UPND welcomes move to report HH and GBM to the ICC but….

The United Party for National Development (UPND) says moves to report its leader Hakainde Hichilema and second-in-command Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity are surprising given the levels of abuse and discrimination our party and its supporters are currently receiving, as well as the numerous calls by Hichilema for peace and unity at all costs.

A Lusaka law firm, Lewis Nathan Advocates, has written to the ICC claiming to be acting on behalf of some Zambians who are alleged victims of attacks in Southern, Western and Northwestern provinces, which are considered as strongholds of the UPND.

The law firm has alleged that there is reasonable basis to believe that Hichilema and Mwamba have committed, aided and abetted, ordered or incited crimes of torture and persecution and damage to public and private properties of non Tonga and Lozi people.

Lewis Nathan Advocates has argued that the ICC has a mandate to handle the the allegations of crime against humanity allegedly by Hichilema and Mwamba because Zambia is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

But UPND secretary general Stephen Katuka says the party would welcome the independent scrutiny of the ICC and those bodies concerned with the protection of human rights in light of the current situation in Zambia.

He says as a matter of fact, the party wants an open door on such matters, where no one is allowed to hide violations that infringe the rights of the Zambian people such as media closures or the co-option of police officers.

He further says the party is ready to fully cooperate with the ICC and provide them with countless witness testimonies, photos and video evidence of the PF’s involvement in crimes against humanity.

Katuka is hopeful that the relatives and loved ones of the many victims of such violence to date will welcome any such attempt to identify and punish the culprits, especially that the party has reported numerous cases to the police but they have been unable to act against the PF Government since they are in power.