HUMAN Rights Commission (HRC) has condemned the attack of mourners at Lusaka’s Memorial Park on Saturday, 24th June,2017 and calls for political leadership to end the escalating violation of human rights and freedoms through organised political violence.
“It is a great national shame that bereaved families and individuals are not only deprived of their right to mourn and put to rest their departed ones in peace, but are subjected to politically- motivated physical violence, theft and destruction of their properties at a graveyard! Mourning and burial places should be sacred places of grieving and consoling those suffering from the loss of their departed beloved ones”.
ZANIS reports that Human Rights Commission spokesperson Mweetwa Muleya said in a statement that the attack of mourners by political cadres at Memorial Park in Lusaka must be condemned as a cold-hearted and criminal political behaviour.
The Commission calls upon the police to thoroughly investigate the unfortunate incident at Memorial Park, arrest and prosecute the culprits without fear or favour.
The spokesperson said his Commission wishes to reiterate that the continued political hostility between the Patriotic endangering the maintenance of peace, law and order as well as grossly undermining the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms.
It was high time the nation reached a consensus that there was destructive tension in the country that required urgent attention in order to restore a peaceful environment for everyone regardless of their political beliefs and association, he said.
“ There is danger that if the current lawlessness is not effectively addressed, cadres will soon have the audacity to start invading public places of work and business, as well as private places such as homes to attack perceived political opponents, “ he said.
Mr. Muleya said that that the Rights Commission is concerned that such an environment of breakdown of law and order will make it extremely difficult to protect human rights.
It is a well- known fact that political violence is an organised crime which has been increasingly applied as a strategy of promoting and maintaining political hegemony since the run up to Zambia’s 2016 general elections, he said.
There is need for leaders across the political divide to accept to be held accountable for the atrocities committed by their members and start taking practical good faith efforts towards stopping their members from engaging in criminal acts.
He added that statements of accusations and counter accusations from political leaders without reprimanding their cadres engaging in violence fall far too short of the required leadership to redress the current wave of violence the country is experiencing.
“In fact, such statements only serve to send a clear message that cadres engaged in political violence have the approval of their respective party leadership, thereby creating a vicious cycle of violence through retaliations”.
Mr. Muleya added that his Commission was therefore calling for genuine and effective leadership in promoting the spirit of co-existence, respect and protection of all forms of diversity that are fundamental to a pluralistic and democratic society.
Government has an obligation to facilitate political dialogue because dialogue is a necessary quality of good governance through moderating excessive divergent views that are inevitable in a multi-party democracy, he said.
