Chief government spokesperson Joseph Katema has said that it is unfair and unfounded for Mr Hichilema to accuse Government of sponsoring cadres to harass him.
Dr Katema, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said that it is baseless for Mr Hichilema to threaten to take Government to the Hague let alone call for the resignation of President Sata.
He said in a statement yesterday that the PF administration is a disciplined Government which does not condone lawlessness and indiscipline by anyone regardless of their political affiliation.
He stated Government has a duty and mandate to protect life and property of all citizens, saying that is why police acted swiftly to protect Mr Hichilema when he came under attack from hooligans masquerading as party cadres.
Mr Hichilema charged at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that PF cadres are operating as militias.
He accused President Sata of intending to declare a state of emergency in order to delay the 2016 general elections.
Mr Hichilema also accused the police of being “PF cadres”.
Below is the full statement
Republic of Zambia
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services
STATEMENT BY HON. DR JOSEPH KATEMA, MP, MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON ON VIOLENCE AGAINST OPPOSITION UPND LEADER MR HAKAINDE HICHILEMA IN NDOLA
It is unfair, unfounded and unfortunate for opposition UPND leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema to accuse Government of sponsoring cadres to harass him when he featured on Sun FM Radio in Ndola last weekend.
This is a disciplined Government which does not condone lawlessness and indiscipline by anyone regardless of their political affiliation.
It is common knowledge that a number of people accused of perpetrating violence, including those from the ruling party, have either been convicted or are currently appearing before the courts of law, a clear demonstration that no one is above the law under the Patriotic Front Government.
It is Government’s duty and mandate to protect life and property of all citizens. This is why police acted swiftly to protect Mr Hichilema when he came under attack from hooligans masquerading as party cadres at Sun FM Radio in Ndola.
As a responsible and law abiding Government, we condemn in the strongest terms the impunity and lawlessness exhibited by the so-called party cadres at Ndola’s Sun FM Radio where Mr Hichilema was due to feature on a radio programme.
As a matter of fact, Patriotic Front Secretary General and Justice Minister Hon. Wynter Kabimba, MP, is on record as having strongly condemned the violence against Mr Hichilema in Ndola soon after it occurred – a confirmation of Government’s zero-tolerance for violence regardless of who is involved.
As a country, we have enough lessons to learn from what is happening in other countries regarding political violence and we cannot afford the luxury of descending into such anarchy.
Zambia has enjoyed peace and unity for the past 50 years and it is the duty of every citizen to preserve and protect this unique attribute which has earned the country worldwide respect and admiration.
Since coming to power about 30 months ago, the Patriotic Front Government, under His Excellency President Michael Chilufya Sata, has demonstrated its unwavering and uncompromising commitment to peace and unity save for isolated incidents of political violence.
It is therefore, baseless for Mr Hichilema to threaten to take Government to the Hague let alone call for the resignation of President Michael Chilufya Sata.
Government further wishes to observe that the aggrieved party is supposed to cooperate with the police by reporting and giving statements as requested. That is procedural.
On the other hand, Government condemns opposition leaders who are inciting their members to take the law in their hands by arming themselves. Government is not going to allow anarchy to prevail in the nation.
All political parties are advised that in this free and democratic dispensation, moderation and mutual respect should be exercised so as not to provoke each other. This also goes to the UPND leader Mr Hichilema.
Government and the people of Zambia will not allow him or any other person to forment acrimony or to necessitate a state of emergency which he talks about. Government has no intention whatsoever of declaring a state of emergency.
Hon. Dr Joseph Katema, MP
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON
16th April, 2014
Yeah right..
We sure do love our titles, Hon, Dr…..MP. Why not use a title that correlates to the office or position from which the statement is being made. Are you speaking as MP for whichever constituency you’re representative of, or are you speaking from the point of view of a medical doctor or are you speaking as a governement spokesperson? Unless am mistaken ba katema tamwakwata na Ph.D, you are just an MD(medical doctor) like your friend kaseba. i dont know why you are using these abreviations when you should actually be using Joseph Katema, MD.
Good statement.
I think HH has realised that most Zambians do not want him at statehouse.
Hence using every trick in the book
Disgusting
Thanks
Dr. Katema pamenso kwati kasushi! pwi.
Even his demeanor in the above picture shows that he’s lying. The guy right behind him is also laughing at him. We’ll see in 2016, like Bob Marley said; He who fights and runs away will need to fight another day…
Katema another useless minister. Why haven’t you condemned the violence? Instead you chose to condemn the victim.
Now reports are emerging that Fr Bwalya’s hand was almost cut off by thugs in CB just yesterday.
If this is not stopped then people will start revenging and disrespecting the police
It is amazing how much useless this govt has proved to be within such a short period of time. Yes, policy and pf are aware of one Chile and his actions on the material day HH and UPND was attacked in Ndola. This statement cannot hold water for the following reasons
1. one Chile is still walking freely in the streets of Kitwe
2. Katema has not told the nation why his police run away from the scene
3. The video footage on you tube has no police officer among people protecting HH
4. His govt has not made any arrest with regards to the airport incidence
5. Sata himself has not condemned these acts
However, Dr Katema is trying his best to remain calm and professional in his statement, not typical of PF. Chances are that he will not last in this position
Please, we are not naïve and mentally challenged. This is a typical response from these seemingly clever liars and self proclaimed responsible rulers of Zambia. These Bembas overrate themselves and always claim to be excellent at everything underneath the sun. In addition to the above, they even claim to be chosen people by God and this is concocted insofar as to maintain their dominance over other tribes. The rationale behind this, is to control access to limited resources. This domination is socially constructed to fit their trajectory designed to humiliate and exclude anyone who does not belong to the Bemba tribal camp. Notwithstanding, except those non-Bembas who not only conform to Bemba demands, but who also comply to their useless norms or unwritten stupid rules. Viva HHHHHHHHHHHHHH
@BOOM&WHATEVER I can imagine you are aggrieved but rest assured that most of what you have said constitutes hate speech that has allegations without proof and is reminiscent of sparks that cause genocidal acts world over. When you whip up emotion based on things you are only alleging you run the risk of heading a charge that will render you the first to fall.
#1.1 You are right. In this case, ‘Minister’ of chakuti would have been more appropriate. All these titles don’t mean a thing to empty bellies. Let us just be simple and more accessible. How does one expect a villager to be free with them with such clutter of titles? Those titles are simply red tape and bureaucracy to man on the streets.
This guy loved titles: ati Hon.Dr Katema, MP, tuma doctor twa pazedi ukuyumfwa. That’s just a Ka first degree me with a masters degree am more educated than you. U don’t even have a PhD shaa!! So imagine Given Lubinda with his Ka diploma from NRDC WRITING HON.MR. AgricEng.Given Lubinda can u see the nonsense stick to your title relevant to your office
But the question is why haven’t you made any arrests?
This guy forgets that discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment; I cannot see any goals, let alone them being accomplished. He describes the government as a disciplined government but why is there so much violence? Why isn’t the president condemning all these acts of aggression? The government has only responded because HH has rubbed salt in their wound!
Is that all…? Very foolish.!
& the assault on father Bwalya?
This is a clear testimony that books, intelligence and wisdom are vey parallel to each other. Dr Katema, Dr Scott, Prof Luo etc etc… Fyonse fishushii ifyakamamo na menshi!
Yah
government shouldnt even be paying attention to this clown. he’s no factor in 2016
poor reasoning. HH is a citizen, and as a responsible govt, the PF administartion should listen or pay attention to the calls and cries of its citizens. its not about 2016, its about us, citizens of zambia. so imwe, if there is no clean drinking water in your neighbourhood for months and you complain to the govt, seeking redress, then the govt should not pay attention to you because you are not a factor in 2016?
Kolwe
Good point.I sometimes wonder how pipo like Kudos even find themselves on a computer.Personally i am Bemba but even if Sata stood against a frog i would vote for the frog.
Guys do not be surprised at the commented out of @Kudos. He is one of the militia trained in Sudan. Just look at the flag he blogs under. Its either he is still in Sudan or he is back in Zed but using Sudanese email address.
It is not a secret that Zambia under pf has become dangerous. Anytime cadres can rough up and kill innocent citizens, including police. All it can take to stop these atrocities if for the president to issue a warning and police to act professionally. Shame on you PF.
It is very unfortunte and un called for at that level to tell fabrited lies publicly. Zambians know what is obtaining on the ground.
His lies will follow and haunt him and his family forever.
President mcs should address the nation over these political violences we are experiencing in Zambia if what his USELESS minister kasonde is talking about is true. God forbid the situation in our beloved country should not get out of hand.
my brother, katema has no family, he chased away his wife and opted to co-habit with a concubine and have no children. he is a failed project, drunkard and irresponsible mp. he does not go to his constituency
All political parties in Zambia currently are generally petty and not inspiring. Yes PF has so far failed Zambia, but what is worrying is the lack of an effective and formidable opposition party. UPND is Hakainde Hichilema’s personal party, MMD has become Nevers Mumba’s personal party, NAREP is Elias Chipimo’s personal party, UNIP is Kaunda family’s party. These opposition political parties cannot be a solution to the failing PF. WE NEED A NEW ISSUE-BASED AND INCLUSIVE POLITICAL MOVEMENT TO SAVE ZAMBIA FROM PF AND TAKE OUR COUNTRY TO ANOTHER LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT. COME TOGETHER, ZAMBIANS AND SAVE YOUR MOTHERLAND. PERSONAL PARTIES CAN’T TAKE US ANYWHERE!
@Real Zambian, yours is a voice of reason and I salute you. What we indeed need to break is this failed idea that if someone changes the membership of a party his habits and viewpoints change. This is what has cost us as a nation and produced all these mediocre parties vying to replace each other at all costs. There is very little political culture in the parties in the way of allowing dissenting views (imagine what they would do to the Tea Party if they had them in their political groups!). MMD tried the Young Turks at one stage and for a while they flourished until they were overrun by sheer volumes of mediocrity. Perhaps we must try again and help dig the citizens out of this heap of mediocre dung that has persisted and seems to be thickening…
Leave Sata alone. Nature will take care of him sooner than you may think.
Nature is taking it’s bloody time though! However, as much as I would want sata to drop dead, methinks the chaos that would follow with the power struggle in PF would give birth to factions and their militias and we would have a somalia or other on our hands. Better he remains holed up mu state house until he comes out yawning and scratching his tummy mu 2016 ready to vacate!
Winter Kabimba said on Muvi Tv that in PF there is no morality and the \president said his MPs and Ministers are useless.This is confirmed by the another useless less Minister.Let me get quotes from ypur response and ask if your mouth is matching with your brains and if that Doctorate you have is a genuine one.
one of your quotes,
‘This is a disciplined Government which does not condone lawlessness and indiscipline by anyone regardless of their political affiliation’
Bwana Dr.in your thinking grabbing peoples land,carrying the coffin of winter Kabimba with pangas in streets,locking of government offices,including your own office you call this discipline,no wonder this low level of thinking will make Zambia a heaven of pangas and USA embassy has put Zambia on alert due to violence…
Stop alarming the nation and causing panic in international circles if you do not know how to articulate your ideas. As of February 2014 there was an advisory about Woodlands stadium and spontaneous demonstrations and citizens of the country you cite were merely told to exercise caution in that vicinity or avoid it altogether. As of March 2014 to this point, there has not been any nationwide travel advisory for Zambia except the usual caution that visitors must exercise in any country that they visit with its peculiarities. Anything else, you can exaggerate. This one passop!
Ati “ll political parties are advised that in this free and democratic dispensation, moderation and mutual respect should be exercised so as not to provoke each other. This also goes to the UPND leader Mr Hichilema and PF leader Mr. Sata”
This is a complite statement sir. Thank you.
Let’s just have civil war so that you believe that we are upset.your cadres are armed and we as opposition will arm ours too.
I think you last went to the toilet a fortnight ago. It is time.
ganja farmer is seriously constipated and the fart gas is now travelling through to the brain! Rubbish rumblings, who wants a civil war? Some of these arseholes on blogs should be arrested and sent to the hague themselves.
Some are so unreasonable such that when a government spokesperson gives an official statement, their brains are frozen and they ask for Sata to speak as if that would end the anarchy being formented.
Even fellow opposition parties are busy scheming against each other. Just recently some f00l from MMD declared the UPND as enemy number 1. HH nearly gets his arse kicked in Ndola and nobody can do a proper investigation with the so called police service to give us a full report.
Zambia right now can only be described as politically pathetic, full of political clowns!
PF, you talk too much, action speak louder, we want fruit. How is your zero tolerance crap working if these cadres are even becoming more and more violent? Police pretend to arrest and investigate and next day we see these cadres walking freely.
Dr Katema, action speaks louder than words. Unruly PF cadres must have some backing somewhere for them to have audacity to behave this manner. Show us your discipline by caging these cadres then they will not misbehave anymore.
PF cadres on this site shall realise that one spark is enough to destroy the peace that we have enjoyed for 50 years. One incident in Tunis brought in change and uprising in Tunis, Egypt and Libya and all three countries are not the same. There is still upheaval and uncertainty in all three countries. Restrain. Instead of accusing HH or defending PF better impeach Mr. Sata or let him volunteer to retire. Zambia is bigger than one person who has messed up the whole country. I am worried about his children, his wife, his relatives and PF MPs, ministers, Permanent secretaries and councillors. There is so much stealing and waste that in any first world country would have resulted in most of these behind bars.
The Hon Minister Katema is contradicting logic. To put it plainly, how did government protect HH from attacks by the hooligans? Is he implying that for the same government to fail to effect any arrests means that even they are finding difficult dealing with hooligans? I mean surely, how else can one explain this?
“This is why police acted swiftly to protect Mr Hichilema when he came under attack from hooligans masquerading as party cadres at Sun FM Radio in Ndola”. Why not arrest the masquaraders first? In this era people are brandishing guns in broad day light and all one can say is government protected them? Please Sir, I know which side of your bread is buttered, but when the situation degenerates in chaos, it will not cjoose between you and me. Lets be serious!
There seems to be something that has surely gone wrong in the nation. The mental attitudes of both the ruling party and the opposition have surely gone off the mark. The main problem is the fact that politics has gone to such highest levels than any other aspect of life. Even religion is being used just to get to politics. How can we de-escalate this political us as a people? Is it possible? Political competition is gone so weird in Zed! No longer at ease, this situation can explode! Calm down, sober down everybody. Lets respect and tolerate one another. We only have one Zambia and there shall ever be one state leader at a time. Each and everyone of us, esp our leaders from ruling and opposition, should help calm our political situation.
Be honest in your comments.The ruling party is the one to calm the sitauion.
Useless MPs and Ministers what can comeout of these leaders? They are shameless leaders. In a civilized country such pronouncements can lead to mass resignations. But not with us ba “sebana wikute”
But these are our very own brothers and sisters! Can we ever live by demonizing them? What about us, how different are we from them? We eat nshima with hands like them, use same roads, same schools, same shops, same hospitals, same same same in almost everything. How different are ever gone be different from them? Its just perception our policies are not drastically different from theirs. We need to rethink our opposition, we need to rethink our ruling, as a people we are all at faulty, truly so.
Floyd Chitalu, you raise some important issues but they need context. You appear to lump the rulers and the opposition together, which is fine, except the weight of responsibility is heavily tilted towards the governors. The governing party sets the style and tone of governance and if it’s one of insults, confrontation and violence, they’ll get a response in equal measure. People have no policies; parties and the government do. In fact, the issue with PF has nothing to do with policies but character and we are all not the same on this score. So please stop muddling the issues.
WHO SAID THESE WORDS?
1.MINISTER = USELESS
2.MP= USELESS
3.PF MOST TRIBAL PARTY THAN UPND
Why blame HH NOW?
The nation was anxiously waiting to be told more about Panga Fighters not this bitter statement toward HH. How do these panga fighters manage to harm others without being arrested? Are they part of the zambia police force on govt payroll or what?
Amazing how this irresponsible govt. is underplaying violence. Remember war starts with a small spark. That’s how the Rwanda genocide started. If HH had been killed, there would’ve been war between parties, then tribes and eventually the whole country would’ve been engulfed. PF please show leadership, is it until your own relatives are killed that you will denounce violence?
The Police need a formal complaint from the victim even if they see the victim being attacked before they can take action. This is the logic of our Copperbelt Police Boss!
What did you expect from a person trained at a third rate police training school like Lilayi?
In that case, then that police boss does not think logically!!! How can a normal human being who has been trained as a police officer act in that way???
“Kolwe” I agree with you, Katema (MD). A PhD with publication=0 where did he get his PhD? check on Scopus or google scholar using his name???Fake
. again, he should have restricted to either government spokesperson (MP) because that is the sphere which earned him a promotion as Minister.
Dear Mr Katema (MD). Its easy for you dispute and protect your so called PF. IS IS OK. The issue is Police have failed, Stella Libongani and her depute Solomon Jere have failed to manage peace in country. Thee violence is war torn countries begun by their Government was standing on the fence while people kill each other. Believe me, wait until your own house hold is invaded then you will realise. The other day, the attack was on HH, yesterday Father Bwalya, and soon it will be on your door and that…
He even looks Malnourished
It is as if he does not balance his meals??
Ba Katema (MD) mulelya bwino
Or maybe he is suffering from something worse than malnutrition???
sir, what kind of response is this? there is a serious problem of violence in the country and all you say is “its unfair to accuse government”??? i was expecting a responsible and caring govt to say “we are going to arrest all perpetrators of violence, whether pf or not” something along those lines and apologise to parties affected by this violence!!
Koma ba PF have sick ministers. Look at the man he looks sick like an HIV-Aids case. he is a liar like his other liars. pf has been a violet and indisciplined party and govt. who are are you cheating? shame on u.
Kitima mulilo you cannot tell HIV-Aids by looks. No one is above board. Your language is not worthy of an incoming government
Problem with current regime is they don’t mean what they say and don’t say what they mean. Ambiguity is the order of the day. Constitution in 90 days means we already have constitution. We don’t condone lawlessness; meaning we will arrest you if you are not PF when you commit crime. We challenge the president to ensure those panga carrying militias terrorizing people with opposing views, are arrested and then come and make a statement. Hon katema it’s your statement that is not only baseless but void; coming from a background of inaction and carelessness on the part of GRZ
Why is it that I can not see any picture of the so called panga wielding cadres that attacked him but only HH being led away by his security cadres
Would you in your normal sense take the risk of filming gun welding unruly pamafi cadres? Think before you blog.
PF should stop taking citizens as *****s. The commonwealth needs to expel Zambia from the club to teach our lunatic fringe a lesson. Last week it was Edith Nawakwi, this week its HH being threatened with guns and knives.
HH is right to accuse the PamaFi govt of sponsoring thugs/cadres to attack him and other innocent citizens. For starters neither Katema no Sata have condemned what the cadres are doing and non of them is putting an effort to curb the problem the cadres are posing to the general public. Let Sata the panga thug come out and condemn the behavior being exhibited by his illiterate followers. Kabimba is not even anywhere to discipline the cadres as the general secretary. As far as the nation is concerned PamaFi is sponsoring their fellow thugs to attack innocent people. Katema we do not want words because we know PF does not mean what they say and you can do better by starting to act! Amalanda kanwa iyo bane!
“All political parties are advised that in this free and democratic dispensation, moderation and mutual respect should be exercised so as not to provoke each other”.
I wonder how this so called doctor feels when having to defending violence.
We truly need reconciliation in the nation, thing are not good. Blame yourself for what you have done as ruling party and as opposition party. There is somewhere it went wrong. The unfortunate thing if we have become the chumbu munshololwas, both camps. We can see our bad side we only see the spec in the other’s eye and deliberately ignoring our own spec. We need a rethink and reconstitute our thinking. The current political thinking model in the name of democracy has gone bonkus. We can change course, its not too late, both ruling and opposition. Sorry for mother Zambia. We need harmony to develop, we need each other, ruling and opposition, we can do it peacefully. I can’t what the beauty there is in hacking Father Bwalya! Chessing HH! or Daily insulting Sata!
It seems that Zambia’s political and socio-economic situation has gone from bad to worse; flawed democracy to failed state and dictatorial. Go figure ! People did not use their heads when they voted Lucifer into state house !!!
I miss Levy Patrick Mwanawasa!
me to!
you see we have 4 presidents (am not counting KK)
1.Chiluba was a pure politician, we saw what he did.
2. Levy Mwanawasa a professional we also saw what he did
3. RB well he only did 3 years taking over Levy’s plans
4. Michael Sata, a pure politician, we have seen what he is doing.
Pure politicians are not the best in this time and error,.
I will go with a professional, who respects the rule of law and will make decision not for political expedience rather make decision from a professional point of view.
The post news papers for example were once firm critics of Levy but he never victimized them, instead his record of good governance won them over.
it’s time we go for a professional as presido, like Kenya, JK of Tanzania, Helen Jonson sirlif of Liberia etc.
Why are people afraid of dying? Lets have mini civil war for 3 months and have a feel of it. Then we shall evaluate thereafter. We are pretending to have peace which is non-existent.
yes i think a mini war will be better…… PF thinks we are so scared of them … from now onwards its an eye for an eye…. Katuba formula ….here we come… if you know what i mean !!!
Foolish statement which Katema himself does not either understand or believe in.
HH HAS APOINT
ITS SHAMEFUL FOR THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON TO TO SAY WHAT HE HAS SAID. IF THE PF GOVERNMENT IS NOT ALLOWING THE PF CADRES TO HARM CITIZENS . BY TODAY WE SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE PARADING OF THE CRIMINALS WHO ATTACKED THE INCOMING PRESIDENT HH IN 2016. BUT ALL WHAT IS TALKING IS BASELESS. REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE THE SIGNS THAT YOU AS PF ARE MAKING ZAMBIA ANOTHER RWANDA IN MAKING. THOSE PEOLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN RWANDA THE PROBLEM ATARTED LIKE THE WAY YOUR PF FAILED GOVERNMENT IS DOING BY FAILING TO ARREST PF CADRES. SO KATEMA STOP WINDOW DRESSING THE NATION AND THE WORLD. APOLOGISE TO HH AND THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE FAILED US. VIVA HH. VIVA UPND. VIVA ZAMBIAN PEO[LE I KNOW THAT YOU ARE VOTING OUT PF OUT IN 2016. VIVA HH GOD BLESS YOU.