By Mwansa Kaumba
The government has says the violence being experienced in the campaigns was being hatched by the opposition in order to paint President Hakainde Hichilema ‘black.’
During a joint press briefing by Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security permanent secretary Dr Dickson Matembo and Ministry of Information and Media permanent secretary Thabo Kawana, the government said the violence cannot go uncondemned.
Kawana said the government was aware of a plan by political players to try and paint the government and particularly President Hakainde Hichilema black as the country was going towards elections.
He said the sporadic violence was orchestrated.
“Even where you see police getting involved and discharging teargas, it’s because the deliberate plan is equally to engage the police and ensure that the police react,” Kawana said. “The police have a way of reacting to public disorder. So if you go for example in Western Province and pick up sand and throw it into the faces of the police the police’s reaction is to displace you and they will teargass you.”
He said all these were planned in three regions. Kawana said the Mundubile team had planned that even in Southern Province they would be attacked.
But he said they were attacking themselves.
He said the hope was for Zambians to hate the President as Zambians abhor violence.
He called out Hot FM, saying the entire breakfast show on the radio station was nothing but a de-campaign tour against the President.
He accused them of being a public relations unit of Brian Mundubile.
Kawana said he was aware that Hot FM was owned by Japhen Mwakalombe, who was a member of the NRPUP.
He said those in NRPUP knew that they were losing and therefore wanted the election to be marred with violence so that they could say they lost because people were intimidated and elections were marred by violence.
“We are aware and we are also planning to receive them,” Kawana said.
And Dr Matembo said the violence from cadres was concerning.
He said reports and videos circulating on different platforms of the media could not go uncondemned.
Dr Matembo said some of the violence was being deliberately occasioned to paint a narrative that the elections have been marred by violence.
He said in one of the videos a cadre from the opposition was seen changing into the regalia for that of the ruling party after causing political violence so that the blame could be placed on the ruling party.
He said the President had been firm on how he opposed violence.
He said government was aware of the planned stage managed violence that was yet to occur.
He said those being urged should stay away as they would be on their own.
He said the UPND was a responsible government that respected the rights of its citizens and would protect them.
He urged police to arrest the perpetrators without segregation.
But asked during the briefing if he was implying that all the violence was from the opposition and the ruling party was not involved, Matembo said whoever was involved must be taken in by the security wings.
Asked further about videos which have gone viral where people were issuing death threats against people in Mundubile’s team, Matembo said they had also seen videos where some people were carry AK-47 rifles, and changing from one regalia into UPND regalia, and that regardless of who was involved those people would be followed.
He urged youths to take advantage of free education not be used in violence.
