The Young Africa Leaders Initiative says the country has enough laws to curtail political violence but that institutions mandated to implement the said laws lack the tooth to do so.
Speaking during a Provincial workshop for youths from different political parties on non violent campaigns Isaac Mwanza the YALI governance advisor says the Electoral Commission of Zambia and the Zambia Police should do more and ensure they implement laws that will guarantee free and fair elections.
Mwanza said Zambia has enough laws that can guarantee free and fair elections and that people should begin to take the institutions charged with specific mandates to task as opposed to continuously pointing fingers at politicians who are the perpetrators of the scourge.
” There is a problem with implementation of laws in the country. Zambia has enough laws to end violence, but enforcement of (these) laws is a problem. Those that are entitled to do so, are not doing their roles and this is a great problem,” Mwanza said.
” Political parties have been complaining, yet no action is taken. ECZ has been mandated to deal with violent parties, but nothing is done. There is a lot of luxury on the ECZ to implement laws. These laws should be implemented by the ECZ to guarantee free and fair (elections).”
He also condemned the police brutality of defenceless citizens.
” We saw the police brutality against defenceless citizens. It is a constitutional right for people to protest if they feel aggrieved. But what we see from the police is total brutality. These police have not performed to standards,” Mwanza said.
And FDD Ndola district chairperson Future Chilumba says the leaders should stop using poverty stricken youths to cause violence.
” There is a lot of poverty, which the PF has created to use the youths to fight. Look at Kabushi for instance. Youths there have nothing to do and this PF candidate called Bowman (Lusambo) is using the youths for violence by giving them K2 and buying them some cheap beer. This is what happens when there is poverty and unemployment among the youth,” Chilumba said.
The Provincial meeting was a culmination of district meetings which were held in several districts in the province.
Well said. We seem to imagine that it is normal for the head of state to make pronouncements directing and commanding and guiding institutions that have clear mandates. There is little wonder souls are being lost without recourse to law until some powerful guy says something. Let’s look through our mandates and apply ourselves – if not our minds at least the letter of the law must be applied – PLEASE.
The problem in Zambia is not lack of laws to deal with violence. It is lack of enforcement of existing laws. ZRP is not enforcing the law annd order Act and ECZ is not enforcing the Electoral Code or Law. The Executive arm of govt is interfering with ZRP,ZRA,ECZ,ZAF etc in its quest to retain political power. The President does not need National prayers and Peace Accords to contain violence. He should leave these Institutions to discharge their duties professionally.