Opposition Golden Party (GP) President, Jackson Silavwe, has called for fairness and equality in the application of the law, emphasizing the need for impartiality regardless of political affiliation.
Mr. Silavwe was reacting to a statement by United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Irene Khan, who urged the Zambian government to decriminalize offences such as sedition, hate speech, and criminal libel, laws she described as restrictive to free expression.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka today, Mr. Silavwe welcomed the UN official’s remarks, saying they were timely and reflect the reality on the ground.
He argued that if the law were applied equally, such concerns would not have surfaced in the UN’s report.
“The UN Rapporteur’s conclusions are supported by evidence she gathered, particularly from the opposition, during her visit to Zambia and beyond her observations, there must be fairness in the application of the law, unlike the bias we continue to witness,” said Mr. Silavwe.
Mr. Silavwe has since urged the government to ensure the law is enforced uniformly, without regard to political affiliation.
By Christabel Kamunu
