The Zambian Human Rights Commission has written to Inspector General of Police Zunga Siakalima, asking him to identify and provide details of officers who assaulted journalists during a demonstration. Last December, a protest by opposition parties and civil society organisations pressing for the speedy adoption of a new constitution was violently disrupted by police. (14-JAN-05)
This article is based on a statement from the Media Institute of Southern Africa, released on 13 January. It has been edited for republication here.
The state-owned “Zambia Daily Mail” newspaper reported in its 6 January 2005 edition that HRC Director Enoch Mulembe said in a statement in Lusaka that the HRC was investigating the issue of police officers who beat journalists from both the private and public media who were covering the abortive demonstration.
Four journalists beaten
Four journalists, namely Radio Phoenix reporter Kangwa Mulenga, “Post” newspaper senior reporter Brighton Phiri, Radio Q-FM reporter Mutuna Chanda and “Times of Zambia” chief photographer Eddie Mwanaleza, were beaten and later charged with “conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace”. However, the charges were dropped shortly afterwards. According to Mulembe, HRC Chairperson Mumba Malila has, pursuant to the provisions of Section 10(2)(c) of the Human Rights Commission Act, written to Siakalima asking him to provide the commission with the officers’ details, including their names and service numbers, so as to facilitate investigations into the incident.
More information requested
The HRC has also appealed to the journalists who were assaulted to provide detailed information to the commission so that it could conclude its report and issue recommendations. Mulembe said the commission was empowered by the Human Rights Commission Act to investigate any alleged violation of human rights and to recommend the punishment of any officer found by the commission to have perpetuated an abuse of human rights. He said the commission also had the power to recommend compensation to victims of human rights abuses. “The commission wishes to stress that it is not presently dealing with the issue of the thwarted demonstrations as that particular issue is presently before the courts of law,” Mulembe added.
