HH visits Mutinta M’membe as police deny her bond

Hakainde Hichilema today visited Mast Newspaper director Mutinta Mazoka M’membe and her bodyguards who are detained at Kabwata police station.

And police have refused to release her on police bond on grounds that the arresting officer is not available.

Mrs M’membe was arrested Wednesday around 17:00 hours after armed state police stormed her residence along Nangwenya road in Lusaka’s Rhodespark area in search of her husband, the prominent journalist Fred M’membe.

Hichilema, who was accompanied by his wife Mutina, described the police’s treatment of Mrs M’membe as unfortunate and and inhumane.

Speaking to journalists during the visit, the UPND leader called on the police to remain true to upholding and protecting citizens as opposed to harassing them.

“Our country is fast being turned into a dictatorship especially with harassment of private media institutions and machinations of pulling out of certain important international protocols, but we will not allow such,” Hichilema charged.

He however sympathized with the police, saying he understood that they are merely being used as tools to settle personal scores on innocent citizens.