Press Statements

Detention of Fr. Frank Bwalya

Caritas Zambia condemns the arrest and detention of Fr Frank Bwalya of Radio Icengelo in Ndola Diocese. As Caritas Zambia, we wish to condemn the arrest and detention as this action is an affront to the freedoms of expression and conscience which are guaranteed by our Constitution and International Covenants to which Zambia is a part. It is also an act of intimidation to citizens.

Zambia is a democracy and people should be free to discuss electoral issues. More so for the fact that we have just come from elections whose outcome has raised more questions than answers. Citizens should be free to exhaustively discuss these issues without the impediment of fear and intimidation. We shudder to think that the outcome of these elections is the beginning of a Police State in Zambia. We refuse to be intimidated and instead of government burying its head in sand, we advise those in leadership to deal with the many political questions that Zambians are asking about these elections and our electoral process.

We recall the threats to the media issued by some MMD senior cadres during campaigns and we see this as the beginning of reprisals to media houses critical of the shortcomings of the governing regime. People cannot be bullied into compliance in the face of so much injustice. We appeal for solidarity on this issue from all progressive Civil Society Organisations and individuals because this action takes us many years back in our journey of democracy. We appeal to the Inspector General of the Police even as we know his partisan tendencies, that the police service should not be turned into a tool of oppression of innocent citizens. As it currently stands, the police service has a great challenge of fighting the increasing crime rate in townships and this should give them enough work instead of harassing innocent citizens. We know that many of our Police Officers are just being forced into these inhuman actions by those who abuse of authority and orders.

Let it be known that we shall not stop to fight for a free media where government has no interference. It is only through the media that citizens get to know about issues affecting their lives be it political, economic or social.

 

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