Police allegedly deny Citizens First permit for Chipata rally

Police in Eastern Province have reportedly denied the Citizens First (CF) party a permit to hold a rally on November 8, 2025, barely a day after Minister of Information and Media, Cornelius Mweetwa, assured the opposition of freedom to interact with electorates.

The CF, led by its president Harry Kalaba, claim to have planned to hold the rally in Chipata City.

However, police in the area is said to have rejected the party’s application for a public gathering permit.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday, the party’s media manager, Arnold Chilufya, said the latest refusal marked the 20th time Citizens First had been denied a permit since its formation.

Chilufya said only four of the 20 applications submitted by the party had been approved.

“The new or nyuuuuuuuuu wave-slogan which is burning like bushfire country-wide has left the government shaking and in fear of losing power next year,” he said.

He alleged that the government had sensed possible defeat in the upcoming polls and was resorting to actions that undermine democratic principles.

“If they have delivered to the expectations of many Zambians as they claim to have done, there is no need to panic but to be patriotic with a levelled political environment,” Chilufya stated.

He urged the government and the ruling UPND to adhere to constitutional values in governance.

“The Citizens First urges the government and the UPND to be patriotic with all pronouncements and act accordingly to what is constitutional,” he said.

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