SACCORD says the PF is embarrassing the nation with its continued disregard of President Lungu’s pronouncements on political violence.
SACCORD Executive Director Boniface Cheembe said President Lungu should state who is in charge of his party as his directives on political violence have continued to be ignored by his followers.
He said his organization has noted that despite the many calls that President Lungu has publicly made regarding his Party’s members engaging in violence party lieutenants disregard his directives almost immediately the minute he finishes speaking by making their own violent pronouncements.
He said the situation is not only worrying but an embarrassment to the nation as no country will respect a country whose President can not be respected by his own followers.
“We have taken note of the many appeals that the head of state President Edgar Lungu has made in public on the need for his party members and other Zambians not to engage in political violence.He has made it clear that he would like to have peace prevail in the country but when he says that we get concerned that the next minute or day Party members belonging to the ruling Party make either violent pronouncement and/or engage in alleged political violence and what that tells us is that there is almost impunity within the ruling Party and that very few people listen to the President when it comes to issues of political violence.
“This is worrying because when you have a President who is supposed to be not only the father of the nation but also in the case of Zambia is the President of the ruling party he is supposed to be listened to but if what he says is contradicted by his juniors then we have a problem.If calls for us to maintain peace are to bring about any fruitful results then the President needs to be listened to and as long as we have a situation were by the President speaks and no body listens to him then we have a problem,” he said
He added “It does not send a very good message to outsiders, to observers who also want to ensure that Zambia continues to be an oasis of peace when the Head of State actually appeals for peace and then his followers engage in issues which are contrary to peace, issues that are violent in nature, issues that damage both private and public property, that injure people and issues that are a danger to the public safety of all Zambians.”
He said it was saddening that a party that should be leading by example was the one threatening serious violence against its opponents and that the President should quickly resolve the embarrassment the country is facing due to his political party.
“We believe that violence only breeds violence and you can’t of resolve any problem using violence and we find it very unfortunate that the ruling party which is supposed to lead by example is now supporting violence as a way of resolving whatever differences that they may have with other political parties.
“We want to appeal to the President that this very embarrassing situation that we find ourselves in as a country whereby the President speaks and is not listened to by his followers needs to stop, if his followers can’t listen to him within the country who is going to listen to Zambia anywhere else in the world that is the case we are likely to see if this trend continue,” he said.
PF is not embarrassing zambia but people acting like zombies fighting in the name of a political party are embarrassing zambia. This includes police officers siding with political parties.
Zambia is such a beautiful country but some people of zambia are not proud of this great nation.
Young man, go see political violence in the USA then you will appreciate Zambia.
It seems al negative have increased under Edgar Lungu. More violence, high cost of living, fuel and mealie meal shortages, load shedding, Cholera (Lusaka has not had a Cholera outbreak in 4 years). Only Edgar can issue executive orders to end violence, but I can guarantee he will fail to do so
It is one-sided condemnation.The day when specific instructions will be issued to encourage the police to do their job professionally and arrest a PF cadre who has hacked somebody, peace will return. As long as condemnation is only directed at the opposition, the embarrassment will continue.
President Lungu stepped in over-sized shoes and is beyond him how to go about getting them laced.
@Ng’ombe, stop living with paranoia like PF. there is no political violence here in USA.
Miles Sampa is a better candidate to be your president in 2016
Thanks ??
Bb2014
Saccord should not be apologists for the thuggish Party for Fascists (PF). Lungu is the one who is orchestrating violence under the mistaken belief of stopping criticism so that he can be reelected despite his abject failure at running govt.
Lungu is the least respected president in Zambias history.
Very sad indeed
Why telling lies? Which USA a you talking about?
BROTHER CHEEMBE PLEASE DON’T BE DELUDED TO THINK LUNGU’S PRONOUNCEMENTS FOR PEACE ARE GENUINE. HIS CADRES KNOW HIM BETTER. THEY KNOW IT WITH THEIR CLEAR CONSCIOUS THAT BEHIND THE SCENES LUNGU TELLS HIS CADRES TO ATTACK THE OPPOSITION UPND SUPPORTERS. CRIMINALS ALWAYS BEHAVE LIKE THAT, THEY ARE DOUBLE-TONGUED.
Poverty, idleness and ignorance is a serious cocktail.
it signifies that the current president is interested in mayor talks aiming at winning him a political milage but does absolutely nothing to curb the scourge. in short he is the one behind this violence we ar wtnessing. vry soon zambia will no longr be an oasis of peace on the continent!
UPND has made southern province a no go area for non HH supporters and no one talks about it. How many pipo have been beaten by HH supporters in southern province? Let PF also protect its territory period.
@Pascal: Are you still supporting violence? There is no province of Zambia which belongs to PF or UPND. Encourage peaceful campaigns and co-exist as one people despite divergent political views.
At full strength Sata-PF had the Bemba voting block of Northern and Luapula plus the poor on Copperbelt and Lusaka.
RB reign supreme in Eastern Province with pickings in Northern and Central Province.
HH has continued to giant in NW, West, South, Lenje/soli of Lusaka and Central.
PF and MMD have split.
Sampa-DF has strong claim to Sata-PF heritage. The Bemba voting block is split.
Lungu-RB marriage will reduce opposition inroad into the East.
PF in my opinion has mortgaged it’s urban support due to horrendous economic decisions, political violence, theft and corruption.
pascal correction here, it was not UPND that made Southern province a no go area for PF but PF itself with their mouthpieces Chishimba Kambwili, Davies Chama? fRANK Bwalya and not forgetting Mumbi Phiri, they gave the people there a choice by telling them that their tribe was a tribe of herdsmen and they were segregated by these PF big mouths so now?
Ba Edgar bena mwandini kuwayawaya fe niyokosa kendulo.
Offside SACCORD, I thought your organization is about “constructive resolution of disputes” but I don’t see anything constructive about the statement. What I read is a typical uncultured UPND cadre called Cheembe masquerading as a neutral peace maker. You talk about people embarrassing the President and yet you do worse by actually insulting the President. And you have carefully selected your moment knowing that we are right now hosting an international conference of parliamentarians.
How are you going to be respected and to chair any reconciliatory talks if you have taken sides?
Mr Cheembe just state your endorsement like Mr Mwaliteta, don’t be a coward. By the way if you are Zambian state your DNA to do such an abominable act of embarrassing your own household at a time when…
How are you Cheembe going to be respected and to chair any reconciliatory talks if you have taken sides?
Mr Cheembe just state your endorsement like Mr Mwaliteta, don’t be a coward. By the way if you are Zambian state your DNA to do such an abominable act of embarrassing your own household at a time when the family is hosting visitors. Imagine your wife insulting you in front of visitors in your house. Can your visitors eat your food freely in your house? I would not, that would put me off. Shame on you Cheembe, you must have been smoking something as usual as per DNA. Know that you have embarrased yourself, your UPND, the opposition big time.
To our visitors, you heard it for yourself from the horse’s mouth, that was our opposition UPND speaking, you can see for yourself which…
To our IPU visitors, you heard it for yourself from the horse’s mouth, that was our opposition UPND speaking, you can see for yourself which party is provocative and does not want to see peace in Zambia. Obviously you have seen such uncouth minorities before, seeking attention in all the wrong places. But just ignore them and enjoy yourselves for the rest of our country welcomes you all with love and open arms.
UPND has been in opposition for sometime without violence. So you can see who has brought this confusion. Zambia has no president right now. It’s a free fall state
wawa very true statement
SACCORD must realise Lungu is the commander of these thugs. They are a trained militia to cause violence. Surely they are not also duped by Lungu’s public directives to stop the violence. The cadres haven’t stopped hacking opposition not because they disrespect Lungu’s orders. To win this election PF/Lungu has to use violent cadres. It’s the modus operandi.
Do it tit for tat. Just kill each other. Thats what WE Africans are good at. Maybe its becoz of how we were brought up. Its this barbaric mentality that making Africa to remain down-and- out. Poor Africa. Poor Zambia.
In Politics you can choose the right leaders to do the right things or choose the wrong leaders and beg them to do the right things.
I seriously fail to understand how some Zambians think… Maybe we need a G12 Cert to pass a comment about public issues!!!
Ladies and Gentlemen, the issue of violence is can end now if the leaders were honest. The person who holds the KEY to the office of the President has the Mandate, authority, responsibility and power to protect the constitution of the land which is a law that protects all citizens, he swore to uphold it and ensure rule of law. Now we have rule of man…. Having stated that, its only the president that that is responsible unless he does not know…. Serious its very dangerous for the president to ask opposition to tell there cadres to stop violence or the church to pray for peace when he has not done his part. He can easily sort out anyone who perpetrates violence…
just castrate those *****s..they are lunatics
PF CADRES ARE MERELY CARRYING OUT PRESIDENT LUNGU’S ORDERS. HE BEEN VERY CATERIGORICAL AND VERY OPEN ON INCITING HIS CADRES TO BE VIOLENT AND IN ORDERING THE POLICE TO BE VIOLENT TOWARDS MEMEBRS OF THE OPPOSITION. THE MAN IS NOT FIT TO BE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT. THE EARLIER HE IS VOTED OUT, THE BETTER FOR THE COUNTRY.
ZAMBIA WILL BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT LUNGU AS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT. HE IS A CURSE TO ZAMBIA.
Ba SACCORD are you plain idioots? You cant see who is sponsoring this violence?
Shallow minds.
salamat@ sampa and kabimba will have less or no effect in PF strong holds. Most Africans believe in the spirit of the dead. If you joined PF becoz you loved sata you will still vote PF. Kaseba will be troubled despite what lungu has done to her to vote against PF. COME AUGUST LUNGU WILL WIN IN NORTHERN, LUAPULA, MUCHINGA, COPPERBELT, EASTERN AND LUSAKA.
Pascal stop this…..talk about how Ba Lungu is sponsoring Violence and not who will win……NO SENSE in your approach. Remember the violence at Mulungushi PF meeting. That strategy can not work at National level due to the fact that the country is too big for sponsored violence.
The owner of the Party is the one embarrassing himself. He is sponsoring the violence……no doubt about it. Look at the picture here……easy to identify the PF thugs. Do you need to ask the Bishops to issue commands to your cadres to stop this no-sense? Ba ECL tubeko serious bakamba……….Do not force yourself onto the people……if you can not do it, then give Zambia a great opportunity to move in a positive direction unlike the shooting in the dark arrangement going on…….One strategy you can use is to reshuffle your cabinet: If you still think Kaingu is a useful person to you, take him to community Development for him to talk to no one there. Do not fire him because he was given to you as party of the RB arrangement…….Two months /is it one & half months to go……..you…
Your excellency sir, you are the commandant in chief of the armed forces right? So why do you not command the commandos to teach your cadres some manners. Looking from outside your party sir, I see many enemies against you. I say this because the Frank Bwalyas etc are inciting the cadres to do all this so that you as the president and the PF party looks bad, because honestly with a few months to go to voting they are decampaigning you.