UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has revealed that he has decided to temporarily halt his campaigns on the Copperbelt because it does not want to put the lives of UPND supporters at risk.
In a statement, Mr Hichilema said the UPND has decided to temporarily stop the campaigns in the region because it is a responsible and peace loving party.
He said the UPND does not want its supporters to be shot at, injured, and arrested by trigger happy police officers.
Below is Mr Hichilema’s full statement
Dear colleagues in the Copperbelt
Firstly we would like to wholeheartedly thank you for the wonderful reception and the massive support accorded to our team despite the numerous challenges.
Today we had planned to visit our colleagues who were injured and are in hospitals, and also those who were arrested.
We also planned to meet our teams and other key stakeholders in Mufurila, Kalulushi, Masaiti, Lufwanyama, Mpongwe, Chambeshi and some traditional leadership.
But as a responsible political party and peace loving Zambian citizens, we have decided to temporarily halt our programmes as we do not want our people to be shot at, injured, and arrested by trigger happy police officers being commanded by our political competitors in the ruling PF.
What we experienced in Kitwe and Luanshya yesterday were basically Crimes Against Humanity akin to a war zone. Those who witnessed it would not believe we are now 51 years independent.
Our experience yet again revealed the urgent need for a new people driven constitution that will guarantee people’s liberties, enshrine respect for human rights and good governance, and foster economic development.
For now we call on all our supporters across the country to arm themselves with the mighty defensive weapons at their disposal which are NRCs and voters cards, while our colleagues in the PF are arming themselves with pangas, guns, machetes, and other dangerous weapons.
We all have to stand up and defend our democratic ideals and institutions in order to secure and protect our freedoms of speech and association.
We remain fully focused on our mission to help drive the economic development of our country through a robust diversification programme
Once more many thanks to the massive support from our Copperbelt residents and we promise we shall come back again soon.
I like the paragraph “For now we call on all our supporters across the country to arm themselves with the mighty defensive weapons at their disposal which are NRCs and voters cards, while our colleagues in the PF are arming themselves with pangas, guns, machetes, and other dangerous weapons.
I simply like HH and the team who help him write these stuff. The wisdom which comes from that HH is much brighter than his looks. I believe that guy is not only rich in the bank, but in heart too.
VOTERS CARD is a powerful too, much effective than amalegeni.
But ba HH mwasha baletuponona imwe mwabutukila ku Lusaka. Before you came here na ba GBM twaleikalafye bwino na banensu ba PF.
THE PF LEADERSHIP IS WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MINES. THEY KNEW THE ANNOUNCMENT OF THE JOB LOSES WAS COMING. THAT IS WHY THEY DID NOT WANT THE OPPOSITION HOLDING MEETINGS IN THE COPPERBELT.KAMBWILI AND LUNGU HAVE SOLD OUT. NOW THEY ARE BANNING THE OPPOSITION FROM THE COPPERBELT BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID OF BEING EXPOSED. ZAMBIA IS FOR ALL ZAMBIANS AND NO AMOUNT OF INTIMIDATION WILL STOP THE WINDS OF CHANGE. THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE ONLY BUT A GENTLE BREEZE RIGHT NOW. COME 2016 THE STORMS WILL COME SWEEPING THROUGH AND THEVWINDS OF CHANGE WILL BE MUCH STRONGER. LUNGU AND HIS COHORTS KNEW THE JOB LOSES WERE COMING. THATS WHY KAMBWILI IS SO QUIET.
Talk of loadshedding, If all those people + me, went to URINATE in Kariba dam, like Davies Chama told us, I believe the Zesco turbines will run for sure. That is A LOT of people, and if indeed they are UPND, then Edgar need find job as Chancellor at Mushindo University.
Suppression only leads to revolt. No matter the cost. People will rise and reject those that oppress them. Time will tell
Kwena PF ni mpemfu sheka sheka fye mwe. They are actually worse than cockroaches. Need I say more.
THE PF CAN NOT BLAME THE PRICE OF COPPER OR THE RAINS OR ANY OTHER FACTORS EXCEPT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE TAKING ZAMBIANS FOR GRANTED. THEY KNO THAT ZAMBIANS ARE PEACEFUL PEOPLE. HOWEVER WE CAN ONLY BE PUSHED SO FAR. COME 2016 THE PF HAS TO GO!!!!
You are cowards this govt will not listen to your cries. They are savages and only bloodshed will make them allow you to hold meetings. For every struggle there is loss of life, stand for your rights if not say goodbye to 2016
That’s the styupid mindset that humans across the globe need to depart with. It’s barbaric and downright illogical.
Start with loosing yours first!
start with yours first
start with yours first
Fwakuifwaila!! How do you have such a gathering without a permit? That’s lawlessness. HH has done well to suspend the campaigns. Let him rethink the strategy or else he will cause trouble for innocent souls. I guess he has realised the blunder he made by taunting police that he will go on with the meetings with or without their permission.
This ichilema is thirst for blood, he was advised not to go to cb but bcoz of his arrogance he said with or without the permit i will go. I wounder what kind of a leader who cant respect the law of the country he want be a presido then today says peace& loving zambian when the chap refused to b peaceful @ first
As a freemason, he was sent by his agents to shed blood first and then more money for him compaigns. This guy knew very well that there will be blood but thought there ll a sacrifice. Luckily the police used teargas and not live bullets.
Its high time we fought tooth en nail if we a to find freedom,people of Zambia pf is the smallest party of all in zambia,they a only four years old therefore the simplest thing to do z to vote them out next year,but b4 that we need to be united like the red ants en fight for our rights b4 things get worse.sorry to our injured brothers en sisters.bravo zambia
You see this fool has finally said campaigning…. So this child of the devil wants to start campaigning.. Is it time for campaigning! The police did well.
if upnd were as responsible as they claim to be, all this would not have happened. Mr HH if there was no load shedding & these woes we are going through, what would your campaign message be today?
What kind of politics does HH embrace or is peddling? Is his understanding of politics always to be on the warpath with the ruling party or with president Lungu? That kind of politics is exasperating. If he won elections in 2016, does he expect opposition parties to always fight him no matter what? Does that look normal to him? Sata taught him bad politics during those ill fated UPND-PF pact days. Sata was always fighting Mwanawasa and later RB. But one can forgive Sata, not only is he no longer with us but the man was uneducated. The only politics he knew was stone throwing but HH should know better. He is a former partner at Grant Thornton and an MBA for crying out loud! HH’s politics to say the least are uninspiring. To me this man has been a big disappointment. Whoever is advising him…
BOMA NI BOMA TRIBAL HH!!YOU AND YOUR DULL GBM DARED THE PF GOVT AND THOUGHT YOU WILL GO SCOT FREE BUT YOU GOT WHAT YOU DESERVES!!you can try to dare Boma maybe in Southern and not in copperbelt where there very few tongas who support your UPND!!WAIT FOR 2016 WHEN WE WILL RETIRE YOU HH FROM LOCAL POLITICS PEACEFULLY BY VOTING FOR HARD WORKING PF GOVT IN LARGE NUMBERS!!GO PF GO!!
When PF was in the opposition, MMD allowed it to campaign freely! PF needs to get back in the opposition!
Sometimes HH listens, especially if his own skin is at risk.
You see HH read my advice to stay clear of police and prison cells if he wanted to live long enough to enjoy state house in the unlikely event that he won in 2021. I warned him and he knew that when tear gassing his so called supporters failed, as a last resort the police would go after him as an individual and lock him up. The police did not want to arrest HH as that is what he wants to achieve: the cheap publicity. But police were too smart for him.
Comment:learn to listen the same police you disobey pryects you no wonder you are not attacked at your home this is not cha cha time its zambian against zambian we didnt vote you president therefore dont be big headed. take it easy have you seen you caused the problem
HH, the next useless president Zambia will have. Go HH go! Its all pathetic and r u b b I s h and you know it.
Hakainde you boasted of going on with campaigns on the Copper Belt despite being adviced not to. Hicilema just continue with your compaighns do not withdraw because I totally disagree with your statement that you love the people that’s a lie. This kind of desperation to power is very dangerous. Its O you want is to see is bloodshed because you knew the out come and thats what you wanted. today you want to pretend as if you are a good leader. This kind of desperation of wanting to be in power is totally nonsense.
THESE ARE BARBARIC ACTS B Y LUNGU AND PF GOVERNMENT THRU ABUSE OF STATE APPARATUS. HOW DO YOU INJURE AND KILL THE SAME PEOPLE YOU WANT VOTES FROM? WHERE IS THE LOGIC? WHY ARE YOU BRUTAL ON YOUR OWN PEOPLE WHOM YOU ARE SUPPORSED TO PROTECT AGAINST ANY HARM OR DANGER? WHY ARE YOU MAKING ZAMBIA UGLY BY TURNING IT INTO A POLICE STATE? DOES LUNGU KNOW THAT HIS ACTIONS ARE VERY CLEAR FOR ALL TO SEE THAT HE IS A DICTATOR? THE ATROCITIES LUNGU IS COMMITTING HAVE NEVER BEEN COMMITTED BEFORE BY ANY PREDECESSOR PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. LUNGU IS FULL OF HATE, AND HE CAN EASILY FRAGMENT OUR COUNTRY IF HE IS ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN POWER ANY LONGER. ZAMBIANS , GOD HAS GIVEN YOU ANOTHER CHANCE NEXT YEAR TO CHANGE GOVERNMENT AFTER LUNGU’S EVIL HEART HAS BEEN REVEALED. LUNGU MEANS DOOM FOR…