Thursday, March 28, 2024

Milanzi voters turn out in numbers,as HH’s movements are restricted in Mufumbwe

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UPND president Hakainde Hichilema
Voting is underway in the Milanzi and Mufumbwe parliamentary by-elections as United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has been confined to the UPND command centre in Mufumbwe by police.

In Milanzi voters have turned out in large number to cast their votes in an atmosphere described by monitors as calm.

Anti Voter Apathy Project executive Director Bonnie Tembo said from Milanzi that the turn up of voters in the area has been encouraging, with queues of voters forming at some polling stations as early as 04:00hrs.

He cites Kagoro and Dole polling stations as some of the polling stations which has seen a large turnout of voters.

Mr. Tembo disclosed that more women have turned out to cast their votes in Milanzi as opposed to youths, pointing out that this could be because most young people do not have voter’s cards.

Meanwhile Mr Tembo has attributed the low turnout of voters in Mufumbwe to the insecurity in the area which has instilled fear in the voters to come out and cast their votes.

Mufumbwe has seen some of the worst political violence in the run up today’s parliamentary by-election involving MMD and UPND cadres.

Mr. Tembo whose monitors are on the ground in Mufumbwe said that the heavy police presence in Mufumbwe during voting is likely to scare away voters.

The UPND leader’s movements have been restricted by police for what they say is a way to avoid violence during the voting period.

UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said in Mufumbwe that the restriction on the movements of the UPND leader amounts to house arrest.

Police have since surrounded the area were Mr Hichilema is lodging.

The candidates contesting the Milanzi parliamentary seat are MMD’s Whiteson Banda, PF’s Albert Banda and UNIP’s Musa Banda.
Those contesting the Mufumbwe seat are MMD’s Mulondwe Muzungu, UPND’s Eliot Kamondo and UNIP’s Stephen Kamwengo.
[ QFM ]

78 COMMENTS

  1. Just what is wrong with our people? Do we really have to kill each other just for a political seat? People should refuse to be used, only a few people will benefit from all this. We are indeed so backward! And why restict HH’s movements? He is the one pepetrating violence in Mufumbwe? God forbid! What kind of politics is this? Lesa twafweni.

  2. should they put HH under house arrest for them to win the by election? that is taking Zambians for granted we want democracy.

  3. It is clear MMD want to rig the election , the arrest of HH should be condemned by a well meaning Zambian , please Mufumbwe people kick out MMD

  4. Zambians swat Violent HH’s planed violence as law enforcrmrnt officers keeps him caged in his campaign command center where he is rehearsing more insults on RB while his 76 hired thugs from the copperbelt remain detained with the bus impounded in Solwezi.

  5. No one can deny the fact that this violence is being perpetrated by the MMD under the command of RB. However the IG has also be instructed by RB on how to respond to violent MMD cadres by of course protecting them when they are attacking the opposition. This is a way of scaring away voters so that only RB supports can come out and cast their votes. This is embarrassing for RB,MMD,IG,Police and Zambia as a whole. Its unfortunate that i belong to the police with a wicked and evil Commander-in-Chief RB supported by a corrupt IG. Shame on Zambia Police. Police on the ground should be bold and refuse to obey unlawful orders because the constitution protects us from prosecution for not obeying unlawful orders. People of Mufumbwe please speak out against violence and the perpetrator, RB!

  6. Mwata is not a Zambian he is actually from congo DR near kasenga we know you very well and you are too trible .This chi guy is not even educated he is one of the thugs.

  7. Other reports say that HH assaulted a person whom he thought was impersonating a policeman. Will reserve comments until we have more information.

  8. rED CARD @ 8 DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK THATit is only MMD perpetuating violence? are you saying that there is difrence between the calibre or conduct of MMD, PF or upnd cadres? they are all the same??

  9. Mufumbwe is just one constituency. Multiply the happenings in Mufumbwe by 150 constituencies and you have a potential disaster waiting to happen in 2011.

    We have lived in relative peace for 46 years, but we are not immune from the disasters that have befallen other African countries. At this rate, we are going to have Zambian refugees in neighboring countries. I am not wishing that on Zambia, but the desire to win an election at any cost (even at the cost of human life) has the potential of plunging Zambia into real chaos.

  10. The is violence is very sad> I want to see the former presidents and Church leaders all stand up and condemn it

  11. Vioent and Extremist Zambian small party opposition leader under house arrest

    Zambian police has placed the violent and extremist insulting small party opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema under house arrest in Mufumbwe constituency, which has been engulfed in political upheaval in the run-up to today’s parliamentary by-elections.

    Mr Hichilema’s UPND members led by HH himself allegedly assaulted a policeman, they thought was an impersonator, leading to their opposition leader’s arrest.

    Mufumbwe and Milanzi constituencies in North Western and Eastern Provinces respectively, are voting for new parliamentarians after the deaths of their previous ones.

    UPND chairman for elections Ackson Sejani confirmed the arrest of Mr Hichilema, who was in Mufumbwe campaigning for his…

  12. UPND chairman for elections Ackson Sejani confirmed the arrest of Mr Hichilema, who was in Mufumbwe campaigning for his party’s candidate Elliot Kamondo.

    “He [Mr Hichilema] is held hostage under the supervision of inspector general of police Francis Kabonde. He was taken hostage around 05:00hours (Central African Time),” Mr Sejani said.

    “The entire UPND campaign team has been barricaded by the police; we can’t go out,” said Mr Sejani adding that even UPND camps were surrounded by police officers.

    He said there was a heavy presence of police officers at polling stations.

  13. Mr Sejani claimed that the arrest of Mr Hichilema and barricading of UPND campaigners was meant to block them from observing the voting and counting of votes later in the evening.

    Of late, Mr Hichilema, co-leader of the PF/UPND electoral pact, has exchange bitter words with President Rupiah Banda, who was also in Mufumbwe .

    Milanzi, which has 19, 700 registered voters, is experiencing voter apathy.

    A local elections observer, Bonnie Tembo, leader of the Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP), said the high levels of illiteracy might affect the election.

  14. Where MMD is losing we have more problems. Why restrict HH’s movement in Mufumbwe? Is this democracy we want in Zambia?

  15. “…for instance youths failing to know how to vote. Can you imagine a youth asking to be assisted by the presiding officer? I have seen four cases at this (Kagoro) polling station,” said Mr Tembo. “In most places I have been people are so eager to vote and the majority of them are old people.”

    He said the peaceful situation in Milanzi, unlike volatile Mufumbwe, has contributed to people turning in large numbers of people going to polling stations to vote.

    “We have not received reports of irregularities,” said Mr Tembo.

  16. Very very poor state of affairs in mufumbwe and it appears many people who voting do not come from this area ,but i have just voted for UPND candidate in protest for police abuse and RB

  17. Village Concept,

    Where did you learn that democracy means forefeiture of the rule of law to anarchists? You and Senjani you hate this immature, power hungry deluded sadistic Ichilema without family manors but insults and hatred for Zambians. You flatter him that violence is a winning option when in actual fact you vividly know that it will only swallow him prematurely if tolerance snaps.Its Sejani who fooled Ichilema that the Matizya option he used against Mwanawasa has room in a constitutional democracy.HH is not indispensable for him to be hacking policemen and innocent citizens. Review your strategies now before posterity jufges you harshly.Violence may just denature ignorant Ichilema.With his tribalistic extremism HH has become the Timothy McVeigh of Zambia.

  18. Fan #1 “Lesa twafweni…” No no no no. Not ukulabikamo Lesa. If the MMD rig the election, tuleiponona fye. Chapwa. Ifyakulanda ati “Lesa twafweni” fyena panse! Baleponoka fye lelo……

  19. Ba fitole mwaya sana……….kanshi mwaba shani imwe mwe mbwa.Leave HH alone.This is a way to rig the mumfumbwe bye-election because they know that they are losing it.

  20. #28 – mk: I am not Bemba, but I find it easier to insult in Bemba than in my native Lozi. I guess (I am not sure though) many other people find it easier to insult in Bemba than in their native languages in Zambia.

  21. MMD is losing thats why the panic,they transported ZANAMA members from Kitwe to go vote in Mufumbwe.What a shame,come 2011 the police will be outnumbered

  22. In Mufumbwe bye elections police beat up their own; “The police then ran towards the UPND camp, which was under attack by the MMD, and fired teargas to disperse the cadres”.

    They found one of the UPND cadres and beat him badly. He had his eye damaged. Five other people were injured during the operation and an intelligence officer who was among those beaten screamed: “I am one of you.”
    Circus masters at play.:o:((

  23. Bamambala imwe ba Mukudya Mweka Daddy muzalila. Please start packing as you are exiting in 2011. More importantly make sure that you reconcile and retire your imprest before you exit; otherwise we shall pursue you and charge you with case of obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering and abuse of office.:o

  24. # 28 it is not just easy to insult in bemba but it is also sexy.Learn more of the bemba hardcore insults and i promise you you will be getting laid everyday from 10 plus ladies.:-?

  25. # 28 it is not just easy to insult in bemba but it is also s.e.x.y.Learn more of the bemba hardcore insults and i promise you you will be getting laid everyday from 10 plus ladies. 😕

  26. MMD, for your comfort and pleasure, I advise you to act on the report on poor conditions of our prisons because a number of you are headed there soon.

  27. Those of us who have commented against the violence and lack of action by the police are vindicated by this report. Bloggers who keep saying the opposition has also been violent forget that the opposition is NOT in power, the opposition DO NOT control the police. RB and MMD could have prevented this mess, but instead CHOSE not to. This situation should be treated more seriously by all of us no matter our political leanings – we are Zambians no mater where we are and have relatives and friends living in Zambia right now. We are headed towards a dictatorship if MMD wins, and am not supporting neither party here. MMD has set a precedent that will be followed by whichever party wins. Zambia’s history of peace has been corrupted by this lack of seriousness on the part of the govt and…

  28. why would they hold HH .where is democracy here .this inspector general of police is adog..the question is how long will this govt treat people like that.you can fooll some people some time …but …goes the saying.

  29. These tuma chaps called Mukdya Mweka Daddy are now panicking. Please a timely warning to these boys and girls so called parastatal chiefs: any contribution-be it in form of materials, money, fuel, motor vehicles to Mukkdya Mweka Daddy towards campaigns in 2011 will be costed and debited to your personal account and recovered from your terminal benefits. You will also be prosecuted for abuse of office.

  30. What is wrong with a dog? You humans are always in a hurry to potray other animals as being inferior to yourselves – usually because you treat them as such. If you looked around carefully, you would find animals that are more stable, civilised and cooperative than you are. As for the ‘dog’ saga in Zambia, if read literally, you will find that HH did not imply that RB is a dog. On the other hand, RB did say that HH is a dog.

  31. CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY

    The pattern of comments of some LT bloggers is really sad and really reminiscent of ANIMAL FARM , NO MATTER HOW NAPOLEAN TWISTED THINGS THEY FIND A WAY OF MAKING IT OK. people should not masquerade as patriots because they are patriotic only to their self interest and self promotion.

  32. BANDA DOES NOT LOVE ZAMBIA, I AM SURE, VERY SURE HE DOES NOT NO MATTER WHAT HE SAYS A SPRING CANT PRODUCE SWEET AND BITTER WATER. i don’t care about sata or HH because they are not the PRESIDENT, I’M REALLY ASHAMED SOOOOOO ASHAMED. I SOUL IS WEEPING THAT NOW I BELIEVE THERE ARE TOO MANY SELFISH INDIVIDUALS IN ZAMBIA FOR ANYTHING TO EVER CHANGE. NOW I KNOW WHY GOD FLOODED THE WORLD AND ONLY LEFT NOAH AND HIS FAMILY. PERHAPS WE NEED TO ALL GET WIPED OUT SO THAT SOME BETTER DESERVING PEOPLE CAN HAVE THIS LAND WE CALL OURS YET FILLED WITH OPPRESSION OF THE INNOCENT

  33. This country has really gone to the dogs. Since when did DEMOCRACY encompass keeping a peaceful opposition leader in a house SURROUNDED BY STATE POLICE??? A terrible foresight of what we may see next year! Will all people against Govt be placed under a simulation of house arrest???

  34. With extremist and violent HH caged voting officially closed at 18:00hrs

    AVAP executive director Bonnie Tembo tells QFM from Milanzi that the voting process in the area went on peacefully with no incidents of violence.

    Mr Tembo has hailed the people of Milanzi for turning up in numbers to cast their votes.

    He particularly paid tribute to women who made up the large number of voters who turned up to cast their votes in Milanzi.

  35. @Mukwa….much as i share your anguish and disgust towards the current state of affairs i dont wish for YAHWEH, to clear mankind thus.Infact I think he wont honor your wish not because you are insincere but because you pray ‘amiss’.God needs to intervene…yes….but how?He uses people like you and me just like the devil does.And the devil is on the wrong program .Remember the devil comes for to steal,kill and destroy everyday….traits of which I see in the party and its govt.
    I think you agree with me that the opposition does not have the machinery to instigate and sustain violence simply because they are handicap on resources.I believe you understand that the president commands the govt and its machinery and can almost will and do as they wish.These are the people we must make sure…

  36. Jesus, “By constitutionally declaring it a Christian nation, Zambians are supposed to be a role module to the whole world by exhibiting the true values of Christianity ,such as living in peace and harmony as brothers and sisters irrespective of their differences.” Lucifer,” hey yo! Am the supreme leader of this nation. Christianity is an illusion. These people are exactly following my pragmatic preaching, such as hate, greed, corruption, bribery ,adultery, fornication, fights…the list is endless.” Jesus,” But I am the son of God and after everything I have done….the sacrifice, dying on the cross shedding my blood for them they are supposed to follow my father`s teaching through me instead.” Lucifer, “Am his son too. Don`t delude yourself, the fact is he sent both of us…

  37. here on earth for one reason only and that is to confuse the people. The fact is none of us is right.” Jesus,” But look Satan, I….” Lucifer,” sorry to cut you short…Jiz.this is the Devil`s state, my state (broadly, my world) candy- coated with Jesus (Christianity). What you are not aware of is that our father actually gave me more powers than you have and, the proof is in the pudding. To help me in accomplishing his agenda, God our father chose leaders, pastors, bosses etc because he could not be in every place at every time. By the way, Jiz, you and I are two sides of the same coin, our origin is the same. We were both born out of deception and which ever side people flip this coin they always end up as losers. What people don`t realize is that when they are told that god is…

  38. are extinct possibly by 2011.Remember my bro,we owe it ot our next generation so that they will say ‘yes our founders laid a good foundation….not just of prayer but practice as well’.in short let as do something about the rot and the molestation of our kindred just because they are in the remote

  39. What people don`t realize is that when they are told that god is omnipotent/omnipresent…blah!!Blah!!Blah!! It means that his real origin and correct residence is in the mind. Jiz,” Hey Sat..before you go too far, I rest my case. You have the last word and last laugh.”

  40. Devil you sound disjointed like your father.’when you lie,you talk about yourself because you lied from the beginning’

  41. Shame, I think Zambia was a far much better place under KK well up until the late 80s. I remember KK warning us of the dangers on multi-party governance. We then wanted change for the better and this is what we get. Shame on our political leaders, shame on those who instigate violence. NCC should seriously consider reducing the executive powers. I pray for peace in Zambia

  42. Zambia today is on the verge of being turned into a Banda feudal system. When a so called leader turns to use the loyalty of the Police system to his personal satisfaction and achieve his personal goals, that in itself is a recipe for anarchy and it ugly face of dictatorship. When questions are asked to why the sudden house arrest of opposition leaders to score a political point of which one does not legitimately deserve, it sends chills in those that use their heads to think. Only those with nothing in between their ears would try to justify the unjustifiable act of dictatorship. When HH and his candidate is confined to a room in rural Mufumbwe by MMD police cadres and we fail to call it what it is, House Arrest, Illegal Detention and Kidnapping, we are sowing a seed of content.

  43. The iron of this is that the people who are so supportive of the dictatorship in Zambia are Zambians who have seen the other side of the coin and are living in democratic countries like USA, Canada, the UK and other democratic nations. If their support for Banda’s and MMD’s dictatorship is not due to personal gratification and hidden financial perks they get out of their support, what would a normal person derive of these people?

    Yes, if HH has committed a crime, he deserves to be detained. But detaining him so that he does not rally his supporters to vote for his candidate is purely dictatorship and could lead to worse things than losing an election. On this blog, there’s a shemale in Canada who has made a name out of calling me genocidal, but he has failed to identify why Zambia…

  44. # 52,53 ,ndolic
    I challenge you to research on the origins of religion and post your findings here .This is no era for blind religious emotions. Leave religious fanaticism behind. Get info on the roots of religion, lets see were you base your belief. Wake up now!!!!!

  45. conti.
    not headed that direction considering that we have a dictator in office. At the moment HH and his people in the all entire Zambia have been stripped off their freedom of choice, civil liberties, and freedom of movement do to this illegal and Sadamic House Arrest. What is worse than losing your freedoms? At this point, HH and his team have been stripped of their humanity for the sake of a vote for Mulondwe Muzungu (whatever it means).

    If we fail to call this what it is, we ‘ll be doing a disservice not only to ourselves, but to the future of our lovely children. I am sorry to those who post nonsense but have no children. You know who! If Zambia today is not on path to dictatorship? What would you call the behavior being displayed by Banda? How many dictators does Africa need?

  46. If HH had not been put under house arrest the violence would have continued. Bravo to the police for taking pre-emptive action. Let sanity return to Zambian politics.

  47. People should see this as a sign of things to come. Civil war is not impossible here in peace-loving zed. LETS WAKE UP!

  48. # 59, utter nonsense. The violence in the area is not by UPND but by MMD and if so, who deserves to be under house arrest? How do you expect the people of the area to think about their leader and how many people do you think will go and vote considering that Northwestern Province is under siege by William Banda and the so supportive Police? This behavior is like asking asking Zambia National Team to play a soccer game with their legs tide up. Your support and condoning this nonsense is the real recipe for what most of you fear but ignorantly support, civil war. If you take civil liberties from people, how else do you expect them to reclaim it apart from resorting to a civil war? STOP YOUR NONSENSICAL SUPPORT FOR DICTATORSHIP.

  49. 48,49,51 and 57. Yes! waba chita vilonda. Bauze banvesese. Ndipo aba banthu bo vomelaminingi mu nkhani ya bible, vana basebenzelapo kuli muzungu, vana fasa mitu sibafuna kuseguka iyayi

  50. It is in the interest of the police, the nation and HH himself that he is guarded & secured. Tragically, my friend senior citizen believes that there are citizen that are “not indispensible”. Extremism is a primitive evolutionary remnant even when perpetuated in the USA by Timothy Mc veih or inferred by my dear friend senior citizen. If anything happens to any opposition leader of even just a thousand followers, strife is certain. We don’t want this even with minute personal investments we all have in this country. Be it just families, children or goats. Tomorrow & forwards, we on this blog should analyze the genesis of & possible solutions to the Mufumbwe chaos.

  51. A lot nonsense in the excuses being given for the house arrest. When did the police have interest in protecting UPND people? If they felt they needed to protect him, as some of you are trying to justify the dictatorship, they should have just asked him or tell him that according to the laws of the land and in the interest of peace and his life, the have been detailed to protect him where he goes. The truth is known. This was a ploy to dampen the mood in the PF/UPND supporters. First they did not allow monitors from the CB and characterized them as trouble shooters while they allowed MMD thugs from as far as Lusaka to go intimidate poor villagers. The big question is how did MMD cadres find themselves in Police uniforms in the first place? Sorry,this behavior is unacceptable.

  52. Kalos, I was mugged by PF cadres who had blocked a road with a disused canoe on my way to a local store day before elections in 2008. I informed police who told me to confront them in my capacity. At that time it was believed PF would carry the day. The un-professionalism in the force this time around will certainly embarrass govt. I still believe that HH needs protection. Sentiments you hear on this blog that HH should be “liquidated in cold blood” or that HH is “not indispensable” could be on the ground too. I’d rather he is tucked away than let loose in a place crawling with people full of bitterness & have nothing to lose. I’m convinced of your patriotism.

  53. What we really fear in zambia is about to happen.Somebody has already said this is one constituency now imagine what would happen next year….am afraid.We zambians we are known to be peace loving people everywhere we go by all countries but now i dont know wat will happen next year..Wat the hell is wrong with chiBanda imwe bantu?God forbid that we have a civil war,otherwise all i see is trouble. Come next year there will be tribalism,violence e.t.c.RB has zimbabwe to run to, willam banda has got malawi.The post warned us that this guy is a dog but nobody took heed behold now what the son of a b.i.t.c.h is doing, s.h.i.t.TIME ALONE WILL TELL.

  54. Do you understand what false imprisonment is? Why should the MMD campaign teams be running free when you people are coming up with all these excuses while you all know the truth is not about protection, but protecting how votes would stolen and the MMD bullies let loose by Rupiah and William Banda. If you say it is about protection, why the first place have the pitch reach this high on the political arena in Zambia? Why detain the victim instead of the culprit? Why put the victim under house arrest instead of the MMD thugs from Lusaka unleashed by the man who calls his opponents “sons of dogs”? The all nonsense taking place is of Rupiah’s making and it is evidenced form his intolerance and his foul language. He is the one running around insulting young people like HH. He is the culprit.

  55. My prayer is that the Lord God Almight uses what ever means possible to stop Rupiah Bwezani Banda from destabilising our beloved peaciful nation of Zambia.

  56. Rupiah has Zimbabwe to run to if Zambia would turn chaotic but the rest of us only have Zambia as our nation.The first thing we need to enshrine in our constitution is that Zambia must and should only be led by a Zambian,born and bred Zambian.I feel like bursting in order to express the importance of point.God help us.

  57. Selfish politician are capable of doing anything to gain power. Caders have no clue of what they are killing each other for. God help us, surely when will we start having non-physical, bloodless, positive and productive developmental based fights. The politician take advantage of the jobless poverty stricken youths, unable to understand what they are fighting for.

  58. What everyone should know is that everything that is taking place now, all of the fights the politicians are insighting the caders to go into is nothing but just a formular for next years total war

  59. CAN PLEASE SOME ONE TELL ME WHAT ARE THE RESULTS SO FAR FOR MUFUMBWE AND MILANZI.WE ARE ANXIOUS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
    ON THE OTHERSIDE AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE HAPPENINGS IN MUFUMBWE.GOD SHOULD HELP US IN 2011…………………

  60. Poverty is the key to this misunderstandings taking place in mufumbwe. As long as poverty exists in Zed, know that. MMD will bounce back.all these people fighting for others to get even more rich are poor people.it is very sad that a nation 46 years after independence can be backward like this.fighting!!!!?

  61. It is very difficult to be a proud Zambian under the circumstances. It will also be very sad if MMD wins the elections by scaring away potential voters for the opposition. Come 2011, they only have one IG and they will not be able to camp in all the polling stations!

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