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About 13 opposition political parties have accused President Hakainde Hichilema of unofficially declaring a state of emergency in Zambia.
On behalf of the 13 political parties, United Liberal Party (ULP) leader, Sakwiba Sikota, claimed that the opposition was being denied opportunities to speak to the people through rallies and meetings.
During a joint media briefing in Lusaka on Wednesday, Sikota, stated that the Zambian people had a general sense of disillusionment with the politics, economics and governance of the country.
He claimed that the Zambian people have continued to express a feeling of disappointment resulting from the discovery that things were not as good as they believed they would be.
“In our daily interaction with the citizenry we have noted that The Zambian people in concert and unanimity feel that the country needs to heal and come together,” Sikota said.
He alleged that it was clear that the Zambian people were disillusioned by the quality of governance in the country.
The ULP leader stated that the opposition and Zambians were displeased by the shrinking democratic space.
“Stifled by the gagging of citizens through legislation like the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act and the laws on criminal defamation,” Sikota insisted.
He expressed regret that in foriegn policy, the country had taken a negative trajectory at regional as well as at continental and international levels putting the country unnecessarily at odds with even some of the neighbors.
The ULP leader regretted that Zambia had lost the hard-won status of bastion of the liberation struggle, and the status of being champions of Pan-Africanism.
“Despondent with the overcrowding in schools, leading to an increased pupil/teacher ratio, that was already high and the over working of teachers leading to their reduced effectiveness,” Sikota claimed.
He added that Zambians were discontented with the disruption of supply chains for medical supplies as a result of well established supply chains being sidelined.
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Sikota stated that citizens were further distressed that there was political interference in matters that should have been left to technocrats.
The opposition parties also said that they were “Mortified that the cholera pandemic has reached mortality rates larger than we have ever had since independence and a clear plan going forward as how not to have a greater repeat of this crisis going forward,” he said.
The 13 political parties include, the Patriotic Front, New Heritage Party, Citizens First Party, Golden Party of Zambia, Forum for Democracy and Development, National Democratic Congress, United Liberal Party, Economic Freedom Fighters among others.
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