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The Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and the Socialist Party (SP) have condemned the incident of re-arrest of former Information and Publicity Minister Chishimba Kambwili, only hours after his release from incarceration.
Kambwili, who was reportedly arrested by the Immigration Department on October 22, 2025, while still in prison, had been released on bond before his re-arrest.
FDD Spokesperson, Anthony Chibuye, told Zambia Monitor in an interview that the country was “under a dark cloud,” not by chance but due to what he termed the “bad and vengeful leadership” of President Hakainde Hichilema.
Chibuye expressed sadness over the manner in which the state moved to arrest Kambwili just as he was about to be freed from the correctional facility.
He said the incident was among numerous examples of civil servants aligned with the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) allegedly abusing the law to intimidate opponents.
“The question we ask as FDD is: where was the Immigration Department while Dr. Kambwili remained in the correctional facility all this while, including the time he was on bond? Why didn’t they move in to arrest him but now? This is not strange, countrymen and women,” Chibuye wondered.
Chibuye cited Researcher Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa, who recently claimed that the UPND had a scheme to weaken the opposition by targeting key political figures through arrests.
“But we want to advise President Hichilema to leave a good legacy as he will vacate power next year. Mr. President, save yourself from being the next Jair Bolsonaro. These injustices that you and your administration are committing will certainly backfire on you,” Chibuye said.
Read More: PF’s Lubinda pleads for release of Kambwili’s passport to allow medical treatment abroad
Similarly, Socialist Party National Youth Spokesperson, Stanley Mubasa, echoed Chibuye’s sentiments, describing Kambwili’s re-arrest as “heartless.”
“His rearrest just a day after his release makes sad reading. We all know that the man has been sick — he has been down, he has suffered. We don’t expect Immigration to be so heartless in the way they implement the arrest,” Mubasa said.
He questioned why Immigration authorities had waited until Kambwili’s release from prison to make a fresh arrest, calling the move “ruthless” and “harsh,” particularly given his poor health.
“We all know that the country has immigration rules which must be followed, but law enforcement agencies must show sympathy and empathy in certain situations like the case of Dr. Kambwili, who is not even a flight risk,” Mubasa added.
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