free speech (since people meet to talk) by the Law Association of Zambia, the government has intensified the violations. 

On 9 September, a battalion of police officers in full riot gear dispersed an interdenominational church service on the Copperbelt at which Lungu was invited. The pastor who organised the church meeting was arrested and charged with “conduct likely to cause breach of public peace”. 

Police, who sealed off the place of worship, had earlier attempted to block Lungu from travelling for the religious event. Earlier, on 7 September, the government had declined Lungu’s request to travel abroad for medical review, a clear violation of his legal entitlements as a retired former president. According to sources at the cabinet office, Lungu has a scheduled appointment with medical doctors in South Africa, one that was secured after discussions between the permanent secretary in the ministry of health and his personal physician.

At the heart of the government’s manoeuvres on Lungu is Hichilema’s fears that his predecessor harbours plans of a political comeback. Generally, opposition challengers who defeat incumbent presidents in Zambia have gone on to develop a deep-seated phobia for their predecessors. For instance, so fearful of Kaunda’s political comeback was Chiluba that he changed the country’s constitution to disqualify the founding president from challenging him in the 1996 election.

Hichilema — whose party lacks a clear parliamentary majority required to change the constitution or lift his predecessor’s immunity from prosecution — will not take this path. However, the president does appear to be extremely bothered by Lungu’s political shadow, especially that the PF is yet to choose a new leader. 

Recently, the president ordered PF leaders to stop regrouping or face arrest. Overlooking its members’ right of association, he declared: “I want to send a message to the PF thugs. I can see they are regrouping now. The fact that we did not lock you up, that we did not arrest you is not that we are not capable. We are just kind people.  If you start regrouping now, we will come after you in a heavy way.” 

The highly-regarded retired archbishop of Lusaka, Telesphore Mpundu, quickly condemned Hichilema’s threats as “primitive politics”, motivated by the desire “to completely get rid of the opposition”. 

“We want this country to remain a democratic dispensation where people are free to speak, associate and so forth. The only way to silence the opposition is to perform well… If people are not given opportunities to access food and access it affordably in amounts that are accepted, whatever you may say, you are a failure with a capital F,” he added. 

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