UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has reported Chilufya Tayali to police for libel.

On Friday, Tayali posted a video on his Facebook page accusing Hichilema of plotting to cause civil disobedience and violence in the country.

“I have said that I am putting that death of that young lady, fourth year student, I am putting it on Hakainde Hichilema. Why I am putting it on Hakainde Hichilema? Because Hakainde Hichilema has come up with plots to cause civil disobedience and violence in this country. He is so desperate to get into power. Believe it on now, Hakainde Hichilema is so desperate to get power and his desperation is not even looking at the constitutional of 2021 where we are supposed to have elections. For him he wants things to happen like yesterday and he is looking at all the loopholes that he can lay his hands on to destabilize this country and possibly force for an early election,” Tayali charged.

But Hichilema, who was accompanied by Poor People’s party leader Mike Mulongoti, Saturday, filed a complaint at Woodlands police station.

“I came here to make a formal report to the police on a matter that I believe constitute libel involving Chilufya Tayali who has been issuing statements in writing [and] also he has released videos claiming that I am planning to take over the country through illegal means which is not true; secondly that I am responsible for anything that goes wrong in this country in particular the unfortunate situation at the University of Zambia where we have lost a young female student in a manner really that should have never happened. We should have never lost a life like that and if only the PF had met its obligations in terms of paying students allowances on time. But Tayali believes that I am the one responsible for that situation as well, both of which constitutes criminal libel. And that is what we came to do to report him to police as an ordinary law abiding citizen,” Hichilema said.

Hichilema said he expected police to investigate the matter according to their mandate.

“I expect the police to do their job because that’s what they were created for. They are law enforcement and since I believe that the law has been abrogated over a citizen like myself and it is the job of the police to act professionally and investigate impartially. And the rest of the next steps are for them to decide, but they must commence the process within their remedy, within their mandate. That is what I expect,” said Hichilema.