By Michael Kaluba and Chileshe Mwango
The United Kwacha Alliance-UKA- intends to submit a supplementary petition to the US government to reinforce the need for targeted sanctions against President Hakainde Hichilema and other top government officials for alleged human rights violations.
Addressing the media in Lusaka today, Alliance Chairperson Sakwiba Sikota stated that the movement will join various other stakeholders in providing evidence to warrant such action from the international community.
He cited Zambia’s shrinking democratic space, the gagging of citizens through legislation such as the dreadful impending amendments to the Independent Broadcasting Authority-IBA- Act to regulate online platforms and other undemocratic vices presented by Our Civic Duty Association-OCIDA-, as reasons that have led Zambians to be disillusioned.
Mr. Sikota also questioned the veracity of the variety democracy report, which recently ranked Zambia as the third most democratic country among nine nations contending with the prospect of autocratic rule, calling it a fraud, especially given the contents of the OCIDA letter.
Meanwhile, some members of OCIDA have distanced themselves from the letter written to the United States embassy in Zambia demanding that it imposes travel and financial sanctions on selected senior government officials for alleged human rights abuses.
According to a petition letter addressed to US ambassador to Zambia, Michael Gonzales, dated march 8, 2024 and signed by OCIDA Chairperson Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu, the targeted sanctions must be imposed on these officials to serve as a deterrent.
But addressing the media in Lusaka today, OCIDA Trustee Leslie Mbula said just like the decision to write to the US embassy, most of the statements have been issued by the OCIDA Chairperson without consulting other members.
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