Zambia: Human rights record

Edda Costarelli, October 2001

As far as its human rights record is concerned, the incumbent regime in the Republic of Zambia attracted severe criticism from local and international non-governmental organisations, multilateral and bilateral donors and the international community on the question of illegal detentions, allegations of torture, curtailment of civil liberties, extortion and abuse of detainees.

In the 1997 attempted coup, the treason trial of those accused of involvement ended with the High Court passing 59 death sentences, bringing the number of people on death row in Zambia to more than 220. Besides, as the state of emergency was lifted, the government continued to promise bilateral donors that it would improve its human rights record.

According to Human Rights Watch, some progress was noticeable in the past year: for instance, the Chiluba's government implemented a number of promised economic reforms and promised to quicken the pace of greater democratisation. On the other hand the government continued to show great indifference, and even hostility, towards public protests. Furthermore it pursued policies designed to closely control and effectively reduce the space in which opposition parties operate.

Early in May 2000, Minister of Legal Affairs Vincent Malambo met donors to report on the implementation of the government's National Capacity Building Program for Good Governance. Malambo discussed the findings of four consultative meetings. Many of the fundamental human rights challenges that Zambia faces were recognised.

As in past years, the police force continued to shoot and kill criminal suspects as an alternative to arrest. Torture of criminal suspects was widespread and often conducted in a climate of impunity. On 20 November 2001, UN Committee Against Torture probed Zambian government over the lack of legal protection of suspects against maltreatment by the police. In return, the Zambian government promised to translate the standards of the International Convention against Torture into domestic law, "as a matter of priority", including in it the establishment of a specific definition of the crime of torture.

Restrictions on the freedom of association and freedom of the press remained in force, putting a bar on political pluralism, most crucially as Zambia prepares for multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in December 2001.

Sources

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 2000 "Report 2000" AI index: POL 10/001/00.

IRIN 2001 "Zambia: Anti-torture law promised," UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Johannesburg, South Africa, 21 November.