Youth from several political parties in Kapiri Mposhi District of the Central Province and Mufulira District in the Copperbelt Province have called for stiffer punishments for perpetrators of political violence.
The young people who spoke at separate District sensitization meetings on non-violent campaigns organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) agreed that the increased political violence in the country was a danger to society and that stringent measures should be put in place as a means of safe guarding the peace and stability of the nation.
Speaking on behalf of the youth from FDD, PF, the UPND, Rainbow and UDF in Mufulira on Wednesday, Victor Mithi who is the PF’s District Information Director said making the punishment harsh will serve as a deterrent to would be offenders.
He said some youth across parties have made political violence an economic venture and that people should not only be seen to be condemning the scourge but act towards reducing it.
He observed that cases of political violence can drastically reduce if it was made a non-bailable offence with sentences of upto 10 years and above given to the offenders. He gave an example of how the cases of defilements have drastically reduced due to stiffer punishments handed out to those found guilty.
And Mr Mithi called on youths in different political parties to stop following individuals but the ideologies of the party.
He said following leaders has played a part in increasing case the cases of political violence as people are doing what their leaders are telling them as opposed to following what the party stands for.
In Kapiri District the youth observed that political violence will get out of hand if leaders and the “powers that be” continue to issue statements with out taking action.
The youth said some people continue to engage in political violence because the punishment is light and that often times the perpetrators hardly spend time in cells when they are arrested.
They said some cases of political violence are as a result of people making their leaders bigger than their respective parties hence making them semi gods in their lives.
They said youth should take time to understand what their parties stand for as opposed to listening to the thoughts of their leaders.
They said some of the people perpetrating violence are criminals who deserve to be taken out of the streets because keeping them in the streets is more dangerous to society.
Meanwhile YALI advised young people to go into politics to serve as opposed to making money.
YALI President Andrew Ntewewe said politics is a serious business which deals with people’s lives hence people joining the cause should join it with a view of serving the people.
He expressed concern that people were leaving the private sector and joining the public sector so that they can make more money in the public sector when it should be the opposite.
He said society looks up to politicians to sort out their challenges in communities but that the sad reality was that it is the politicians who have become a problem in the country as their main concern is serving their interests once they are elected.
The two meetings were attended by candidates at local government level who pledged to carry out violent free campaigns in their respective wards.
I agree with this suggestion. Let’s start with Chakolwa Chagwa who is the number one murderer in Zambia. His hands are still dripping with Mapenzi’s blood. After that we will arrest and jail Kanganja and Max Chongo who are running the murder squads for PF.
That is not how it is. There are adequate laws to handle that. Not what a person feels. Mwaumfwa.
YALI, you keep proving your relevance yet again. You young people are our future leaders and it is encouraging to see such timely, sober, bold and objectives resolutions you made. Well done to all the political reps present. No one needs to be hacked to death for wearing party regalia, no one should be killed in cold blood for airing political grievances. And above all, and most sadly, in Africa politics is mainly an avenue for leaders to ‘swim’ in unbelievable wealth, mainly derived from large contracts and negotiated loans like the Eurobonds. The incoming UPND government must be made to sit up from day one, we will even be more critical to avoid the cronyism and and pettiness the country had degenerated into.
VIVA HH 2016
There is nothing wrong with our current laws. What is wrong is leadership failure. When u get a Head of State directing his junior, IG Kanganja to commit acts of violence on Opposition supporters then u know there is anarchy in the country. Lungu and Kanganja’s hands are dripping with blood of UPND supporters. We don’t need to change the laws but change leadership,replace the failed leadership with a new leadership. Zambia shouldn’t have a thief,thug and murderer as our President. On 11th August we have a golden opportunity to vote out violent Lungu and his Panga Family. Vote HH and UPND.
NEW CAMPAIGN SLOGAN FOR THE ZAMBIANS: NO VOTE FOR LUNGU, NO VOTE FOR THE MURDERER!