UPND thuggery!

By Revelation Editor

We join all the other patriotic, rational and peaceful Zambians in denouncing the violence and intimidation that has especially been seen during the filing of nominations.

In Mandevu, we saw how parliamentary aspirant Jean Kapata was forced to employ extraordinary measures to navigate a hostile environment created by unruly elements. 

On that same day, the nation witnessed how a prominent former member of parliament for Mazabuka-Central, Garry Nkombo, was assaulted by unruly UPND thugs right under the noses of the police officers. Instead of arresting the perpetrators of the thuggery, police officers were actually seen trying to negotiate, almost pleading with the thugs, instead of arresting them.

We have seen a lot of examples where police have had to unleash their full wrath, especially when dealing with those in the opposition. Not too long ago, we saw how they airlifted former Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) director general Victor Nyasulu into a police van, just over a verbal disagreement. There wasn’t any violence at all from him. 

Just as people were trying to adjust to the shock of the thuggery against Nkombo, news filtered through that individuals had gathered at a nomination centre in Choma, threatening to block and harm aspiring candidate, Lungowe Sikwibele.

Sikwebele and Nkombo are UPND members who were left out on the party’s nomination process, and both decided to exercise their democratic rights by participating in the elections as independents. How anyone could be so aggrieved at their democratic action as to even go to the extent of beating them is just beyond imagination.

How all these thugs managed to unleashed the thuggery and the audacity to committ the same under the very watchful eyes of the police, clearly points to the fact that they knew they had some protection from a higher power somewhere. It appears that they were aware that even if they were denounced, or even arrested for their thuggery, soon and very soon, womeone would intervene to bail them out. We wait to see the action police will take against those involved in the acts of thuggery and how far the cases would actually go.

The NGOCC made one cardinal observation that demands serious pondering on. 

Their board chairperson Beauty Katebe stated that it remains concerning that while the Head of State has consistently spoken against violence, individuals seemingly aligned with the ruling party continue to act in direct contradiction to this position. 

“This culture of anarchy is unacceptable and must be nipped in the bud,” stated Katebe.

This is something that demands serious attention from President Hichilema. He cannot go around boasting that he has managed to end thuggery and consign the same to the PF, when his own cadres are everyday causing havoc. If anything, his pronouncements only encourage more thuggery actually as these cadres rest in the assurance that their violence will simply be overlooked in favour of denouncing the violence which happened under the PF administration.

Elections are supposed to be about competing ideas on how to govern the country, and not about spewing more blood so that some politician can be eliminated from the game in favour of other powerful politicians.

Participants in the electoral process must participate with the assurance that the state would protect their democratic rights and that their security while participating in that democratic process will be gauranteed by the state.

.