Lungu tries to have his cake and eat it: a state of emergency in all but name
For 24 hours rumours swirled through Zambia that President Edgar Lungu planned to initiate a state of emergency. When he finally took to the airwaves to make a special announcement he did something different. Invoking Article 31 of the constitution – Declaration Relating to Threatened Emergency – rather than Article 30 – Declaration of Public […]
Tension, Uncertainty Grip Zambia Under Lungu’s Leadership
Long before President Edgar Lungu graced the screens on national television on the evening of July 5 to announce what his critics quickly labelled a state of emergency, there had been a build of tension in the country. Occasional fires were set on public property, with courts, electricity supply lines, and markets among popular targets […]
State of emergency declared in Zambia
The burning of the country’s biggest market, which is the latest in a series of infernos, apparent celebrations of the tragedy and a subsequent state of emergency has driven a wedge further between the Zambian government and opposition parties as well as civil society organisations. Early on Tuesday, a fire ravaged the Lusaka City Market […]
Opposition Politician Mwamba Threatened Zambian President Lungu – Witness
Trial took off yesterday in the case in which United Party for National Development (UPND) vice-president for administration, Geoffrey Mwamba is charged with proposing violence against President Edgar Lungu with one witness testifying against the opposition leader. Celestine Mukandila, a law student and business executive told Lusaka magistrate, Nthandose Chabala that he heard Mwamba on […]
Zambia slides towards authoritarianism as IMF props up government
The speaker of the Zambian National Assembly, Patrick Matibini, has suspended 48 opposition legislators for 30 days as a punishment for unauthorised absence from the parliament. Their offence? To have been missing for President Edgar Lungu’s state of the nation address in March. The suspension of the MPs does not come as a great surprise. […]
Zambia Suspends 48 Opposition MPs For Snubbing President Lungu’s Speech
Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini yesterday suspended for 30 days the 48 United Party for National Development (UPND) Members of Parliament (MPs) that boycotted President Edgar Lungu’s recent address to the National Assembly. The suspension of the members, the majority of whom were yesterday clad in black suits and neck-ties in the House, […]
Court Upholds Treason Charges Against Zambian Opposition Leader
A bid by lawyers to have treason charges against Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema dropped has been rejected by a Lusaka court. Hichilema is accused of plotting to overthrow the government. Magistrate Greenwell Malumani ruled that his court did not have the authority to overturn treason charges brought against Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema. “The […]
President Lungu Creating Confusion to Justify State of Emergency – Zambian Opposition
Zambia’s main opposition party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), has reportedly accused President Edgar Lungu’s government of trying to frame it for arson, adding that this was part of the government’s plan to increase political repression. According to the BBC, Lungu said last week that he was contemplating imposing a state of emergency […]
Police On High Alert For Damage of Public Property Threat
Police say they are on high alert for the threat on damage of public property by suspected political forces. Lusaka Province Police Commissioner Nelson Phiri said that they were patrolling around strategic government institutions that may be targets for damage by alleged political agents. The country has seen the burning down of some markets and […]
Zambian President Edgar Lungu Threatens to Declare State of Emergency
President Lungu said he may be forced to declare a state of emergency if his political adversaries continue daring him. The Head of State has also said that if the current policing methods by the law enforcement agencies are not working they will be forced to switch to alternative means. Speaking on arrival at Harry […]
