Kenneth Kaunda, the first Zambian president and leader of the largest oppositional party has been transferred from a police station to the "Kamwala" central jail in Lusaka.

In a recent BBC interview Kenneth Kaunda says he is against political coups (0'38")

Dr Kaunda, 73, who led his country to independence in 1964, agreed to go to police headquarters for questioning three hours after 40 paramilitary police surrounded his suburban Lusaka house on Christmas morning.

As he was being led away, he was quoted as saying he did not know why he had been arrested.

Once in custody, the authorities ordered that Dr Kaunda should be detained for 28 days under provisions of the state of emergency that followed a failed coup attempt in October against his successor, Frederick Chiluba.

Speaking from Lusaka, his son Wezi Kaunda told the BBC that Mr Kaunda was refusing all food and water until a reason was given for his detention or he was taken before a court of law and charged.

He said he hoped lawyers would go to court today and apply for Mr Kaunda to be produced.

He said he suspected that the authorities will detain his father indefinitely under the state of emergency imposed after the attempted coup. The former president denies any involvement in the coup.

Since October, tensions in Zambia have been high. Opposition politicians have reportedly been harrassed, and a number, including Kenneth Kaunda's head of security, arrested.

The government has said that it is investigating all threats to national security in the light of the failed coup.

However, opposition sources in Lusaka believe the attempted coup was engineered by the government to crack down on growing opposition in Zambia.

With the state of emergency in place, the police are able to detain suspects without trial for up to 28 days and without reference to the courts.

Mr Kaunda's friend and spokesman, Muhabi Lungu, accused the law of being injust.

"First of all the preservation of pubic order which they have detained him under is usually a prelude to a presidential order which basically will have him detained indefinitely under the state of emergency," said Mr Lungu. "The state of emergency was declared shortly after the attempted coup."

Dr Kaunda went on hunger strike as of lunchtime on Christmas Day. "He has refused to take any food or water until he's taken to the court of law to be officially charged," said Mr Lungu. "We are very frightened of the consequences because a lot of people are very angry."

Mr Lungu believed his friend was proving a point by going on hunger strike. "It's like he's saying to the government that in a democratic system it is not right to detain people without furnishing them with the grounds of their detention."

Dr Kaunda is being detained in an over-crowded remand prison. "He has put into a cell with 30 other inmates, which is heavily infested with lice and rats, said Mr Lungu. "They have put him in the worst possible conditions."

Before his arrest, Mr Kaunda had denounced the current administration of Frederick Chiluba as a government of thieves and liars.

He was slightly injured earlier this year when police opened fire during an illegal demonstration by Mr Kaunda's United National Independence Party.

Kenneth Kaunda has been travelling in the southern African region for the last two months and was in South Africa at the time of the October attempt by army officers to seize power.
 

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