FORMER PF secretary general Davies Mwila says the UPND government will regret abolishing the criminal defamation of the President law looking at its performance.
Commenting on remarks by UPND Lusaka Province Chairman Obvious Mwaliteta in which he urged the opposition to desist from abusing the abolishment of the said law, Mwila said the move had left the President “naked” as anyone could insult him without fear.
“That statement from Mwaliteta, he must understand that removing the law of the defamation of the President means you are leaving the President naked, anyone can talk about the President without any fear, without any restriction, that’s what it means. So honourable Mwaliteta should be ready for anything, removing that law means opening a Pandora’s box to anyone. So it might look good but it’s not good to the President, but good to the people of Zambia. So that law, I can tell you it’s bad for Hakainde Hichilema because even small children will be able to insult him. The police will have no obligation to arrest anyone. So they have to prepare for big insults from the people and not only that, Hakainde Hichilema with the way he is performing, he is not performing well and he is going to regret removing that law of defamation,” he said.
Mwila said he was against the abolishment of the criminal defamation of the President law because the Head of State needed to be respected.
“Personally, I’m against that because presidency is an institution and people must have respect for the President. We can criticise him but we can’t go and insult him to an extent that you treat him like an ordinary person. A President is a President, so we expect that all Zambians must respect him. Yes, we may be excited today but tomorrow it will be a bad law. Including the death penalty, yes you may be happy that they have abolished the death penalty but people will start killing [each] other because they will know that when they are taken to court no one will be killed,” he said.
“So, that’s why you’ve seen [that in] South Africa it’s worse off in terms of violence, killing people because they know that there’s no death penalty. So even the law of defamation the President, [they] might be excited but tomorrow, I can tell you… Look at the way it was before abolishment, the way Hakainde was being insulted, what about if you remove the law, it will be worse? These others yes, but not President. President is President, if you can’t protect the President then you can’t protect the country, that is my view”.
He insisted that the UPND would regret abolishing the law.
“The UPND should not be excited that they have abolished the law of defamation no! It will haunt them because they will be embarrassed. President Hakainde will be insulted like I don’t know. There will be chaos and with the coming of social media, I sympathise with him. People can celebrate but I can’t be happy because another President will come after Hakainde Hichilema and they will also be insulted. I can tell you they will regret, just give them six months they will regret,” said Mwila. This is contained in a report published by News Diggers.