Police have arrested 14 United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres in the wake of a two-hour violent confrontation with Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) members on Friday night.
And chief government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has commended police for its vigilance against acts of violence by the UPND cadres.
Three police officers who were in a group of others sent as reinforcement to Mashitu in Mufumbwe were injured in the confrontation and one is admitted at Mufumbwe rural health centre.
Commissioner of Police Graphael Musamba confirmed the incident which was triggered in the heat of campaigns for the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election.
Mr Musamba said four vehicles, including a Mufumbwe Police van, a district council Land Cruiser and a Hiace minibus had their windscreens shattered.
He said the 14 UPND cadres have been charged with various offences ranging from unlawful blocking of a road, malicious damage to property and assault.
Mr Musamba said among the arrested cadres is a UPND councillor.
MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) member Albert Chifita, who was caught up in the fracas, said police had to extricate Presidential Affairs Minister Ronald Mukuma, Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe, Education Deputy Minister Akakandelwa Mwendoi and MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu from a horde of UPND cadres at Mashitu Basic School.
Mr Chifita said their vehicles had to be escorted by police for 5km in fear of an ambush by UPND cadres who were reportedly hiding in the bush.
He said police fired shots in the air and teargas canisters to disperse the two groups of opposing political party cadres.
North-Western Province police commanding officer Fabian Katiba’s vehicle was also stoned as he rushed into the area.
Mr Chifita said the MMD was holding a meeting with headmen and some pastors when UPND cadres arrived at the scene saying that they, too, wanted to hold a meeting at the same venue.
UPND district co-ordinator Alex Ifwaha said his team went to have a meeting at the school because the police permitted them to have it there.
Mr Ifwaha, who was accompanied by Patriotic Front (PF) provincial chairperson Dennis Kanyakula, accused the MMD of blocking them from having meetings at schools.
He accused the police of not helping them, saying nine of their members have allegedly been assaulted and police have opened dockets but no arrests have been made.
Mr Katiba said the UPND must complain to higher authorities in the police if they feel their complaints are not being attended to.
Mr Katiba said the police are there to protect everyone and called for peaceful campaigns.
And Lieutenant General Shikapwasha, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting services, has called on police to be more vigilant against acts of violence from political cadres because the situation could degenerate if those attacked retaliate.
In an interview on the incident, Gen Shikapwasha urged Patriotic Front president Michael Sata and his United Party for National Development counterpart Hakainde Hichilema to restrain their cadres from violence.
He urged the opposition to keep the campaigns clean, saying this is the instruction the ruling party has given to its campaign teams in Mufumbwe and Milanzi.
Gen Shikapwasha urged the opposition to devise other campaign methods, not violence if they feel that they are losing ground.
He said he was informed that some people caught up in the fracas spent a night in the bush and only returned to safety in the early hours of yesterday.
He called on police to be more vigilant and deal with all perpetrators of violence irrespective of their political affiliation.
Meanwhile, Gen Shikapwasha has said that Government will allow the due process of the law to take its course in continued red card campaigns by Change Life Zambia executive director Frank Bwalya, who is appearing in court.
Fr Bwalya is indicted of conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace on March 12, 2010 during Youth Day celebrations in Kitwe.
A police officer is reported to have permitted Fr Bwalya to address his supporters near Freedom Park in Kitwe last Friday. Police are reported to have sanctioned the meeting, but later dispersed Fr Bwalya’s supporters because the officer in question did not consult his superiors.
He said Fr Bwalya’s campaign against Government is a futile political exercise.
Gen Shikapwasha said Fr Bwalya’s campaign agenda is baseless because issues of the Constitution were being dealt with by the National Constitutional Conference.
He said the former priest is also misinformed about issues of governance as Government is running the country well.
[Sunday Mail ]
I wounder what will be happening during the general ERECTIONS last time it was in Kasama where a Minister was fighting with caders he was not arrested. where MMD dogs are beating people its zeeeee but if its opposition then problems. I HOPE PEACE WILL REIGN DURING THE ERECTIONS OF OUR READERS NEXT YEAR
“And chief government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has commended police for its vigilance against acts of violence by the UPND cadres”:o:o:o
What about MMD cadres that assaulted Opposition cadres? This “Reverand” is a clown.
Comrades,let us prepare ourselves 2011 elections will set Zambia on fire if the likes of Shikapwasha are allowed to disregard the law with impunity:-t:-t:-t:-t
Father Bwalya is a BIG factor in Zambia today such that the government is scared of his message and its impact on the people. Otherwise, why would the govt. be sending mmd cadre policemen to disrupt his meetings?
2011 is just around the corner.
Take this vundu on the body of HH so that he can know that it does not pay to sponsor thugs in this so called Mapatizya option.
Hichilema, Sata at loggerheads
VICE-President George Kunda says there is a rift between Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata and his United Party for National Development (UPND) counterpart Hakainde Hichilema.
Mr Kunda charged the two leaders, whose parties have formed a political alliance, have not been in talking terms of late.
He said the rift between the two leaders has been evidenced by Mr Hichilema’s silence whenever his co-leader in the pact has come under attack.
Mr Kunda said this at Kinkonge Basic School in Mufumbwe where he is drumming up support for MMD candidate Mulondwe Muzungu in the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election slated for April 29.
He said there has never been a time that Mr Hichilema, UPND officials and Members of Parliament have come to Mr Sata’s rescue whenever he has had issues to explain.
Mr Kunda said Mr Sata and his party officials, too, have never defended Mr Hichilema.
“We have never heard Mr Hichilema and his MPs defend Mr Sata. In fact they feel happy and they even send us text messages encouraging us to continue exposing Mr Sata’s weaknesses,” Mr Kunda said.
The Vice-President, who is also MMD’s national trustee, said the two pact leaders have different agendas and wondered how they would govern the country if elected into office.
He encouraged the people of Mufumbwe constituency to vote for the MMD candidate, saying it is the only party that has a national character.
Mr Kunda said the MMD has nominated MPs from Southern Province where it did not win any parliamentary seats so that it could have a national representation in Cabinet.
He said the MMD is running a Government that believes in peace and tranquility and that the party has a programme for the nation. Mr Kunda is accompanied by ministers of Works and Supply Mike Mulongoti, Energy and Water Development Kenneth Konga, Sports, Youth and Child Development Kenneth Chipungu, Presidential Affairs Ronald Mukuma and Livestock and Fisheries Development Deputy Minister Albert Mulonga.
PF lauds MMD
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) candidate in the Milanzi by-election Albert Banda has hailed the MMD government for sinking boreholes in Milanzi constituency.
Mr Banda said in an interview after filing in his nomination at Kagoro Basic School in Katete that he will concentrate on improving the health system in the area if he wins because a lot has been done by the MMD government in the provision of boreholes.
There are eight boreholes in Milanzi alone and Government is in the process of sinking more boreholes in the area.
“Since independence, the only things I see which have changed are boreholes. We used to drink water from streams, but now we are getting water from boreholes,” he said.He said although the situation is better in the provision of water, more needs to be done in the area.The PF candidate said he will concentrate on improving health services in the area if he wins the by-election.
“I have seen what is on the ground, but the first thing that I would promise the people is health. Development will only come to this area if we work together with the people,” he said.
He noted that although there were a number of clinics constructed by the MMD government, people needed more medicine.
Meanwhile, PF cadres and their candidate, Albert Banda, are allegedly distributing non-partisan chitenge materials to woo voters ahead of the Milanzi Constituency Parliamentary by-election.
This is very sad especially that “UPND district co-ordinator Alex Ifwaha said his team went to have a meeting at the school because the police permitted them to have it there… Mr Ifwaha, who was accompanied by Patriotic Front (PF) provincial chairperson Dennis Kanyakula, accused the MMD of blocking them from having meetings at schools” has been reported.
I only hope “He called on police to be more vigilant and deal with all perpetrators of violence irrespective of their political affiliation” will boost the ZPS’ operations to even cater for MMD thugs.
Have a blessed day o.
_
Matt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
A traditional leader, headman Kapele, confirmed having seen PF candidate Albert Banda and an independent ward councillor Japhet Phiri with other cadres distributing non-partisan chitenge materials to women in his village around 03:00 hours yesterday.
MMD campaign manager for the Milanzi by-election Dr Eustackio Kazonga confirmed receiving a report on the matter.
Headman Kapele said in a telephone interview yesterday that on that night he woke up to the sound of a vehicle and found the PF candidate distributing chitenge materials in red and white colours.
“I saw a car in my village at night and I woke up to see what was happening. When I went closer I saw the PF candidate accompanied by an independent ward councilor Japhet Chimwala Phiri. I asked them what they were doing in my village at night and they said they were just helping people with some chitenge materials.
National Constitution Circus update:
Deputy justice minister Todd Chilembo in discussing the rights to water and food said the following:
“I think this clause is utopian. Even Kaunda and his humanist regime did not have this dream.”
This is what a minister in Rupiah’s government believes, that our people have no right to aspire to a life where they can have access to clean water and sanitation, adequate shelter and food.
This is a man who was driven to the National Constitutional Conference in a vehicle that we pay for as taxpayers, in all probability lives in a house that we pay for, uses a toilet that we pay for. Because we provide all these things for him, he has forgotten that they cost money and that other people deserve them also. @The Post
Mwata, when you write all this rubbish stuff, is it in the hope that you will bring people to start thinking like you? that we will start supporting that which is wrong? Do you really think that, right minded bloggers will believe you? What a deluded F.U.C.K.E.R
Mwata Never, Your days are numbered like your post entrys. Are you not ashemed of posting thousands of entries at a time. Swallow you proud. Its just next year we shall meet in Zed. This time you are have no longer saying Zambia shall be saved.
2011 Zambia shall be on fire if RB and his minions continue breaching the law in favour of the mmd. I am telling you the truth. Just brace up yourselves for civil war. The police are not happy at what is going on . the army too….Zambia is sitting on a very vicious boam. Watch the pace.
Iwe Mwata…ulishilu nangu ningulu wakwata?……a URL will suffice! 😮
Mwata wali tumpa sana.Dont write about staff that is only going to convince u.If u have nothing to say keep zee.
#4 Mwata-You are lost. MMD have imported thugs even as Lusaka and Southern Province. Some of these are BOBO of Kulima Tower and Daniel Munkombwe.
It is very SAD that in this time of civilisation and cutting edge technology we still find people who can behave like they are in the time of SHAKA. Who are we trying to please anyway? Elections are meant to put sane and respected people in parliament in order to represent their constituencies and enhance development. What is happening is not in line with realities. Please Zmbians, 45 years of independence is not an easy thing. We should be mature by now. I am really SAD.
HH should not allow thugs to destroy the good standing UPND has enjoyed over the years.Nobody should be proud of beating his own relatives like what happened in ‘ Mapatizya formular’ Whatever happened there was very unfortunate because they adopted a wrong candidate.