UPND cadres yesterday harassed a Zambia Daily Mail reporter who had gone to cover a press briefing at the party secretariat.
Nancy Siame was assigned to cover the press briefing which was scheduled to be addressed by party president Hakainde Hichilema at 13:30 hours but was later cancelled.
“When I reached the secretariat, I was told by Mr Charles Kakoma, the UPND spokesperson, that the briefing had been cancelled,” she said.
Ms Siame said she then went outside to call for transport from the office and as she was making a call, some cadres who were mobilising themselves in readiness to get on a bus followed her and interrogated her.
She said the cadres inquired who she was calling and why she was at their premises.
“Before I could speak, several cadres surrounded me and started harassing me. They tore my handbag and tried to grab my purse. They grabbed my phone, a blackberry, and scrolled through to check who I was calling,” Ms Siame said.
She said the cadres accused her of being a spy sent by the PF and efforts by the reporter to explain her mission at the premises were not entertained.
Ms Siame said the cadres dragged her and threatened to beat her but was rescued by Mr Kakoma.
Mr Kakoma retrieved her phone from the cadres and escorted her to the Zambia Daily Mail-branded vehicle, which the cadres threatened to destroy.
“I was gripped with fear and in the struggle to protect my purse from being stolen, two of my nails were broken and I sustained slight injuries,” she said.
Ms Siame said the cadres warned that they would deal with any journalist from the Daily Mail or any public media.
She reported the matter to police.
And when contacted for a comment, Mr Kakoma confirmed the incident and apologised on behalf of the UPND, saying Ms Siame was mistaken for a PF cadre.
These cadres should be well paid. Don’t have other productive things to do? I am talking about cadres from all political parties.
My friends some people are being planted to provoke situations.
I call them temptors and temptresses. They come in the 11th hour to cause confusion.
Coverage where? and for who?
The cadres were very lenient to have only broken your nails Ms. Siame. They should have broken your nose instead. Your Daily Mail have continued to write rubbish articles about HH and you don’t expect his cadres to be sweet and treat you with kid gloves!
No don’t generalize. Cadres from UPND who have taken the law in there own hands by even smashing innocent people’s vehicles. I have not heard any cadre for FDD or UNIP behaving the way UPND cadres are doing. We are counting, we will sought you out
This is a final boarding call for Zambia United Flight HH2015 to Statehouse. May those will sound minds proceed to Gate 200115 and board the flight. Passengers from the sunk PF boat ECL “me too” are welcome to join, terms and conditions apply.
This is common knowledge, everyone knows that UPND ARE MADE UP OF BLOOD THIRSTY THUGS..what defence can a party made up of WILLIAM BANDA AND MAPATIZYA FORMULA have to offer Zambia..UPND are the REAL panga family:
UPND=UNITED PANGAS FOR NATIONAL DESTRUCTION..
SHAME ON UPND. THEY HAVE TRIED BUT FAILED TO PROVOKE PF, PF CONTINUES TO LEAD IN PEACEFUL CAMPAIGNS AND CONDUCT HENCE THE DESPERATION OF UPND!!!
****VIVA EDGAR LUNGU 2015 AND 2016****
Why the sudden interest in covering HH and UPND meetings?
ZNBC is on record being stopped to cover anything UPND and HH.
How ever I would like all the UPND supporters to exercise caution when dealing with PF criminal elements because Lungu is on record saying, PF will send its cadres to instigate violence and then blame it on UPND.
“kumubala umwaiche nokumuminapo wa muminapo” Lungu told supporters at a rally.
The incident in Chilenje is testimony to Lungu ‘s schemes he planned when he held a rally in CB two weeks ago.
PF is in panic mode. It knows that it has lost in all the major cities. Its rigging machinery is in tatters. Instead of transmitting results, the system will jam and cause confusion because the results that will be transmitted will be questioned by Madam…
Since when did Zambia Daily Mail cover UPND press briefing or rallies.
Trying to provoke people so that you can taint UPND good image. You got your ka purse back and blackberry. For those nails go to Chilenje or whereever to get them fixed. Don’t start what you can’t finish. Atase bane.
UPND and supporters interest me. Can you imagine that a Party is branded violent. Denials about Chilenje incident abound. But what happens next: a junior reporter comes to a supposed press (mark the words: Press) briefing. You get intimidated and worked out by her presence. No! UPND – pull yourselves together! You can’t be taken seriously if you continue to carry yourselves like this. Control your party. How can we trust that you can control a country if you’re failing to control a few hundred party cadres? Mind you, if you lose this time, HH and UPND will never win.
@p.f. Fyeeke,
does EL even try to control “his” party. Absolutely not. To the contrary he encourages them and for that PF is losing. Mark my words.
Frustrated Party ,their leader is losing the fourth time. Let them wait and see after voting.
Please Police beat them well,well if they refuse the results.
Just imagine that power you exibit as opposition what if you get into gvnt,awe twakana fwebo ni PF NA LUNGU!
GBM has taken his violence to UPND
THIS IS A SIGN THAT THE PF GOVERNMENT CAN NOT BE TRUSTED BY THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE ANYMORE. YOU TOTALLY DON’T KNOW WHO IS WHO WHEN YOU INTERACT WITH OTHERS. THIS VIGILANCE IS VERY GOOD, AND IT SHOULD CONTINUE UNTIL ELECTION RESULTS ARE ANNOUNCED. VIVA HH VIVA! VIVA UPND VIVA! VIVA ZAMBIA VIVA!
These upnd guys are criminals we con not entrust power to them. We will show them tomorrow that they are useless why is it that HH does not restrain these cadres?
Of what value is your coverage when all along you have not been broadcasting UPND news items despite being obliged to do so? If u did,it’s all twisted facts? How many campaign rallies have u covered and shown since november? In fact you are lucky coz if it where PF u wud have even passed. Time ask your boss this question”Boss why send me to cover them when we don’t even show/broadcast what is happening there? if we do,we always twist facts”
What happened this time around to a peaceful party? How does United Pangas for National Destruction abuse a daily mail staffer who they expect to control after winning? This is a sign that they have conceded defeat already. Kakoma even has courage to defend his cadres tht they mistook her for a PF cadre…..Is he being realistic? Today marks the end of UPND. Come tomorrow we shall overwhelmingly vote for Edgar C. Lungu
Anti rigging squad at work
UPND cannot be peaceful. It is the only party that has a brand name for their violence, “Mapatizya Formula”. That is why they cannot win any election. God knows who to anoint to lead a country.
WHY THESE USELESS UPND CADRES BEHAVE IN SUCH A WAY TO SAME PEOPLE,S WIVES I WILL NOT REST NOT UNTIL JUSTICE PREVAILS ON THE CRIMINALS THOSE FINGER NAIL ARE TOO EXPENSIVE FOR SOMEONE TO BREAK THEM ANYWAY SORRY MY DEAR COUSIN WIFE.EL FOR A WIN COME 2MORO.
Just imagine what would happen if UPND came into power??. Bane lets make sure we do not give chance to these extremists.!!!
Mwabweleni or have you been using aliases?
Mwaluseni!
voters lets keep peace in our mother zambia by voting for edgar and send these violent cadres and their tribal leaders to the hide come tomoro the 20th Jan 15. dont b relactant to give lungu yo vote ,he is a peaceful man, and he admits a mistake of his cadres not those who jst support any how.cadres smashed cars it is well, beat innocent pipo it is well,tribal remarks it well, can trust them with big responsibility?