By Agness Changala
These are signs that this is a government that has lost an election that is coming in 2026, says PF secretary general Raphael Nakachinda.
Nakachinda has accused Inspector General of Police Graphael Musamba of de-campaigning President Hakainde Hichilema, by abusing the police.
Speaking to Daily Revelation following the police decision to disrupt the planned memorial for late Tutwa Ngulube in Kabwe, Nakachinda said the UPND is hanging on a shoestring and are hoping that by exerting brutality on the opposition, they will survive 2026.
“But these are signs that this is a government that has lost an election that is coming in 2026. And they are hanging on to a shoe string and out of desperation, they are hoping that by the brutality they are exerting on the opposition, they will survive 2026,” Nakachinda said. “Not knowing that they are worsening their situation. For me as secretary general of the Patriotic Front, I want to congratulate Mr. Musamba for what he is doing and continuing to do a fantastic job of de-campaigning Mr. Hakainde Hichilema.”
Nakachinda called on Musamba to continue denying the opposition an opportunity to hold rallies because it is the best way to expose the dictatorship of Hakainde Hichilema.
“I give him kudos and I want to encourage him to continue. I want to call upon Mr. Musamba and tell him that please continue denying the opposition and opportunity to hold rallies because that is the best way to expose the dictatorship of Mr. Hakainde Hichilema,” Nakachinda said.
“I want to call upon Mr. Musamba to continue stopping the opposition from attending funerals of their beloved ones, memorials of their beloved, weddings of their beloved. May they continue to send those tankers and land cruisers and all that to wherever the PF and the opposition are gathering because that is the best way you can bring down Mr. Hakainde Hichilema.”
He said Musamba is making the work of the opposition easy by helping to de-campaign the President.
“Zambian people are always incensed and upset with police brutality so since Mr. Musamba has appointed himself as number de-campaigner, as number one person de-campaigner of Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, he is making our job easier as opposition. We can only clap for him and encourage him. Mr. Musamba and all those tribal, tribally inclined appointments in the police service. Continue to do a fantastic job, arrest the opposition, it’s a good thing. Stop them from meeting it’s a good thing. Let’s see the end result of who is going to cry,” he said.
Nakachinda said the police did not only deploy police officers at Tutwa’s house but each and every part of Kabwe.
“Not only did the UPND send police officers to Tutwa Ngulube’s house, they were patrolling each and every part of Kabwe. Searching to see in the communities where PF have gathered, in the malls, everywhere where they just saw that a few people had gathered, they went there,” Nakachinda said. “Well first of all, the writing is very clear on the wall for everybody to see. For us as Patriotic Front we were punished and gotten out of power purely on the basis that there was allegation of abuse of the police and I can tell you that most of the actions that seemed to have been excessive on the part of the police was as a result of political strategies that the UPND has deployed of being provocative.”
He said the UPND were violent and fought with the police even when it was not necessary.
“Even in instances where you just expected a peaceful movement or undertaking, they deployed violence. Mr. Hakainde Hichilema whenever he travelled, he travelled with a horde of hooligans that when they reach a particular market or where people are selling stuff around the road, they will disembark, beat up people and do all kinds of things. And it was meant to attract the attention of the police,” he said.
“That was their strategy and whenever the police tried to intervene, they would spin propaganda and say the police are interfering with their freedom of movement and association.”
He said the Patriotic Front not only as a result of having rebranded, but also coupled with the experience of 10 years in opposition and 10 years in the government, could not play cheap politics.
“We are a responsible political party that values peace and values the wellbeing of Zambians especially when it comes to things that would threaten the peace of our people. We have never been provocative but innocent activities, for example going to Church, have attracted the abuse of the police,” he said.
Nakachinda said travelling to funerals had attracted the abuse of the police, a memorial service like the one in Kabwe had attracted the abuse of police.
“Look at the way the president of the Patriotic Front, who is also the former president, has been treated both at his residence and wherever he has gone. Police have been abused even at the airport to stop him from travelling at the Airport. It is very very unfortunate,” said Nakachinda.
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