Police block Kabwe Mayor from meeting community
By Thandizo Banda in Kabwe
POLICE have ordered Kabwe Mayor Patrick Chishala to notify them before holding any community engagement.
Chishala has since written to Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa to seek guidance on the matter.
In an interview with the Mast, Chishala said police on Monday ordered him to cancel a development meeting with some community members in Kaputula ward, citing security concerns.
“I can confirm that police acting through the officer in-charge at Kabwe Central Police Station, Kenneth Nakushowa ordered that I call off my engagement with some members of a named cooperative, where we were discussing empowerment matters in line with the Presidential directive. I complied, as a law-abiding citizen,” Chishala said.
He recalled how police early last year stopped him from conducting routine cleaning exercises with some community members at a local cemetery, claiming he needed police permit to conduct the activity.
“I’m deeply disturbed by this form of oppression by police who maybe acting on instructions from somewhere. There are no provisions in the law compelling me as mayor to obtain a permit to do my work in my district. I challenge them to show me where it is written that I should notify them before engaging the good people of Kabwe on development matters,” he said.
Chishala wondered how he would operate as mayor in the wake of restrictions imposed upon him.
“As city father I operate above partisan politics.I am invited to grace different public functions and activities and I may not manage to get permits each and every day,” he lamented.
“My sources have hinted to me that police were merely acting on instructions from some named individuals in higher offices who have become increasingly uncomfortable with my rising popularity after I declared intentions to contest the Kabwe Central seat as Member of Parliament on Patriotic Front (PF) ticket, but that should not worry them because the time for politicking shall surely come and not now. For now, let them allow me to work as Mayor,” he said.
Chishala said the restriction imposed on him by the police would negatively affect service delivery in an area aspiring to attain city status.
“I have since written the Secretary to the Cabinet seeking further guidance on how I should operate as mayor given the current circumstances in Kabwe. I am also in receipt of information of some individuals scheming to implicate me in some criminal offences I have not even committed,” Chishala said.
Meanwhile, PF Kabwe district chairman Victor Kolala advised the UPND against victimising Chishala.
“This is total unreasonable, Chishala is a threat to UPND and hence the attempts to frustrate him. They now want to accuse him of campaigning when in fact not. Let them allow him carry out his duties without interference the way President Hakainde Hichilema has been allowed to freely campaign in the name of inspecting community projects and engaging communities,” Kolala said.
Central Province Police Commissioner Charity Munganga said police had not banned the mayor from conducting any meetings.
“We received information on Monday that the mayor was campaigning in Natuseko. So, we engaged him and advised that he should be notifying us each time he intended to hold any public gathering,” Munganga said.
She added: “We had a fruitful discussion with the mayor and we expect him to comply,” she added.
