THE UPND says the five cadres arrested by police for allegedly tearing down campaign posters of President Edgar Lungu were actually arrested while putting their party’s campaign materials when they were attacked by ruling party cadres.
UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma charged yesterday that police had manipulated information on what led to the arrest of the cadres on Monday by alleging that they were tearing down Patriotic Front billboards.
Mr. Kakoma described the reason for their arrest as baseless and accused the police of manipulating the truth.
He said contrary to assertions by police that those arrested were found removing PF billboards and replacing them with UPND campaign posters and that they attacked the PF cadres who confronted them, the UPND cadres were merely putting party billboards without tampering with any of the PF’s campaign material.
Mr Kakoma claimed the PF cadres were the ones who attacked their counterparts when they found them putting up their campaign material and that the UPND only defended themselves from their assailants after being confronted, saying there was no truth in what the police had relayed to the media as the premise on which the cadres were arrested.
He said it was unfortunate that the police were treating the victims as the guilty party when it was clear that the PF cadres were the ones who instigated the clash by attempting to prevent his party members from putting the billboards and attacking them in the process.
“The police are simply manipulating the truth over what happened because the report they gave with regard to what happened is not true; it is a total manipulation of the facts. What happened is that our members were putting our billboards along Cairo Road and when the PF cadres saw them, they wanted to stop them and that is how the fight ensued.
“At no time did our members remove the PF billboards; that is a lie and a total manipulation of the facts. It is the PF cadres who attacked our members and not the way the issue was reported by the police. Unfortunately, the police decided to twist the truth and arrested our members leaving out the culprits and up to now, they are still in the cells at central police,” Mr. Kakoma said.
He maintained that the UPND cadres were innocent and that they did not deserve to be arrested because they did nothing wrong.
On Monday, police deputy spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said UPND cadres Lawrence Banda, Soft Bwalya, Benjamin Mavuli, Simonda Simonda, and Jaid Hamize were arrested after they were found removing PF posters and replacing them with theirs along Cairo road.
VIVA HH 2016
We know Upnd always plays victims that’s why this party will remain a violent grouping. Non of the leadership has ever come out in the open and blame their cadres for violent behavior. Always on the wrong side defending criminals including the post. Yaaks kakoma grow out of under5 politics.
HOW CAN THEY PUT ON THE SAME SPOT WHERE THE PF MATERIAL WAS PUT??? KAKOMA YOU NEED BRAIN SCAN!
So why can’t they be put side by side.Have paid for all the free spaces in Lusaka?
The problem with the under 5 party is that, it will never accept responsibility of any kind…always blaming others…
PF thugs have always been attacking upnd members, but the collabo of banda, bwalya, mavuli, simonda and hamize they couldn’t match, they went running to the police like little spoiled brats.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR PF CONTINUATION OF MISTREATMENT OF THE CITIZENS WILL COME TO AN END.
I KNEW IT EVEN BEFORE THAT ITS PF THUGS WHO DO WRONG THINGS AND ARE LEFT FREE. HOW CAN WE VOTE ON PF UNLESS WE ARE MAD IN MIND. 28 DAYS TO GO NOW WAITING FOR THE BEST DAY OF PF REMOVAL.
LET ME TELL THE PF CADRES THAT WE USED TO HAVE THREE STRONG PARTIES IN THE PAST BUT THE RACE NOW IS PF VS UPND. HOW MANY ARE PF TODAY? YOU ARE A DEAD PARTY BECAUSE YOU ARE EVIL IN YOUR DEALINGS AND GOD WILL DEAL WITH YOU ON THE 11 AUG. NOMATTER WHAT MAY COME. PF BYE AND START SAYING BYE BYE.
So Mr. Kakoma, what makes YOUR version of the story the true version? Why should we not listen to the other party, but only listen to your version? You were told a story just like we have been told a story by the police or PF. Ours is second hand information and we can only draw our own conclusions on what to believe. So please keep your sentiments about YOUR truth, to yourself, and let the police investigate and draw their conclusions. The truth always prevails!
have you forgotten how police accused UPND of ‘tonga on oath’. police even accused UPND of murdering PF cader during a bi electin in livigston when it waz a lye
Tabasumina bafikala ba UPND.
@HH Techilema and @Mbondi indigo YONDO, could it be possible that UPND were putting up their campaign material and approached by PF and then the altercation resulted? So yes it is possible for two people to be in the same place at the same time. To those saying UPND always cries victim unfortunately it is not only UPND whose being victimized by PF cadres but the nation as a whole including children and women. We now have more and more ministers brandishing and firing weapons into crowds or in the air and not being held responsible. Rape and molestation of our women is on the rise. Children in schools are being attacked by PF cadres. How can you explain the release of convicts especially close to elections with no contingency plan as how to monitor them and their movements, do they have…
Do they have jobs, which neighbourhoods will they be living, how are they going to make a living so they can eat, buy clothes etc. When robbing and violence hits your areas or relatives areas is when you will cry wolf once someone is murdered. What are your thought about having General Kanene as the Gender Based Ambassador of Zambia when he rapped a minor and continues his brutality against women and still walking the streets as a free man to even being paid to perform at events for the president? How do these decisions coming from a leader affect our youth because it is promoting GBV in a normal persons eyes. Youth need role models and under the current leadership PF is instilling thuggery and our very impressionable youth will turn out to be violent as they will view this as normal. PF…
(1st part) @HH Techilema and @Mbondi indigo YONDO, could it be possible that UPND were putting up their campaign material and approached by PF and then the altercation resulted? So yes it is possible for two people to be in the same place at the same time. To those saying UPND always cries victim unfortunately it is not only UPND whose being victimized by PF cadres but the nation as a whole including children and women. We now have more and more ministers brandishing and firing weapons into crowds or in the air and not being held responsible. Rape and molestation of our women is on the rise. Children in schools are being attacked by PF cadres. How can you explain the release of convicts especially close to elections with no contingency plan as how to monitor them and their movements.
Mbondi indigo YONDO – your English can tell that uli chikopo. What is wrong with putting campaign material alongside others.? I witnessed in Cairo road at Kabwe round about where PF cadres were pulling the oppositions campaign materials whist police watched hopelessly during the day.
THE POLICE IN OUR COUNTRY ARE BREAKING THE LAW AND THEY KNOW IT. kANGANJA IS SOON GOING AND SOME OF YOU WILL GO WITH HIM. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH YOU GUYS.
God you who is the Way and Truth, prevail.
Protect Team HH and its campaign. Confound the enemy and may they fall in the pit they have dug.
Break the teeth of liars and manipulators.