By Martin Lubasi Lubasi
An attempt by Patriotic Front (PF) cadres to disrupt a World AIDS Day event in Kapiri Mposhi’s Soweto compound resulted in chaos yesterday when they were chased away by UPND security.
Eyewitnesses said the PF supporters, who had raised a party flag, were met with uproar from Soweto residents as they tried to disrupt the flagging off of a march past for the commemoration of World AIDS Day and the handover of a health post.
Kapiri Mposhi UPND district youth chairperson Kenan Chatepa condemned the disruption, saying it was a clear attempt to derail the peaceful event.
“We want Zambia to be free from violence. We do not encourage violence and I am appealing for calm and objective politics in the country,” Chatepa said.
Chatepa praised the restraint shown by his team, saying that if they had given in to provocation, the situation could have escalated into a “suicide” with many people getting injured.
He called on the police to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to book, saying that the sponsored individuals had been given hundreds of Kwacha each to disrupt the event.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with many calling for objective and issue-based politics in Zambia.
And Kapiri Mposhi member of parliament Stanley Kakubo emphasized the importance of focusing on development issues during the world AIDS day event in Soweto compound.
He urged the audience to question opposition parties on their plans for the education sector, cautioning that a change in government could impact free education initiatives.
The event was attended by senior government officials, UPND supporters and Kapiri-Mposhi central councilor among others.
