VICE-President George Kunda has warned civil society organisations and some opposition parties planning to take part in honking that they risk being arrested by the police as the act is an offence.

Mr Kunda said this in Parliament yesterday in response to a question by Luapula MP Peter Machungwa (PF) who wanted to know what the Government would do with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating unconstitutionally.

Dr Machungwa said some NGOs were doing illegal things like honking and asking constitutional office holders like the Director of Public Prosecutions to engage in acts that were unconstitutional.

Mr Kunda said the Government was investigating activities like honking that might endanger the peace of the nation, adding that such acts would not be tolerated.

He said members of Parliament should not engage themselves in such acts because they would be breaching the law.

Even when celebrating, he said that honking should not be used to cause anarchy in the nation.

Mr Kunda said this when Lusaka Central MP Guy Scott (PF) and his Monze counterpart Jack Mwiimbu (UPND) asked the vice-president to state whether it was an offence for the people of Kasama to honk following the victory in Thursday's parliamentary by-election.

Mr Kunda said what was disturbing was the fact that some opposition party leaders were encouraging their members to protest while they remained in the comfort of their homes.

He also told the House that chiefs should not participate in active politics but were at liberty to give their views on important national issues.

He said this when he responded to a question from Mazabuka MP Garry Nkombo (UPND) who wanted to know when the Government would "stop manipulating chiefs so as to enable them campaign for the ruling party".

And when contributing to the debate on the 2010 national Budget, Justice Deputy Minister, Todd Chilembo said Cabinet would soon meet to discuss the future of the Taskforce on Corruption.

Mr Chilembo said since its inception, the task force had performed well and many of its cases had been completed.

He said some of the cases handled by the task force would be combined with those under the Anti-Corruption Commission.