Socialist Party President Dr. Fred M’membe says President Hakainde Hichilema seems disturbed by the revelations made by the United States government on the deplorable state of human rights practices in Zambia under his leadership.
Dr. M’membe adds that recently, the US State Department released a detailed report – USA 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Zambia which brought to light the human rights abuses committed by President Hichilema’s administration.
He adds that these includes unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings, torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government, serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media, including violence and threats against journalists, censorship, or enforcement of threat to enforce criminal libel laws to limit expression
He further adds that substantial interference with the rights of freedom of assembly and association; serious government corruption, impunity for excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies, particularly the police who have remained a problem and that and although the government took steps to identify, prosecute, and punish officials for corruption, impunity remained widespread.
He indicates that these are just a few of the numerous abuses highlighted by the US government and the new dawn government should understand that the report made by their close ally embodies hard facts on what is obtaining in the country today and pedestrian statements will not be sufficient to save government from this exposure.
