By Kamuti Muyambela
Home Affairs minister Jack Mwiimbu says the cadres who were causing violence in PF have now joined the UPND and Socialist Party (SP), and thereby dwindling the PF numbers in the process.
During debate on the ministerial statement he presented, Mwiimbu claimed that unlike the PF which allowed impunity, in the form of Nato forces, the UPND have condemned such vices, saying a number of UPND cadres are among those who have been caged following the violent scenes in Luangwa.
“We have taken a lead and here on the floor I have mentioned that there are allegations that our members were involved,” Mwiimbu said.
His predecessor in the Ministry, Shiwang’andu member of parliament, Stephen Kampyongo said the cadres from SP were reacting to the violence unleashed on them by the UPND cadres, something his Pambashe counterpart Ronald Chitotela picked up on when he asked that the alleged SP cadres were swiftly picked up but the police were dragging their feet on suspected UPND cadres.
But Mwiimbu said political cadres mutate as those who were causing violence in PF have now “joined us”, and going by the fact that the SP too was involved in violence, the opposition party had received its fair share of violent cadres from the former ruling party.
“It’s because your (PF) numbers are dwindling. They are going to Socialist Party and they are causing violence in that party,” he said.
Mwiimbu said police on their own could not manage to control violence before, during and after the elections and therefore the party leaders must put in a lot of effort against violence .
But Chama South member of parliament Davison Mung’andu warned Mwiimbu that the big reason on why the PF lost was attributed to violence and that “it is unfortunate you want to take that route.”
He asked Mwiimbu when the police were concluding investigations to ensure that UPND members were arrested, but the Home Affairs minister said there are no UPND cadres who were involved but just those alleged to have been involved.
And responding to Lundazi member of parliament Brenda Nyirenda who asked if parliament should come up with a law banning those who instigated violence, Mwiimbu laughed before saying that he was happy she had raised the issue as the topical issue right now was on why the country was allowing people who have been condemned by the courts but still want to stand again.
He described the matter as a moral and legal issue, and that it was incumbent upon parliament to come up with laws to bar people who are found wanting in terms of violence and corruption.
Mwiimbu further accused Feira member of parliament Emmanuel Tembo as being one of the suspects in the investigations.
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