LUKASHYA PF MP George Chisanga says it’s a mockery for the Human Rights Commissions to allege that there’s been tremendous progress in upholding human rights in the last two years.

Recently, HRC Spokesperson Mwelwa Muleya said there had been tremendous progress in upholding human rights in the last two years unlike in the past.

But responding to that in an interview, Thursday, Chisenga who is also former LAZ president argued that the opposition had only been allowed to hold rallies twice since the UPND took over government among other violations.

He said Zambians should be worried that the institution which was supposed to elevate the profile of human rights in the country was living in denial.

“What makes this thing a mockery is that the very institution which is supposed to champion or elevate the profile of human rights is the one that is living in denial and suggesting to everybody that human rights records in Zambia are now okay. It should worry Zambians. It’s like a person who’s supposed to be a referee of the game begins to help one team to score against the others. The Human Rights Commission was designed to ensure that we work very hard as a nation to elevate the profile of human rights in the country. That’s why they have the power to investigate and interrogate government institutions and offer reports that show human rights work. It should then not surprise you that up to now the human rights commission has not had a good story to tell about whether we are improving human rights or not,” Chisanga said.

“The first one is the right to assemble, none of the opposition has been given a permit to assemble, to have any semblance of the meeting with their supporters to speak about the activities in the political parties, that’s a human rights violation. It’s only twice that they have given a permit for the opposition to assemble in the last four years. That tells you what kind of human rights records the country has now. It gives somebody a signal of whether this institution actually exists for the purpose for which it was created or not. The Human Rights Commissioner Laura Mitti has been rightly condemning what the UPND is doing in terms of enforcing human rights and civil liberties for citizens. It’s disappointing because what human rights should be doing is pointing at this government and telling them that people are giving you this chance, can you please put your house in order, do the right thing”.

He said currently the police were ranked as one of the worst institutions in the world when it was mandated to maintain law and order.

“If you look at what’s happening in Parliament, it’s just a jungle. Judges are operating under very difficult conditions, these are very controversial times that we are living under, and all these are state players that are designed to make sure that the profile of human rights is maintained. Then you can’t hear the Human Rights Commission trying to pretend that we have got a good record of human rights. The worst institution which has even been cited by the international observer. Corruption is a violation of human rights, police have been ranked as one of the worst police services in the world and this is an institution that is mandated to maintain law and order. As opposition we have written the police off, we don’t even see the basis of going to complain at the police station because we know that there’s nothing they are going to do,” Chisanga said.

“Jean Chisenga and Mukandila were trying to investigate a suspicion of weapons that the UPND cadres had arrived with in Kawambwa but they were prevented from doing so. After that a cadre was instructed to file a complaint first of aggravated robbery, but look at what transpired, even the police were shocked, it can’t be aggravated robbery, then they alleged that they stole K10,000. Mumbi Phiri is in custody now even though everybody knows that nothing happened there. People who were violating the electoral process act are still walking on the streets, and Mumbi Phiri who was just inquiring whether there was vote buying or not is charged with aggravated robbery.There are several other cases. Binwell Mpundu just said it appears that the police are not going to protect us, maybe we should arm ourselves, he’s been picked up and he’s been charged with seditious practices”.

Meanwhile, Chisanga said the reason why violence had reduced was because PF cadres had been told to remain disciplined unlike the UPND cadres who declared war against the police in opposition.

“Have you seen any of our cadres confronting the police? Our cadres have been told to remain disciplined. All those events you were seeing of the UPND cadres and the Police were instigated by the UPND. Cadres had declared war against the police. We have told our cadres that let the police do their work. We are not cowards, we are law abiding citizens,” said Chisanga.