Human rights activist Brebner Changala says PF Secretary General Davies Mwila’s arrogance of harassing the media should be condemned by every well-meaning Zambian.

In an interview, Changala condemned President Edgar Lungu for condoning Mwila’s attacks on Prime TV.

“He is not even third in rank, bwana (sir) don’t reduce this country into a Banana Republic. The conduct of Mr Mwila towards the Prime TV must be roundly condemned! That is barbaric and totally unacceptable! But that again shows you the arrogance of the incumbent. They think whatever they do, they do it in the interest of Zambia not knowing that the people of Zambia are slowly and urgently getting fed up with the behaviour and arrogance of PF. PF as a government and PF as a party have destroyed all institutions of governance without exception. We are only remaining with the fourth estate, which is the media, and this media as a fourth estate makes them uncomfortable. So, they are slowly going for it, to destroy it and reasonable citizens of this country must not side with PF in their last assault on the democratic institutions of this country,” Changala said.

“Davies Mwila has no moral right to disgrace, embarrass and treat the people from the media, and Prime TV in particular, in the manner that he did with insolence, in public view! And I want to warn PF [that] they have not bought this country, nobody has sold them this country for them to take outright ownership in exclusion of others. They will pay a huge price! And worse still, we have a president of PF, who is also the Republican President, who has gone out of his way to endorse and accept this insolence by senior members of his political party. And I don’t want to fall into a trap where people are saying: ‘Davies Mwila is number three in the hierarchy from the President’ yes, in their political party he is [but] in general governance in terms of the Republic of Zambia, Davies Mwila is way away from authority. He is a cadre for the party! He is not an administrative officer of government, no!”

He said the PF’s arrogance of harassing everyone would soon come to an end.

“So, this arrogance of harassing every ‘Jim and Jack’ will have to come to an end one day. This is our country collectively as a people, it is not a country for PF alone. In a nutshell, the conduct of the PF Secretary General gives you that state of our government and you should not allow the government, as (Chanda) Kasolo (Information PS) has alluded to, to control the media through some legislation in Parliament. You must fight it tooth and nail because this is what you are going to get,” said Changala.