No responsible govt can disclose security matters to citizens – Mwiimbu
FORMER Home Affairs and Internal Security minister Jack Mwiimbu says no responsible government can report security matters to citizens, even when questioned on how certain individuals are arrested by law enforcement agencies.
“Surely, you want Law enforcement agencies to report to you how they conduct investigations and apprehend individuals, it is totally unacceptable,” Mwiimbu said.
Mwiimbu, who is Monze East UPND Member of Parliament, questioned why civil society organisations are demanding that the Zambian and Mozambican governments explain how a former Petauke MP Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda was arrested, describing the call as impunity.
On Sunday, a consortium of local and regional civil society organisations and human rights defenders called on the Zambian and Mozambican governments to account for the cross-border apprehension of Jay Banda.
Speaking when he was delivering his maiden speech in Parliament, Mwiimbu noted that the opposition have been asking to reconcile and dialogue which is a welcome call to all that will come clean and not under the pretext of reconciliation to abuse or insult the President.
“We will not allow anyone, no matter their status in society to abuse the President. If he is doing something wrong there are ways of correcting him rather than insulting or wishing him death.” he said.
Meanwhile, Police apprehended Banda after authorities traced him to Mozambique.
Banda had been facing charges of attempted murder and aggravated robbery before he escaped from lawful custody while receiving treatment at Chipata General Hospital in August 2024.
He was later reportedly spotted and briefly apprehended in Zimbabwe, but efforts to extradite him to Zambia were unsuccessful.
The former lawmaker subsequently appeared in online broadcasts in which he criticized the government and issued threats against President Hichilema, while maintaining that he would not be arrested or returned to Zambia.
By Kalemba