Zambia’s former President, Edgar Lungu has been banned from jogging in public, as police describe his weekly workouts as “political activism”.
In a statement released over the weekend, the country’s police said the failure to alert them of “public gatherings or demonstrations amounts to a breach of the law.
It added that a “procession of a former head of state should be done with his security detail and devoid of political activism”.
They also stated that his Saturday runs with ordinary members of the public and supporters of his Patriotic Front (PF) party have been attracting a lot of attention.
Mr Lungu has been told to seek police approval for future jogging events.
The police order comes amid speculation that he will make a bid for the presidency in 2026.
But the former president’s lawyer Makebu Zulu stated that he would continue with his jogging without notifying the police.
Mr Zulu threatened to take legal action against the government if the former president was blocked from working out on Saturdays.
“Mr Lungu has been jogging since time immemorial and his motivation has never been to contravene the law,” Mr Zulu said.
This is the latest restriction on the former president Lungu’s activities, who served as president from 2015 to 2021.
It is also reported that the former president had been stopped from travelling for a medical trip despite seeking permission from the cabinet office.
Chioma Kalu
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