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The court finds there is no case to answer for opposition leader Hichilema.Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema walked free from prison on August 16th after treason charges against him were dropped, averting a trial that threatened turmoil in the country.Hichilema had been in custody since April over supposedly failing to give way to President Edgar Lungu's motorcade. He allegedly put Lungu's life in danger in a high‐speed road drama caught on video camera. The two men were both travelling to Western Province for a traditional ceremony.After his release, Hichilema described his detention as “brutal” and vowed to use his imprisonment to bolster the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) that he leads.“This is where we commence our walk to true freedom,” he told cheering supporters. “I want to assure you that we are stronger now than before.”Celebrations broke out immediately after the court ruling among UPND supporters, who drove around the capital city, cheering, honking and singing in solidarity with the freed opposition leader.Lillian Kayuni, director of public prosecution, earlier told the court in Lusaka that she would be “entering a nolle prosequi”, or formal notice of abandonment.Hichilema and five aides who were arrested with him all denied the treason charges at a plea hearing on August 14th, and police officers sealed off the court precinct for the start of the scheduled trial on the 16th. International media were also barred from the court.Amnesty International said that when he was arrested, Hichilema and the five other accused were “victims of longstanding persecution” by authorities and faced charges designed to “harass and intimidate.”Zambia has enjoyed relative stability since its first multi‐party election in 1991. But the 2016 election was marked by clashes between supporters of Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF) and the UPND. Lungu, who narrowly beat Hichilema in the election, has dismissed allegations of growing authoritarianism and has accused his rival of trying to overturn the election result.Hichilema claims the election was rigged and has refused to recognise Lungu as the country's president.In July, the president invoked a state of emergency, increasing police powers of arrest and detention after a series of arson attacks blamed on opposition parties. The government has also increased pressure on media outlets that support the opposition, eroding Zambia's reputation as a stable democracy.“We respect the decision,” government spokeswoman Kampamba Mulenga told reporters after the charges were dropped. “This shows that the government does not interfere with the judicial system.”The charges were dropped after Commonwealth secretary‐general Patricia Scotland held talks with Lungu and Hichilema the previous week. On August16th she welcomed the decision and called for Zambian leaders to show that the country “remains a symbol of peace and a beacon of stability, unity and political tolerance.” (© AFP, PANA, Lusaka 16/8 2017) State of emergency p. 21503B
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series – Wiley
Published: Sep 1, 2017
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