Zambia Union of Financial and Allied Workers (ZUFIAW) President, Alick Mweemba, says the issue of ending political violence should not be left to the Patriotic Front (PF) as the ruling party alone but should be condemned by all well-meaning Zambians.
Mr Mweemba told ZANIS in an interview in Ndola that the violence that has rocked some parts of the country are detrimental to the economic growth of the nation.
He noted that with less than two months to the election day on August 11, 2016, political leaders should ensure that their cadres desist from all acts of violence as it will have a negative impact on investor confidence that Zambia commands.
Mr Mweemba stated that the unprecedented political violence that is taking part in some parts of the country is being driven by the high unemployment levels among the youths and poverty which many people are faced with in the nation.
He added that the government should prioritise youth empowerment programmes in order for the unemployed youths to be engaged in productive issues and not violence, adding that young people engage in violent activities because they do not have anything productive to do.
Mr Mweemba observed that for Zambia to get where it should be in terms of development there is need for all stakeholders to condemn violence as it retards development because investors with intentions to invest in the country cannot do so.
Not being partisan, President Lungu has miserably failed to deal with violence.
He is the father of the nation.
Everything rises and falls on leadership.
There hasn’t been any strong leadership exhibited by him in dealing with violence.
How does someone end something they are not doing? Its the PF which is violent which must stop the violence. Infact their president, the so called republican president, is in his scope for the country to be violent free, unless he is a dull president not to know this!
Inept leadership is the biggest problem. Lungu is very quick to condemn violence from UPND but becomes conspicuously silent when the violence is caused by PF
The govt in power should ensure that there is law and order in Zambia. The Commander in Chief is currently President Lungu who should command the Police Commissioner to maintain law and order without favour. The problem is that ZRP is applying selective application of law and is not arresting and prosecuting well PF criminals at the behest of the President himself. Max Chongo a well known PF thug has been involved in 2 incidents using guns but has not been arrested so far becoz he is being protected by the powers that be in PF. PF is promoting lawlessness and thuggery behaviour among its cadres. The President should lead by example and get his PF offenders arrested and prosecuted. Period.