Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has earned critical attention from the police, who say that he must get permission if he wants to continue his regular Saturday jogging with members of the public and supporters of his Patriotic Front (PF) party.
The police directive over Lungu’s popular weekend runs comes amid speculation that he intends making a bid for the presidency in 2026.
The BBC reports that a police statement said that the PF’s failure to alert them of ‘public gatherings or demonstrations… amounts to a breach of the law. This is to ensure public safety.’
The police insisted that a ‘procession of a former head of state should be done with his security detail and devoid of political activism’.
However, Lungu’s lawyer, Makebu Zulu, told the BBC that the former president would continue with his jogging without notifying the police.
The BBC notes that this is the latest apparent restriction on the activities of the former leader, who served as president from 2015 to 2021.
It adds that some commentators have said the government of President Hakainde Hichilema is using the heavy-handed tactics that he himself criticised during his many years in opposition.
[Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulkagame/40406373911]