Njapau Defends Invalidation Of IDs, Names HH’s Online Attackers

Former Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Home Affairs deputy minister Grace Njapau said the Government should not be blamed for invalidating the national identity documents of people behind what she described as a vicious campaign to discredit it before the international…

Former Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Home Affairs deputy minister Grace Njapau said the Government should not be blamed for invalidating the national identity documents of people behind what she described as a vicious campaign to discredit it before the international community.

In a statement issued in Lusaka, Ms Njapau expressed sadness at what she called a continuing trend by politically disgruntled people of abusing cyberspace to target President Hakainde Hichilema. She named Emmanuel Mwamba, JJ Banda, Sishuwa Sishuwa and Lillian Mutambo, among others.

Ms Njapau said the perpetual use of vulgar language and hate speech, which she said had been consistently orchestrated by those individuals, was inimical to national unity and to the social cohesion that should bind Zambians regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation.

She described the behaviour as despicable and worrying, and said it reflected moral bankruptcy in people who, by virtue of their age and standing in society, were supposed to be role models for younger people.

“As a mother, I am concerned that our cultural values of respecting elders and those in authority are getting eroded. I’m deeply saddened that people who are politically disgruntled have resorted to relentlessly attacking President Hichilema through cyber space instead of promoting peace and national unity,” she said.

The former deputy minister went further. She said the Government should not be blamed for invalidating national identity documents for those behind a malicious campaign to discredit it in the eyes of the international community, saying necessary measures had to be taken in the national interest.

Ms Njapau said the gravity of the conduct of those whose national identity documents had been rendered invalid by the authorities called for drastic action. Their behaviour, she said, did not only border on dividing the nation but was also a serious threat to national security.

Her statement confirms that identity documents have been invalidated for people the Government accuses of discrediting it abroad. It does not say how many people are affected, which of those she named are among them, or under what legal process the documents were cancelled.

Ms Njapau said the opposition and President Hichilema’s opponents should accept that people from all parts of the country gave the United Party for National Development (UPND) a renewed mandate to govern for the next five years.

“As such, President Hichilema deserves to be respected and the decorum of his office protected from unnecessary attacks,” she said.

She urged Zambians to support the President and his administration, saying he had a clear vision to deliver development to all parts of the country. Mr Hichilema’s performance in his first term, she said, was self-explanatory, as shown by the milestones scored within a short time of assuming office.

Ms Njapau acknowledged that freedom of expression was a democratic right, but said it should be exercised with responsibility and only in the spirit of nation-building, not the opposite.

Her remarks come alongside a separate statement by the ruling party, in which UPND deputy media director Sikwindi Situla described Mr Mwamba as a renegade and “a wanted person in Zambia”, and accused Patriotic Front (PF) agents of feeding falsehoods to international election observers and journalists.

Ms Njapau maintained that the measures were taken in the national interest. Her statement did not set out how many people have had their documents invalidated or the procedure used.