SESHEKE UPND member of parliament Romeo Kang’ombe says he is not shaken by his arrest and will still remain an agent for change.

Last Friday, Kang’ombe was arrested for abduction and assault of a police officer in Mpika District, but pleaded not guilty to the charges.

But in an interview, Kang’ombe said Zambia was no longer a democratic country.

“I can just urge the people of Zambia to be strong and expect the worst from these people. This is no longer a democratic country, unfortunately. Otherwise, speaking for myself, I am not shaken by anything; I remain a villager under the UPND. I no longer know the definition of democracy, I hope I will after next year. For now, I don’t know. You never know who the next victim is,” Kang’ombe said.

“It is unfortunate that the people of Zambia are quiet, like Martin Niemöller did say: ‘they came for the communists and I did not speak out, because I was not a communist; they came for the socialists I did not speak out because I was not a socialist; they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist; they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew; then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.’ Today, they have come for UPND, tomorrow, they will come for some PF members and there will be no one to speak for them.”

Kang’ombe urged Zambians to rise up and be true agents of change.

“It is unfortunate what is happening, but I remain an agent of change under UPND. That is all. I am an agent of change, we have different magnifying lenses on how we define and see the change we wish to see in society. My lenses can only be well understood by those who are in the same cause with me and it is only those who are in UPND. I know we have some in PF, but because they feel they are PF, they are not trade unionists, they are not communists, but tomorrow, it will be everybody. I urge everybody to remain strong and protect the democracy and the future of this country,” said Kang’ombe.

“There has to be a few of us that will stand for the truth. Not everybody, but there has to be a few of us that the real change will be attained because many people will jump in the band wagon, they won’t be scared of anything. There is enough space for people that advocate, people that would want to be true agents of change. There is enough space in the band wagon and everyone as long as we stand true to the cause.”