PRESS STATEMENT No. 72 OF 2017: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1. This morning, myself as Party President for Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP), together with Mr. Lewis Mwape who is the Executive Director of Zambia Centre for Social Development (ZCSD), which is an umbrella body for civil society organizations, met with the Lusaka Province Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nelson Phiri at his office at Divisional Headquarters in Lusaka. The meeting started from around 10:30 hrs until about 11:30 hrs.

2. At the conclusion of our meeting with the Commissioner of Police, we were advised that the Zambia Police Service had given us a go ahead to proceed with our planned demonstrations against the $42 million fire tender scandal, this coming Wednesday, 11th October 2017 starting at 1200 hrs. The Commissioner however requested that we reconsider our initially proposed route for our demonstrations, which was from Woodlands Shopping Mall to State House and back to Woodlands Shopping Mall, as our demonstrations may compromise the security of the Head of State at State House. After deep reflection, the Patriots for Economic Progress together with its partners,  felt that this was a reasonable request from the Commissioner and we accordingly decided to accede to it.

3. Consequently, the new route that has subsequently been agreed between ourselves as the organizers of these demonstrations and the Commissioner of Police, is that Wednesday’s demonstrations will start at the Main Post Office, at the junction of Cairo Road and Church Road and proceed using Church Road to the Ministry of Local Government premises, opposite Pamodzi Hotel. It must be noted that the Ministry of Local Government is the procuring entity for these exorbitantly priced fire tenders. Once the protesters reach the Ministry of Local Government premises, they shall be addressed by the organizers of the demonstrations, after which we shall march back to the Main Post Office using the same Church Road. Once we reach the Main Post Office, all protesters shall then disperse.

4. It is further worth mentioning that the Patriots for Economic Progress and its partners are currently preparing a comprehensive petition on this $42 million fire tender scandal, which shall be presented to President Lungu before the end of October 2017. The petition to the President shall clearly outline the action that we demand President Lungu to take on this $42 million fire tender scandal, as well as the time frame in which we want such action to be undertaken.

5. Leaders of various advocacy organizations in the country, such as political parties, civil society organizations, faith based organizations, trade unions etcetra, are encouraged to mobilize their members to participate in this peaceful demonstration next Wednesday, 11th October 2017. Members of the public who are aggrieved with this blatant abuse of taxpayers money in the $42 million fire tender scandal, are encouraged to show up in large numbers next week Wednesday, at 1200hrs at Main Post Office.

6. The Patriots for Economic Progress further wishes to advise that next week’s protest is the first in a series of weekly protests against the $42 million fire tender scandal, which will last for a period of one year, unless the Republic President takes the action that we shall demand in our petition that is yet to be presented to him.

7. Once more, we encourage the citizens of this Republic to show up in large numbers for these demonstrations and enjoy their freedoms of expression and association, which freedoms are clearly enshrined in the Bill of Rights of our Republican Constitution.

May God Bless the Republic of Zambia and its Great Citizens.

Yours Truly

SEAN ENOCK TEMBO (SET)

PARTY PRESIDENT

PATRIOTS FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS (PeP)