from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) — IN a spectacular turn of events, nine years after the Commonwealth helped secure the release of Hakainde Hichilema when he was an opposition leader in Zambia, the two parties are now at loggerheads after the politician won a second term as president.
Overall, as political friction intensifies following recent electoral controversies, Zambia has drawn a line against external interference.
Rejecting mounting international criticism over its internal security crackdowns, the administration is demanding that foreign bodies respect national sovereignty and apply uniform standards to political violence rather than inadvertently legitimising security threats.
This fallout with the Commonwealth and the European Union (EU) comes amid the tragic arrest of some individuals in the main opposition following allegations that they were plotting an insurrection after the declaration that the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND), led by incumbent Hichilema, had won the August 13 presidential poll.
Issues heightened this past weekend.
Shirley Botchwey, Commonwealth Secretary-General, raised the organisation’s concern at the post-election situation in Zambia and urged full respect for the rights of all persons and the rule of law, in conformity with the Commonwealth Charter and values.
“In this regard, we call for an end to arbitrary arrests, for due process and for the release of all persons detained for political reasons,” she stated.
The Ghanaian-born official said the Commonwealth was “dismayed” by the Lusaka security operation in which a police officer was injured and former cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya lost his life.
The deceased was an ally of the losing presidential candidate, Brian Mundubile, who is planning to challenge the outcome in court.
The Commonwealth has called on all parties to exercise restraint and for constructive dialogue to de-escalate tensions and safeguard peace and stability, as well as the democratic dispensation in Zambia.
A spokesperson for the EU also raised concern that restrictions on campaigning and advantages associated with incumbency contributed to an uneven playing field.
“The latest EOM (EU Election Observer Mission) statement points to serious incidents and procedural irregularities during the counting and tabulation, impacting the transparency and the credibility of the process.”
Zambia’s ruling party has responded firmly.
“Zambia is a sovereign state with functioning constitutional institutions mandated to protect its citizens and maintain national security,” Mark Simuuwe, UPND Media Director, responded.
He defended the crackdown against the opposition, saying law enforcement agencies had a duty to investigate suspected crimes, while the courts had the responsibility to determine guilt or innocence.
Simuuwe said holding alleged lawbreakers accountable through due process did not undermine democracy or sovereignty.
“The UPND therefore calls on the Commonwealth, the European Union and other international partners to support Zambia’s democratic institutions while respecting the country’s sovereignty and applying consistent standards in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.”
Prominent Zambian analysts commented on the fallout during separate interviews with CAJ News Africa in Lusaka.
Daves Kunda said the response by the ruling party shifted the political narrative away from standard human rights concerns by elevating alleged opposition activities to the level of insurgency, terrorism and militarisation.
“This strategic framing provides justification for robust state interventions and law enforcement measures,” he said.
Kunda said that, by emphasising that Zambia is a sovereign nation with constitutional institutions, the administration seeks to delegitimise foreign commentary that it perceives as one-sided or as inadvertently encouraging unlawful behaviour.
“It asserts that internal legal frameworks, rather than external pressure, should dictate accountability,” he said.
Relations were strained with the government of the late Edgar Lungu in 2017 after police arrested Hichilema, then an opposition leader, on treason charges.
He spent four months in detention on treason charges after his motorcade failed to yield to Lungu’s convoy.
The then Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, travelled to Lusaka to negotiate directly between the two rivals.
The intervention successfully secured Hichilema’s release and eased domestic political tensions but ruptured relations with Lungu’s administration.
The current fallout is thus the third time Zambia has clashed with the Commonwealth.
In the 1970s and 1980s, then president Kenneth Kaunda frequently clashed with the British government and some parts of the Commonwealth over their reluctance to enforce sanctions against Apartheid South Africa. Kaunda openly accused Western Commonwealth members of double standards, leading to highly charged debates at various Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings.
The Commonwealth has previously suspended member countries for serious or persistent violations of human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law.
An example is Zambia’s southern neighbour, Zimbabwe, in 2002.
The same year, the EU also slapped Zimbabwe with sanctions.
However, a local commentator said the likelihood of a formal Commonwealth suspension or EU sanctions on Zambia was currently “very low”, even though international bodies had expressed sharp concerns.
“The likelihood of these high-level punitive measures remains constrained by several diplomatic and structural factors,” he said.
He said that, because Zambia had officially framed its crackdown around combating armed groups, alleged militarisation and protecting national infrastructure, international bodies would face a challenge in labelling these interventions as pure human rights abuses warranting sanctions.
– CAJ News