Attorney General back to court over HRDC demos

Attorney General (AG)  Kalekeni Kaphale says he would seek court direction following the decision by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) to hold a new wave of anti-Jane Ansah protests.

HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo said the new wave of the demonstrations will be held from September 18 to 20.

But the Attorney General office says in a statement the government is dismayed with the new round of the demonstrations before the negotiations that were sanctioned by the Supreme Court were concluded.

“The government had hoped that the parties would re-engage to sort out the differences before going back to court for the final guidance on the matter,” says the statement.

The statement says the government wanted HRDC to sort out issues of adequate marshals during demos and provision of vehicles to carry the protesters after the demonstrations.

But HRDC lawyer Khwima Chizi dismissed the statement, saying the rights activists are holding the protests at the expiry of the 14-day court moratorium.

He said the court did not order HRDC never to hold protests again.