Thursday, March 28, 2024

Namwala Villagers armed with Spears battle with Zambia Police

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POLICE officers in Namwala district in Southern province have run serious battles with people of Maala village who were armed with spears.

Riots sparked in some parts of Southern province following the announcement of the Presidential elections results on Monday.

During the riots in Namwala’s Maala village that started on Monday evening, 15 houses belonging to Patriotic Front (PF) supporters were burnt and another family was attacked in an area called Kabulamwaanda.

The situation was similar in Mandondo area as one house was burnt.

Southern Province Police Commissioner Godwin Phiri said the police officers that arrived at the scene in Namwala were met with resistance as villagers were armed with spears as they fought back.

“The Police penetrated Maala despite resistance by spearmen,” he said.

He said after penetration the Police managed to arrest 12 people.

On Tuesday the police arrested about 150 people in different parts of the province for rioting.

Of the 150 riotous 116 have been charged with riotous behaviour, with nine charged for malicious damage to property while five charged with assault of causing bodily harm.

The rest of the charges are seven for assault of police officers and four for Arson.

Mr Phiri said four dockets for the alleged offences have been opened.

Meanwhile the matter involving some of the suspects in Choma failed to take off at the Choma magistrates court and the matter has since been adjourned to September 14 2016.

And ormer Foreign Affairs Minister, Harry Kalaba has challenged the UPND leadership to emulate President Edgar Lungu who has directed his supporters country-wide to remain peaceful.

Mr. Kalaba told ZNBC News in Lusaka the UPND leadership has a duty to protect the peace, which the country has enjoyed since independence.

He said it is only UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema who can stop the post- election violence which has been reported in his party’s strongholds.

Mr. Kalaba who is also Bahati PF Member of Parliament said the violence being witnessed in some parts of the country must be stopped.

And the Patriotic Front -PF- says it is not right for the UPND to make their strongholds inhabitable for other Zambians who do not support their party.

PF Deputy Spokesperson Frank Bwalya says the party is disturbed by the prevailing situation in Southern and Western Provinces where PF members are reportedly being harassed.

Mr Bwalya has called on Police to ensure PF members and other members of the public are protected.

But UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka has distanced his members from reports of political violence.

Meanwhile Zambia Police spokesperson, Rae Hamoonga said calm has retained in some areas that witnessed post election violence.

Mr. Hamoonga said the Police are still keeping vigil and warned that they will NOT tolerate lawlessness in the country.

48 COMMENTS

    • All is because of Priscilla Issac She is to be blamed because of her love for money God is watching in heaven it is not tribalism……… we have lived with tribe thing for 27yrs under KK 20yrs under MMD and now because of the failed Governance of PF things … The wise men from eastern will advise you to deal with the root cause of the problem …. You find water in a room and you start moping.. no close the tap first and start moping ……….Bring her out to solve this problem

    • You can now see the true colours of HH who claims to be a Christian. Does Christianity end where election for presidency begins. It seems as far as HH is concerned, there is nothing as important as him becoming the president. Even if people die its non of his business. His business is to get to state house. And some church calls him a Church elder? An elder who cant come out in the open to condemn violence? He was just given the title to shield him from claims of Satanism because he comes from a certain province where 90% of the people belong to this Church. Shame!!

    • The hate and anger from the south will bring chaos in Zambia. From a common man’s observation, they are not prepared to be ruled by any person who is non Tonga. If we make a mistake of putting one of them in power, they will divide Zambia. one Zambia for them and another Zambia for us. HH did himself more damage by partnering with GBM who is more of a retard and is not helping him at all. The other partner Nevers Mumba is a musela kwakaba who is only a money opportunist.

  1. When are these tongas going to accept that the country has failed to embrace their tribesman? These people are becoming unbecoming. Come on imwe bachimbwi there is more to life than you tribe ruling. Just accept the will of the people outside you and your tribal cousins the lozis and the luvales

    • Silly thinking,uneducated and canternkerous minds lean on tribe when faced with a probing situation. Kaunda tried to put the cut off points for grade 7s in s/province to deter tongas from being educated, instead most tongas cleared the ladder. These are terrible levels of stupidity. Bejay.

  2. When people feel cheated, that’s how they react. There is close to 1 800 000 people who feel cheated in this election. Be ready for the unintended consequences!

    • In fact these 1 800 000 people see the Police as part of the criminal network that involves PF and ECZ that has connived to oppress them and urinate on their rights! They will stand up for their rights. Bob Marley said it already, GET UP, STAND UP, STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS! The 1 800 000 people who feel cheated by this election will not give up the fight! Watch the space. Stop blaming HH or the people. Blame PF and ECZ. PF and ECZ should not have rigged these elections.

    • Stupid reasoning! What would happen if other people in areas where PF won start doing this to the Tongas? This can be done, only that the other people are more civilised!

  3. Those charged for assault of police officers and Arson will regret what they did once they are locked up while the people they were fighting for will be sleeping on king size beds with their lovers. To make matters worse even if UPND had won they will still continue living in poverty just enjoying free dreams.

  4. So they want HH to be given the presidency on a silver platter? The chap was given chance to be vice to Sata but declined and insisted on the top slot. Who knows by now he would be where Edgar is.

    • Ndanje I agree with you … HH lost on an excellent opportunity. He only needed to have campaigned for BaSata and he could have been awarded a VP position .You are right HH could have been the president today. Now it is proving to be a tall order for him to reach State house

  5. There is nothing like under 5, under 6, we are all Zambians, let us be civil and mature. The reason why God put the head of a person over all other organs is to enable the person think properly devoid of insults and mocking others. I am PF myself and I believe in democracy. The REPUBLICAN President and the Secretary General of our party has advised that we need to be sober in our victory as PF. So colleagues, there is absolutely no need to call HH names, it is unnecessary. Let us focus on things that build as Dr Kaunda has advised…..

  6. kiki UPND should stop tribalism period.HH has kept quiet while pipo are being killed in southern province.God can’t allow such a leader to rule who is too selfish such that the man can kill in order to be a president.He should show leadership.Other tribes are running away.teacher have run away from southern coz they only want their own.where are we going with such thinking.HH came into politics thru tribalism and now u have seen results of being a tribal leader.He has promoted tribalism and the fruits can be seen thru voting patterns.May God heal the country otherwise HH can bring genocide in Zambia.GBM n Never mumba tabakwata mano.They will suffer indeed if other tribes are killed bcoz of them.Bembas are now hiding but chi Mumba n GBM are busy even talking.Selling yo own pipo.We’ll…

  7. The silence from that creepy fellow called HH is a tad too loud! He does not care who dies as long as he gets to State House! Wow! And his supporters are cheering him on? What a mess! This is the self-destruction of the UPND. The party needs to get rid of HH and GBM stat! UPND is a formidable party, let not one man ruin it!

    • I’ve said it many times, HH is not a normal human being : he doesn’t smile. In fact you can easily notice a smile on a dog ‘s face but not on HH ‘s face.

  8. SPEARS IN TODAY’S MODERN WORLD.THESE ARE PRIMITIVE ANIMALS.I STILL REMEMBER THE UPND CONVENTION OF 2006 WHICH ELECTED HH.SPEARS WERE USED TO THREATEN SAKWIBA SIKOTA.BURNING 15 HOUSES.WAT A BUNCH OF *****S.IS THIS THE PARTY THAT WOULD HAVE RULED MOTHER ZAMBIA?FOOLS FOOLS FOOLS FOOLS.

  9. This is nonsense and uncalled for. Can the police arrest these people before this country goes on fire. UPND leadership needs to step in and control their cadres otherwise we all gonna start defending our selves

  10. ………but UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka has distanced his members from reports of political violence…… What kind of people belong to UPND mwebantu? Can we entrust the affairs of this nation into the hands of this party.

  11. Big B. same goes with Lusaka and other civilized provinces. They can kill themselves if they want so that HH can be the happiest person, is it not what they want him and his friends Nevers, GBV, metre sampa, Mulenga sata and this muzungu opusa scout. I am sure they are very very happy to see people being killed properties damaged.

  12. No one asked them to riot and not even HH, GBM nor Canisius..They are doing it at their own peril. UPND as a party are taking the issue to the constitutional court. Us in the copperbelt we asked our neighbours not to throw stones at homes as they were celebrating and the hid to our advice.

    • It is amazing how warped the reasoning is in UPND from top down!!!If they try this on the CB, Lusaka or other towns they will regret! We know defeat pains but real men know how to handle disappointments in life and do not resort to desperate means.

  13. Rigging of election is equally retrogress. Its a shame the rigging in broad daylight is being muted and shifting the spotlight on these riots. These are the consequences of poor and greedy leadership!!! Wanting to cling to power till death!!! On the contrary when PF cadres are killing the opposition members, Lungu says nothing. He appeears to be happy..Does anyone know if the constitutional clause limiting presidential candidates to only 2 terms is still viable???. I fear this ‘god chosen’, power hungry Lungu could change it and cling to power and we will be the next Zimbabwe or Uganda.. Shame upon him.

    • Which consequences we chipuba iwe. Be reasonable. People are killing each other and you think its a joke. How would you feel as you are reading this your wife calls to inform you that your daughter has been killed by a mob? Are you going to say this same nonsense? you will even hate HH who started this. The case is in court so what happens if HH wins, are you going to replace the lives which have been lost or the property which has been damaged?

    • @ Mona, Regarding the constitution clause limiting presidential powers. Ask your HH first why he is still clinging on to UPND presidency even when the party constitution does not allow him. You want to remove a spec of grain from your friends eye when you have a log in your eyes. How possible? Makaka iwe.

  14. WE ARE TIRED OF PIPO FROM THE SAME REGIONS CLINGING TO POWER. IS THIS ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION. GIVE CHANCE TO OTHERS WHEN IT IS DUE AND NOT TO DENY THEM.LET HH DO WHAT HE CAN FOR ZAMBIA. ZAMBIA IS FOR EVERY REGION.PEACE CAN ONLY BE THERE WHEN THERE IS FAIRNESS.

  15. Yo
    u ba pf, you have been preaching that a southerner will never rule zamb
    ia. Inspite of all this you claim that you are not tribalists and that southerner, westerners and north westerners are bloody tribalists. Surely can this be justified?

    • Mwala, this problem has nothing to do with our friends from Western and North Western provinces, but from Southern. This was caused and promoted by UPND and HH the moment they declared UPND as a Tonga led party. So it is a UPND mind set that caused all this. HH and UPND worked on the minds of the Tonga people and turned them into what is happening now. Those from Western and North Western are only being used by UPND and HH for their tribal agenda. They are innocent victims! Blame HH and UPND for this. The time they will denounce that statement of UPND being led only by a Tonga, then will this tribal tag go away. This does not mean that there is anything wrong with a Tonga leading UPND or any other political party, but making a declaration is tribal. This is the genesis of the matter.

  16. Soldiers should go in and beat them harder. Why are they rioting???? Break their backs so that they don’t vote next time

  17. I BLAME CARELESS AND LEADERLESS HH FOR ALL THESE USELESS UNREST
    ===========================================
    This issue was not a matter of life and death. It was just a democratic dispensation; and in this situation, you expect a winner and a loser. Of course HH did not expect a clear cut incident free (ideal) election. We only get close to an ideal democracy. But because he (HH) doesn’t have what it takes to be a leader, he is missing the all point and extending the atrocities in his so called stronghold through his tribesmen. Research or no research, people in UPND in SP just want one of their kind in State House no matter the amount of development one will take to this region. Zambia is big and so no one president will satisfy every folk out their.

  18. A wrong is a wrong, no rationalising or epistemological trivial pursuit will EVER make it right! That is the nature of fact, TRUTH – factum fieri infectum non potest; the die is cast and the perpetrators of the TREASON OF August 11 shall forever be guilty of that – TREASON ! Whatever the petition achieves will NEVER erase the rude awakening as the tragic comedy at MICC played-out, just as that at the PF Convention to succeed one Michael Sata – like a stroke of fate both locations have “Mulungushi“ in them.
    As Julius Caesar said – People’s beliefs are shaped largely by their desires; and the people turned-out in their millions convinced they were finally wresting the oar to destiny from charlatans and fraudsters – sanity will only prevail if the stolen oar is returned in its entirety –…

  19. Calm down Southerners Zambia is larger than upnd .the leaders of upnd have all their relatives safe ,some in new Kasama in Lusaka while you are in the line of fire with the police, is it really worth your life ? Have a rethink and sober up!

  20. Canisus Banda was too docile for HH so he went for GBM who met his criteria in as far as violence and anger is concerned. I am sorry for his tribes people he has hyptonised with violence and aggression.

    Please reject this shetani of violence and his minions

  21. Seriously thinking can HH with his 3 provinces beat ECL who has 6 pronvinces which include 2 with large numbers of voters? Please tongas spare us your dullness you think southern province is Zambia. Your under 5 HH din’t have a clear campaign message so he could not convince us. So stop the nonsense and go and till the land so that you dont starve next year.

  22. HH lacks civility and should have been more altruistic by conceading defeat. He may never win an election because the economy of Zambia is bound to improve by 2020 and the turnout in Eastern Province will match that of Southern.

  23. These violent acts being reported in some parts of the country including Lusaka should not have happened had successive governments recruited enough police officers to ensure law and order throughout the country whether there is an election or not. What ever it takes the government should not give the excuse of lack of funds there is urgent need to double the current manpower levels of the Zambia Police Service, Immigration, Prisons and DEC. The population has grown and the current levels of security personnel has been stretched to its limit going by events in terms of policing. The presence of the police should be felt in all corners of the country and the rest should be reinforcements.

  24. Since 2001, Southern province has each election sponsored and uncompromisingly outrageously voted for a candidate. This is where the problem lies. Should a tonga always be on the ballot? If each tribe began to do like SP what would become of this country? HH should step down. He is the cause of all tribal strife in this country.

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