Zambian leader worried over rise in human rights violations

Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Wednesday expressed concern over continued violations of people's rights in the country and has urged relevant government departments to nip the problem in the bud.

The Zambian leader acknowledged when he swore-in commissioners for the Human Rights Commission at State House that respect for human rights has gone down in the country, adding that there was need to uphold and respect the rights of people.

Lungu has since urged the human rights body to take proactive steps to deal with the rising cases of human rights violations in the country, adding that citizens should appreciate the need to respect human rights.

He urged the human rights body to pay much attention to gender-based violence and child rights and to ensure that it opens more offices in various parts of the country in order to inculcate respect for human rights.

In April this year, the United States released a report on human rights practices in Zambia for 2015 which showed that the most significant human rights problem in the southern African nation were abuses by the police, political violence and restrictions on freedom of the press. Endit