By Isaac Zulu
UPND Central Provincial chairperson Albert Chifita says police must do their work professional without undue influence from anyone as the violence witnessed in Serenje has the potential to erode the gains that Zambia has recorded in its democratic governance.
But Socialist Party Central Province vice chairperson Patrick Dube Tembo has urged President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND leadership to tame their party members that are perpetuating violence in Serenje district.
In an interview, Chifita said no blood should be shed over an election.
Chifita said that the electoral violence that characterised the Muchindu ward by-election in Serenje district have the potential to erode Zambia’s democracy credentials, especially that this comes at the backdrop of the Democracy Summit that was held in Zambia last month and co-hosted by the Netherlands, United States of America, Costa Rica and Korea.
“Mind you we are just coming from the Democracy Summit, which is a high level meeting that even highlighted the strides that we have made as a country, in the promotion of democratic tenets. So these pockets of political violence that we are witnessing have the potential to erode Zambia’s democratic credentials,” Chifita said.
Asked on assertions that the ruling party is protecting its party members from being arrested and that is the more reason why the UPND members that were allegedly involved in the Serenje electoral violence have not been arrested Chifita said the UPND leadership has made it very clear that they will not protect any party member that would be found engaging in any illegalities.
“As UPND leadership in Central Province, we would want to put it categorically clear that we will not protect any party official or party cadres that would be found on the wrong side of the law. His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema has made it very clear that we are not going to condone illegalities in within our rank and files of our party officials. It goes therefore that any UPND member that will engage in political violence is on their own,” said Chifita. “We would also want to urge the Zambia Police to do their job professionally and ensure that they discharge their duties without any undue influence from political players.”
And Tembo said that President Hichilema should show leadership and walk the talk with regard to the electoral violence that “is being perpetrated by some UPND cadres in by elections, with the recent one being the one in Serenje district.”
He said that the kind of electoral violence being witnessed under the UPND administration is worse than what was being witnessed during the Patriot Front government.
“The political violence that we witnessed in Serenje in the run up to the by-elections is regrettable. We are very disappointed that this trend which was highly condemned by the UPND leadership and President Hakainde Hichilema himself has continued. In fact the kind of political violence that the UPND members and cadres are engaging in is worse than what we used to see during the Patriot Front government,” Tembo said. “This should be condemned in the strongest terms by all peace loving Zambians. The current Head of State is on record of having condemned political violence from his party members, but we are surprised that this message is not sinking in the heads of his party officials and party cadres. Therefore, our appeal is that President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND leadership should tame their party cadres perpetuating violence in the forthcoming local government by-elections.”
He wondered why the UPND members that were involved in the political fracas have not been apprehended but have only rushed to charge and arrest Socialist Party leader Dr Fred M’membe and other two senior party officials, saying the Zambia Police should apply the law fairly to all political players.
Tembo also wondered why the UPND members went even to an extent of venting their anger on Serenje Community Radio reporter, Sheila Kalunga, who was capturing pictures at the main Police Station; where some members from the ruling party had also gathered in seemingly protest against the Socialist Party.
“The Zambia Police are failing to live up to their mandate of maintaining law and order. They did provide security in those campaign centres. If there was Police presence what transpired would have not happened. And our clarion call to the Zambia Police is that they should apply the law fairly. The three comrades from the Socialist Party have been charged and arrested for allegedly assaulting nine UPND members. And one wonders how the three Socialist Party comrades could have managed to beat up the nine UPND members,” said Tembo. “The political violence being witnessed in some by-elections have the potential to lead to voter apathy. People will not be able to vote for a candidate of their choice. A political party should win an election through the ballot and not by use of violence.”
