By NATION REPORTER
HEAVILY armed policemen yesterday deported Harry Kalaba from Mufulira after appearing on three radio stations from which he discussed and raised a range of governance issues barely 24 hours after he was detained in Kalulushi.
Mr Kalaba, the president of the Citizens First Party has charged that Zambians were duped by President Hakainde Hichilema who while in the opposition had portrayed an image of a democrat and a leader who was going to govern by the rule of law and not by the whims of man.
Mr Kalaba who has been on a marathon tour of the Copperbelt Province introducing his political party said Zambia had literary fallen under a police state and that citizens were no longer free to move or allowed to associate themselves with any opposition political leader.
He said in an interview that the UPND had proved beyond doubt that it was governing the country by adopting autocratic tendencies but cautioned that Zambians were not going to tolerate totalitarian kind of governance because they believed and respected democracy.
He said while appearing on Mafukeni, Yours and Kankoyo rradio stations respectively, callers to the radio stations complained of hard economic times under the UPND administration.
The callers also complained about the chaotic and delays in the delivery and distribution of fertiliser and asked Mr Kalaba to find time to visit the markets and some cooperatives to see how they were suffering.
It was while he was appearing on the third radio station that police in full riot gear surrounded the premises of the station and as he emerged, the police immediately asked him to leave Mufulira as his presence was causing tension in the district.
“I can confirm that we’ve have been ejected from Mufulira where we were interacting with citizens on an array of issues and challenges facing the people in the district.
We had radio appearances on three radio stations and people were calling in to share their disappointment with the UPND administration.
Some callers complained bitterly about how difficult life had become under the UPND while others expressed utter disgust about governance issues.
Mr Kalaba said said the police made sure he had to leave by escorting his entourage out of the district and by press time, the Citizens First leader had exited Mufulira.
