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Zambia gov't says won't amend law governing public gatherings

Xinhua, May 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Zambian government said on Tuesday that it will not amend a controversial law that governs public gatherings.

Stakeholders in the southern African nation have been calling for the amendment of the Public Order Act, with opposition political parties accusing the ruling party of using it to quell opposition gatherings and processions.

The police have also been blamed for unfairly applying the law.

But Minister of Home Affairs Davies Mwila said the law will not be amended because the submissions received from stakeholders on its amendment have not been adequate to bring about substantive changes.

He said in a ministerial statement in parliament that the law will remain as it has been but noted that this should not be misconstrued to mean that the government has failed to review it.

He said amending the law will require more attention and that more consultations will be required to bring about substantive changes to the law.

The only submission which has been considered is the reduction on the amount of time required to notify the police of any public gatherings from seven to five days, he added. Endit