Kaunda was charged under the Public Order Act with illegally addressing a public rally on 17 June. According to “The Post” of Zambia, the 71-year-old former president turned himself over to police after an initial attempt to arrest him at Lusaka International airport on 6 August “flopped”. Kaunda was released on bail after being cautioned […]
Kaunda was charged under the Public Order Act with illegally
addressing a public rally on 17 June. According to “The Post” of
Zambia, the 71-year-old former president turned himself over to
police after an initial attempt to arrest him at Lusaka
International airport on 6 August “flopped”. Kaunda was released
on bail after being cautioned to appear in the magistrates court
in Ndola. He was due to appear in court on 11 August.
Zambia state radio reported Kaunda as saying the charges were
trumped up. Kaunda said that he only visited Ndola to give a
speech at a press club meeting, after which he was invited to
speak to students at Northern Technical College in the town.
Riots later erupted at the college that has since been closed.
Kaunda denied that his speech incited the students who were
reportedly demanding a better diet.
In another interview on 8 August, Kaunda charged President
Frederick Chiluba with planning to kill him. The former president
said that the attempt to arrest him at the airport was a cover-up
for a failed assassination attempt. On 23 June, “The Post”
published details from security service documents which, the
paper reported, outlined plans by members of the ruling Movement
for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) to kill Kaunda. Kaunda is
currently making a political comeback and intends to challenge
Chiluba in next year’s presidential elections.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
in a bid to silence political opponents
legislation
line with accepted international standards on human rights as a
matter of urgency
Appeals To
His Excellency President Frederick Chiluba
State House
Independence Avenue
Lusaka, Zambia
Fax: +260 1 221939
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
