NDC appeals to SADC to intervene in country’s politics

The National Democratic Congress NDC is concerned that Zambia is slowly drifting into a police state.

Law and order has completely broken down in the country.

The pf regime led by Edgar Lungu has continued to bend and break the law with impunity.

The pf is using state apparatus such as the police to silence, intimidate and mime members of the opposition particularly those from the NDC.

We fear that if this political thuggery and persecution is not brought to a halt, lives will be lost.

The pf regime has resorted and is imploring mediaeval type of politics to harass and silence NDC members.

The Lungu administration has realized that the NDC is a threat to this regime and is doing every thing possible to ensure that our party is disbanded.

Pf is working round the clock to cripple the NDC.

It is saddening that NDC members were today teargassed in Kitwe by state police.

NDC has received intelligence information that the pf regime instructed police to use force and ensure that our youth’s did not take part in youth day activities at the Kitwe playing fields.

We have information that live ammunition was also used by police to disperse over four hundred youths who had gathered for youth day activities.

We note with deep concern that this is the second consecutive time that our members have been barred from participating in national events.

We fear that if this trend continues, the pf might start using unorthodox means and force to harm our members.

Worst still, we have also observed that the Zambia police service command has been instructed not to issue police permits to the NDC.

The NDC is thus having challenge’s to conduct its mobilization activities country wide.

It is clear that Zambians no longer enjoy their basic fundamental rights such as the right to assembly and expression.

Zambia’s democracy is under threat by this despotic regime that is bent at nothing but to perpetuate its stay in political office at all and every cost.

As NDC we fear that if the international community is not engaged to restore constitutional order, Zambia’s democracy will slowly be eroded.

Sooner or later, we might see this regime tempering with our country’s constitution to further their political interests.

In this regard, the NDC has therefore decided to wage an international campaign that will help bring about and restore constitutional normalcy in the country.

The NDC has appointed a steering committee to lobby the international community to serve this country.

The NDC has decided to engage the chairperson of SADC to urgently send an observer mission to Zambia to investigate the atrocities that this regime is committing.

The NDC will in this regard officially write a protest letter to the SADC chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa the President of South Africa on the state of democracy in Zambia.

Further, the NDC will in the next few weeks engage members of the diplomatic community and report to them on how the pf is suppressing human rights in the country.

We as NDC are resolved that Zambia’s political divisions caused by the pf can only be resolved with the help of our international partner’s.

As NDC, we are going a step further to engage the Commonwealth on the state of the political situation in Zambia.

The nation will fully be informed on all our planned activities.

Issued by: Mwenya Musenge. NDC General Secretary.