Maravi

CSOs lose public support over failed acquittal protests

CSOs lose public support over failed acquittal protests
By Ernest Chanda, Sututu Katundu and Agness Changala
Mon 09 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

Civil society organisations (CSOs) were on Friday rebuked for abandoning their initiative to protest against former president Frederick Chiluba's acquittal on corruption charges by way of honking and whistling every Friday.

The 18 CSOs who held a public consultation forum at Lusaka's Chrismar Hotel to chart the way forward on government's refusal to appeal over Chiluba’s acquittal were grilled by various members of the public.

The speakers observed that the 18 CSOs backing out of the earlier honking and whistling was a serious indictment on their credibility.

Former University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) president Antonio Mwanza submitted that the 18 organisations would not achieve anything by holding press conferences when they should have been on the streets influencing people.

"I must express my disappointment with our 18 civil society organisations,” Mwanza said. “When they asked people to honk against the acquittal of Dr Chiluba, people turned up and some of them were arrested. Nine people were arrested including two members of parliament but none of these people were there to support the arrested colleagues. These orgainsations showed cowardice in that once they were threatened by Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde they backed out."
Mwanza said those who wanted to start a war must be ready to suffer for it and should be ready to go to prison.

“Some of us have been through that before and we have known how it is to be with the people. When we demonstrated over the new constitution as UNZA students under my leadership, we did it successfully,” Mwanza said. “I lost a tooth and I still bear scars as a result of police brutality. And when police asked me from the cells to go and speak to my colleagues at UNZA so that they could stop the protest, I gave them a condition. I said I could only do that if they released all my other colleagues unconditionally; I didn't run away from my people."

Mwanza said the organisations could not achieve anything by holding press conferences, but by participating in the protests.

"...That is true leadership and courage to do what is right for the people. But what our colleagues here displayed was cowardice of the worst kind, which can never be entertained even in the army,” Mwanza said. “In the army when your soldiers are captured, as a General you don't run away, you fight to rescue your men. And don't fight injustice through press conferences, no.

The real battle is in the field. Whilst nine people were detained after honking, you were busy holding press conferences. For what? We know that even here as we chart the way forward, some of you will make money out of this. The real fight is not in making press conferences. It's in fighting for the people on the battlefield. Go to the streets and fight with the people instead of holding press conferences."

Solwezi-based Frederick Mushiba Nabanda from Caritas Zambia urged the CSOs not to relent but to continue the idea of whistling, which should be extended to other districts.

Kabwe Mwamba, who was among the nine that were arrested for honking, said the way the police acted on that day shows that Zambia had not attained democracy yet.

He encouraged the CSOs to be strong and courageous for their children who in future could benefit from the money when recovered from Chiluba. He urged all with a clear vision for a way forward not to relent in the fight which he said should be taken to the grassroots who are usually taken advantage of by politicians using their resources.

Another citizen, Munenge Michael, said the honking undertaking was legal and should be fought for.

Other speakers said they were ready to die because they loved Zambia, which is currently faced with a lot of moral decay as the law enforcement agencies had gone to sleep.

And speaking on behalf of the members of the CSOs, Fr Frank Bwalya said the consortium resolved to mobilise committees and interest groups to broaden the consortium to become more coordinated and sensitise the public.

He said they would come up with publicity materials and would continue to have planning meetings.

The meeting also resolved to continue whistling every Friday, as this was not an illegal act until their fight for justice is attained.

And Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Conflict (SACCORD) executive director Lee Habasonda said the protest of honking against Chiluba’s acquittal was not properly mounted. Habasonda said the CSOs campaign did not succeed because it lacked the people’s legitimacy and consensus.

“I think it was not properly mounted because it did not have the people’s legitimacy and consensus and a lot of public consultation,” he said.

Habasonda said their backing out of the protest after their meeting with the police was not because of cowardice, saying they wanted to do things according to the law, logically and with proper reasoning.
He said the CSOs also found themselves stuck because they had put their faith in the police.

He said CSOs were very committed to ensuring that Chiluba was taken back to court.

Habasonda said what happened was a temporal setback.

“We are not going to give up, because if we do, we will be undermining the essence of justice,” said Habasonda.

Labels: CHILUBA, CSO

posted by MrK @ 8:22 AM