By Isaac Zulu
Patriot Front national chairman Davies Chama has charged that the thuggery that has been going on in politics is a UPND DNA.
Commenting on the statement by home affairs and internal security minister Jack Mwiimbu who said that violent PF cadres are now joining the UPND and Socialist Party leading to the numbers of the Patriot Front dwindling, Chama said that what Mwiimbu meant is that the UPND wants to sustain violence which he said became part and parcel of the UPND from the time President Hakainde Hichilema assumed the position of UPND president following the demise of Anderson Mazoka.
Chama dispelled assertions that PF is a violent political organisation, saying Patriot Front members have always been law abiding citizens who have been practicing politics with decency.
“The Patriot Front has never been a thuggery party, we have been engaging in politics with decency and demonstrated that when we were in opposition and government. When the UPND was in opposition at the time we (PF) were in opposition, the UPND members used to fight with members of the MMD when the MMD was in government. The UPND was not a violent political party under the leadership of late president Anderson Mazoka, may his soul rest in peace. That man was a decent and honest man who was committed to uniting all tribes from all regions of the country,” Chama explained in an interview. “If you have lived long to follow Zambian politics, you will realise that political violence showed its ugly face on the Zambian political scene immediately Anderson Mazoka died and President Hakainde Hichilema became the party president. The problem is that people in this country tend to forget easily. I remember veteran politician uncle Vernon Mwaanga was beaten together with others at the funeral of Anderson Mazoka. Violence in the UPND started from the time Hakainde Hichilema took the reigns of party president of the UPND. So politics of violence that we have been seeing is a UPND DNA. The UPND has always been a violent political party – in opposition and in government. And that statement from the minister of home affairs and internal security is confirmation that the UPND wants to sustain violence even when they are in government.”
He stressed that, while in opposition, the UPND leadership instigated violence, but when the party members were pursued the top leadership would lament.
“The UPND used to instigate violence while in opposition and when they are pursued by law enforcement agencies they would complain that they are being victimised. This is a political party that even coined the Mapatizya formula in perpetuating violence. In Mufumbwe there was political violence where the Inspector General of Police, then, had to flee for his life,” Chama recounted.
He said that members of opposition political parties have continued being victims of political violence perpetuated by UPND members.
“Members of the Socialist Party and this political party whose president is Sean Tembo have encountered political violence at the hands of UPND cadres during by-elections,” Chama said.
He also said that UPND members have been circulating voice notes on various media platforms threatening to beat and kill leaders of the Patriot Front, saying that it is not surprising that this has coincided with the death of Mwense Council chairperson Humphrey Kapapula.
“There are voice notes and videos circulating were leaders of the PF are being threatened that they will be beaten and with death. In such prevailing circumstances, would you wonder how the death of our Mwense Council chairperson Humphrey Kapapula has been murdered? Our acting secretary general has since written to the Inspector General of Police over this matter,” Chama explained.
Chama was, however, quick to state that the Patriot Front leadership has no confidence in the Zambia Police, saying this security wing has become politically compromised.
“In as much as we have taken a decision to lodge a formal complaint to the IG (Inspector General of Police), we do not have faith in this Police Service because it has become a political Police Service. It has failed to live up to its core mandate of providing security, law and order in the country. There are so many murder cases, theft and kidnapping. The kidnapping of this young lady at a mobile money booth and the Police have not made any progress on this matter. Public confidence in the Zambia Police is slowly but surely being eroded. And one wonders if we have investigators in the Zambia Police or Police Intelligence to investigate these issues. “The only time we are seeing the Zambia Police officers becoming active is during political rallies and persecution of political opponents. And we are calling upon President Hakainde Hichilema, being the Commander of the Armed Forces and in charge of the Zambia Police, to act and reorient the Police Service.”
