Police block Nevers from holding a meeting

POLICE in Lufwanyama yesterday stopped MMD leader Nevers Mumba from holding a meeting in the area with party officials because he did not have a permit as required under the Public Order Act.
But Dr Mumba vowed that his party will not dance to the tune of the police for allegedly using the ‘‘draconian law’’ to stop the party leadership from meeting its members in various parts of the country.
He said it was clear that his party had fallen victim of the vicious law known as the Public Order Act.
After he was stopped from holding the meeting in Lufwanyama’s Chief Nkana’s area, Dr Mumba was again upset when his entourage was blocked from paying a courtesy call on the traditional ruler for unknown reasons.
Dr Mumba, who has been holding a series of meetings on the Coppebelt with district, constituency and ward leaders, said he was disappointed that the police had stopped him from meeting party leaders in Lufwanyama, but however said he would set another date for the meeting.
The former republican Vice-President in the MMD government of Levy Mwanawasa said the Public Order Act should not be used to stop the opposition from meeting people.
“We have fallen victim of the draconian law of the Public Order Act. We had close to 500 people waiting to be addressed, but the police moved in and stopped the meeting.
‘‘As MMD, we don’t want to engage in violence with police officers.
“No, we wouldn’t like to engage in violence with police officers, but we would like to warn that the MMD will not dance to the tune of the police officers who wanted to use the draconian law of the Public Order Act to stop the party leadership from meeting its members in various parts of the country,” Dr Mumba said.
Dr Mumba was arrested in Lufwanyama district in 2012 with other party officials for allegedly holding an illegal meeting in the area.

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