THE ARREST OF DR. FRED M’MEMBE IS AN ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY — THIS MUST BE RESISTED

Today, Dr. Fred M’Membe, President of the Socialist Party and presidential candidate of the People’s Pact Movement, was formally arrested and detained at Chilenje Police Station in Lusaka. He has been charged under the Prohibition of Harassment and Humiliation, contrary to Section 22(2)(a) and (b) of the Cyber Crimes Act No. 4 of 2025 — a law that has already proven to be a tool of political repression.

The charge arises from an interview Dr. M’Membe gave on Kwithu FM Radio Station, in which he made a pointed political observation: that President Hakainde Hichilema has effectively imprisoned the body of the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu by denying his family the right to bury him, nine months after his passing. Whatever one’s view of that statement, it is — unambiguously — an act of political speech. Criminalising it is an act of tyranny.

This arrest is not an isolated incident. Since its enactment, the Cyber Crimes Act No. 4 of 2025 has been wielded selectively and systematically against critics of the UPND government. Person after person — all of them voices of dissent — have been arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned under this law. The pattern is unmistakable. The intent is clear.

But today’s arrest is of a different and graver magnitude. Zambia stands five months away from a general election. Dr. Fred M’Membe is not merely a political commentator — he is a credible, formidable presidential candidate. His arrest at this critical juncture is designed to do one thing: to remove meaningful opposition from the democratic contest. It is meant to silence, to intimidate, and ultimately to push Dr. M’Membe out of the presidential race.

We will not allow that to happen.

Dr. M’Membe is a fearless and principled leader who has dedicated his life to speaking truth to power. His arrest will not break him. And it must not break us. Every Zambian who believes in democracy, in the rule of law, and in the right of citizens to choose their leaders freely, must stand up and resist this brazen abuse of state power.

We call upon:​​​​​

• All democratic forces in Zambia to condemn this arrest in the strongest possible terms;

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• The legal fraternity to ensure Dr. M’Membe’s rights are fully protected;​​​• Civil society organisations and the media to shine a light on this escalating political repression;
• The international community, regional bodies, and the African Union to take note and hold the Zambian government accountable;
• Every Zambian citizen to understand that an attack on one opposition leader is an attack on all of us — and on the future of our democracy.

The People’s Pact Movement remains resolute. We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. And we will not retreat. Dr. M’Membe’s voice — and the voices of all Zambians — will be heard on election day.

RELEASE DR. FRED M’MEMBE. IMMEDIATELY AND UNCONDITIONALLY.

Issued by:
Dr. Cosmas Musumali
Socialist Party / People’s Pact Movement 2 March 2026