Zambian police detained three people including two editors of a newspaper critical of the government that was shut down last week, as tensions rose in the run up to elections in August. The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) shut down the Post newspaper last week, demanding $6 million in unpaid taxes but the newspaper accused the authorities of trying to silence it, and claimed the outstanding bill was part of a court dispute. He faces a strong challenge from opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development at the polls. Tax officials have not commented on the matter, but Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Monday defended the ZRA's action, saying it did so to recoup unpaid taxes. The opposition says the government was using repressive laws to restrict its campaigns and that there was a media clamp down.

Source: The Star June 28, 2016 12:45 UTC