Zambia : Musoma, Kalaba Push For Release Of Political Detainees As Prison Numbers Grow

Zambia Republican Party leader Wright Musoma has appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to grant clemency to political prisoners, describing it as the defining legacy opportunity of his second term. Musoma, a member of the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance, wrote to the Head of State appealing for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained for political reasons, arguing that mercy at this stage would signal strength rather than weakness.

“Behind every prisoner is a mother waiting, children asking questions, and a home that has gone quiet. No Zambian should suffer or die in detention simply because they hold opposing views from those holding power,” Musoma said. He named former Pambashe Member of Parliament Ronald Chitotela, former Kawambwa MP Nickson Chilangwa, former Patriotic Front Secretary General Raphael Nakacinda, former Kabushi MP Bowman Lusambo, and New Revolution Party for Unity and Prosperity President Brian Mundubile together with his running mate Makebi Zulu as political detainees.

“I write this with tears. Please Mr President, release these comrades. They have suffered way, way too much. Let families be reunited,” he said. The Zambia Republican Party leader added that the country remained politically divided following the August general election, and that reconciliation required a decisive gesture from the Executive.

“It will show that his second term is about healing and reconciliation. It is an act of statesmanship that will unite a polarised country. The fact remains that this country is politically torn apart and it is the responsibility of those with state instruments to unite it and move forward for the better,” Musoma said. He argued it was not right to punish citizens simply because they disagreed with those in power, noting that his appeal echoed calls already made by church leaders, the European Union, the United Nations, traditional leaders and civil society.

Citizens First President Harry Kalaba separately condemned what he termed the selective application of the law and rising political intolerance under the United Party for National Development government. Kalaba said it was concerning that the ruling party had denied Zambians the opportunity to validate the outcome of the presidential election by closing the courts, only for the same courts to now be used to challenge duly elected parliamentary candidates.

“This contradiction exposes a troubling pattern of expediency over principle and undermines public confidence in the justice system,” he stated, calling on authorities to investigate reports concerning the safety of elected leaders and to guarantee protection for all of them regardless of political affiliation. Kalaba raised further concern over what he described as prolonged detentions of opposition supporters, with some individuals allegedly held for up to 14 days without being brought before a court.

“Such actions amount to an abuse of the justice system and point to a dangerous trend of its weaponisation. This must come to an immediate end,” Kalaba said. Several opposition figures remain in custody on treason charges following a military raid in Kabulonga last month, a development that has drawn continued criticism from opposition parties, civil society organisations and international observers.

Musoma’s appeal placed particular weight on the symbolism of mercy shown at the height of political power, arguing that Zambians already believed several detained former officials were being held because of their political standing rather than the strength of evidence against them. “Former ministers Hon. Ronald Chitotela, Hon. Nickson Chilangwa, Hon. Raphael Nakacinda, Hon. Bowman Lusambo, and NRPUP President Brian Mundubile with his running mate, all these are political detainees,” he said.

Kalaba’s statement, delivered separately, focused less on individual clemency and more on the structural pattern he said the current wave of arrests represented. He described the situation as an erosion of the constitutional protections that ordinary citizens and elected representatives alike were entitled to, framing his intervention as a defence of process rather than a defence of any particular individual.

Both leaders presented their appeals as being made in the interest of national unity rather than partisan advantage. Musoma stressed that his call joined appeals already lodged with the Presidency by religious and international bodies, while Kalaba maintained that his concern was with the integrity of the justice system as a whole rather than the fate of any one detainee.

Neither leader specified a timeline for the response they expected from the Presidency, though both indicated that continued silence on the matter risked deepening the divisions that emerged from the disputed election period. For now, the detained figures remain in custody as the political temperature around their cases continues to rise, with pressure mounting from multiple fronts for the Head of State to act.

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