By Mubanga Mubanga
Senior chief Mwansakombe of Chifunabuli district in Luapula province says the hatred which has been shown toward incarcerated Democrats Party presidential candidate Xavier Chungu is “unprecedented”
In a statement, chief Mwansakombe stated that he could not keep quiet when the state was using hate instead of the law to keep Chungu in detention. He stated that Chungu’s life was in danger if the state was allowed to play with his life as they wished.
“The injustices and hatred exhibited by the State towards Xavier Chungu this time around, as he goes through today’s incarceration have never been seen before, totally unprecedented! We wonder whether the officers in his case are truly of this world. As a family we fear for Xavier Chungu’s life. We can no longer sit quietly thinking the law will take its course when no one is using the law but hate for our son,” he stated. “As an example, Xavier Chungu continued to be detained at Kabwata Police Station ‘prison’ for ten (10) days even after the presiding judge had ruled that Chungu could be granted bail. The police at both Kabwata and the Police Headquarters were determined to keep Xavier Chungu in detention and (no) one was to stop them. Before long they organised a kangaroo arrest for him and slapped new charges on him. They were then openly heard shouting: ‘Let him rot in there’ (Kabwata Prison cells).”
Chief Mwansakombe stated that hatred and injustices should not be allowed to be perpetrated in a civilised world. He added that
Chiefs were going to lose credibility if they gave a deaf ear to those crying for help.
“Never before have we seen so many Royal establishments rise to show their concerns and solidarity over the plight of our people who are victims of hatred and injustices as they have done in the case of Xavier Chungu this time around. We’re greatly indebted to all of Your Royal Highnesses for the solidarity that you have shown. You believe that injustices and hatred cannot be allowed to be perpetrated in the civilised world no matter where the victim comes from,” he stated. “This otherwise would especially be catastrophic in the case of our country with 72 ethnic groupings. It is thanks to Their Royal Highnesses that peace has prevailed in our country with so many ethnic groups from time immemorial; pre colonial/colonial/to date. We’ll lose this credit if we as Chiefs give a deaf ear to those crying for help against injustices and hate.”
Chief Mwansakombe stated that Chungu went through similar incarceration by the late president Levy Mwanawasa but they never as family stood up to say a word in support of Chungu. He stated that this was because they had believed and respected the rule of law
“Xavier Franklin Chungu, the Liberal Democrats Party’s Presidential aspiring candidate for the 13th August 2026 general elections, who continues to be incarcerated by the State at Chimbokaila prison, is not only a son of Mwata Kazembe’s Luba-Lunda kingdom, but he’s also a member of the Mwansakombe Royal Family, of Chifunabuli District,” stated chief Mwansakombe. “The world will probably remember that Xavier Chungu went through similar incarceration by the Mwanawasa regime, but never for once did we as a family stand up to say a word in support of Xavier Chungu in the course of all his court trials. We believed in and we had respect for the rule of law and we left Xavier to go through the painful due process of the law, and he fought those battles alone, today the rest is history.”
