Friday, March 29, 2024

UPND issues a Statement on the Fire that Gutted Lusaka City Market

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The Scene at Lusaka City Market
The Scene at Lusaka City Market

UPND REGRETS INFERNO AT CITY MARKET AND CALLS FOR THOROUGH POLICE INVESTIGATION

Our Party the UPND wishes to state that we regret that part of the City Market,has been gutted by fire in the early hours of today.

Of course at this stage, it would be too early to imagine or speculate the causes of the fire. We therefore call upon the Zambia Police forensic specialists and their Fire Department colleagues to take a proffessional and thorough look as to what could have caused this unfortunate incident.

All Lusaka residents hold Lusaka City Market dear to their hearts because it’s a source of livelihoods to thousands of our Mothers and youths. It’s a complex that cuts across political, religious or ethnic divides and brings World class goods and services from far flung places such as Dubai, China and Europe, right at our doorsteps. This is how all Zambians value the City Market and we therefore call upon those vested with the responsibility of fire safety and security, which in this case is our Fire Department and the Police respectfully, to leave no stone unturned in establishing the causes of the fire break out at the market.

It is in the same vein that we call upon those that find comfort in politicizing such tragedies to lay off their hands and let independent proffessionals do their job unhindered.

MUTALE NULUMANGO
Chairperson

59 COMMENTS

    • This is actually a mature statement from UPND.Thank you. The market services Zambians and not political parties and we must focus on that and not on political parties.For all we know this fire could have been due to an electrical fault.

    • Not good time for political statements. Others may think that they are being f00led. From both sides lets wait for outcome from experts.

    • Time to install cameras at strategic installations in the nation. This can’t go on forever. It is not hard to guess who is behind these terror attacks

    • If someone did not behave fo.oli.shily in Mongu the country would not be experiencing all these tragidies.

  1. We have no intelligence in the country. Such a thing would have been anticipated given previous arson events and the political scenario. Do we have the capacity to fight terrorism? No because security is busy protecting politicians instead of the public. Police are political lapdogs and worse very very very corrupt

  2. I only hope GRZ and Banks and the kind Zambian peoples will come to the immediate rescue of all individuals whose livelihoods have been affected by this tragedy.

    • I know you are well intended in your statement but exactly what role do you expect banks to play? Banks are businesses. If you lost your stock in the fire as a bank I would be very wary of lending to you. You are likely now in deep debt, you have no stock, no trading premises….etc.

    • In-fact I imagine first thing tomorrow morning (considering that today was a holiday) banks and MFIs in Lusaka will be taking stock of their portfolio to see what their exposure was to Lusaka city market traders and suppiers and foreclosing on any outstanding debt related to the establishment.

  3. Nalumango and your UPND bonse milumbwa together with ka Mukuni ba fi. ka..la.. get out with your crocodile tears

  4. #MUTALE NULUMANGO – Well Stated. Well said too.
    Thank you. You are a good leader and you show great leadership. When citizen have been affected in this manner, kind words are a BIG welcome to ALL. Great wisdom ba MUTALE NULUMANGO

    • Kenedy kaamba is behind this,watch this just yester night he was announcing that all those who lost goods at Kamwala will be given k100,000 then suddenly at night Missisi and city makert got burned what a coincidence.PF you are evil in the quest to justfy HH’s arrest and state of emergency you start burning public infrustracture.we know Kamba and Lusambo.

    • The UDNP is now rejoicing for all what is happening in our country. They even know themselves and you can see from the statement and their comments. Remember that God is greater than you and the cry of our beloved hard-working Men and Women who have lost their properties will hear their burden that you have caused to the affected families.

  5. The chemical content of human tears is well known. However, it is easy to assess the water-diluted CROCODILE TEARS being shed by well documented political HYPOCRITES.

  6. The man/woman with PhDs has gone into hiding why? H/she is disappointed with his/her PF?

  7. Maybe it would be wise to question Mr Ilunga on what they discuss and plan when Upnd hold their meetings in the bush?

    • Grow up and avoid such reasoning. Where did you draw your own conclusions from? Be a critical thinker.

  8. And the Journey to justify the declaration of the State of Emergency continues. This is to work out: analyse the past and recent acts of anarchy orchestrated by those above the law. You will easily arrive at the conclusion that will give you, yes you the definitive answer and reason why such things are happening. Our docility is beyond mankind compreshension. What is a city market in comparison to the recent attacks that led to maiming some people at the Grave Yard? And where the perpetrators. Oh no blame the opposition bla bla!! This State of Emergency mission is killing us mwe!

    • Is that the agenda you have? Create such situations to force a State of Emergency and then go to your alarmists in South Africa to shout to the the world that there is a crisis in Zambia? Is that your plan?

  9. ARMAGEDDON,
    THIS IS CATASTROPHICALLY DESTRUCTIVE BATTLE.WHEN HH WAS SAYING ALL THESE THINGS PEOPLE NEVER TOOK HIM SERIOUS AND FYI THIS WHAT HE MEANT.GOVT OPEN YOUR EYES, THIS FELLOW IS UP TO SOMETHING.HIS DAYS ARE NUMBERED.
    UPND ARE BEHIND THESE ACTS AND ONE THING THEY SHOULD KNOW IS THAT THERE IS NO SECRET UNDER THE SUN.VERY SOON,SOME ONE WILL BE CAUGHT AND ROT IN PRISON AND SOME FOOLISH PEOPLE WILL START COMPLAINING.

  10. Those are crocodile tears from Mutale Nalumanga.all well meaning Zambians know too well that those fires are caused by upnd supporters who are upset about the arrest of HH.Larry Mweetwa even confirmed it from UK immediately his cadres acomplished their mission of burning city market.
    SO NALUMANGO SHOULD NOT THINK AS IF US (ZAMBIANS) ARE F00LS!!!GOVNT ALSO MUST HIRE EXPERTS FROM FBI FAST TO COME AND CAGE EVIL MEN FROM UPND!!our OP is a let down because its full of bantustans who support HH!!

    • Are are hostile toward reason? Please be reflective and thoughtful about whatever you say. Do you really analyze issues? Avoid using using faulty assumptions. I would you to go back to school to learn critical thinking. I am sure you will benefit a great from such a course for it would help you to be analytical and evaluative. Right now, you only draw conclusions not based on evidence, but based on your own opinions. Please do need to evaluate your own judgment so that you may correct it. That will also help you present good reasons and informed decisions rather than unreliable opinions without substance. Opinions must be based ob truth.
      How can you belittle yourself by using the “”bantustan” terminology which was coined by oppressors to enforce segregation in South Africa? Aren’t…

  11. Wise words Nalumango. Thanks for your wisedom in this matter. I’m a PF supporter but acknowledge you in this matter. What do you people expect her to say? Very wise. Thank you

  12. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE POLICE, THE JUDICIARY AND THE ZAMBIAN INTELLIGENCE DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO MANAGE SUCH ARSONIC ATTACKS. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS THE WORK OF UPND. THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE THEY LOST THE ELECTIONS. BUT KAMPYONGO, THE INTELLIGENCE AND JUDICIARY HAVE FAILED US. UPND CAN COMMIT CRIMES IN BROAD DAY LIGHT, BUT WHEN THE ILLITERATE POLICE ARREST THE, THEY FAIL TO EXPLAIN IN COURT WHAT THEY ARE DOING . AND UPND GOES SCOT FREE. HH CAN MANAGE TO INSULT THE POLICE TO THEIR PANTS, BUT AS USUAL THE ILLITERATE POLICE WHEN THEY GO TO POLICE THEY BUNGGLE THE CASE AND THE INSULTING POLITICIAN COMES OUT FREE.

  13. – JUST WHERE ARE WE GOING?
    – PF AND UPND HAVE PRESENT IN ZAMBIA FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS, HAS THIS ANIMASITY HAPPENED BEFORE?
    – FELLOW ZAMBIANS, WHAT HAS GONE WRONG?
    – PF WASN’T LIKE THIS UNDER SATA AND UPND WASN’T LIKE THIS UNDER MAZOKA.
    – HAKAINDE AND EDGAR, WHERE ARE U BOTH TAKING ZAMBIA TO?
    – BOTH OF U GROW UP. WHAT ARE U TURNING ZAMBIA INTO?
    – SO IMWE BABILI, SIMUNVELA NSONI. TODAY, PF KILLS UPND CADRE, TOMORROW UPND INSULT PF, THE OTHER DAY UPND IS DENIED THEIR POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS, THE OTHER DAY PF BEATS UPND AT GRAVE YARD, THE OTHER DAY ZESCO INSTALLATIONS ARE VANDALISED.
    – U TWO, Y ARE TURNING ZAMBIA INTO A FOOLS DEN?

  14. The level of illegal activities happening in our country such as burning markets, electrical poles are appalling and very disturbing. People without morals have teamed up to bring down our good infrastructure which we have always admired. The acts are surely retrogressive and uncalled for and therefore, wish to urge all well-meaning Zambians to be alert and report any seed of illegal activity perpetrated by unscrupulous people to the police or any relevant whistleblower available in our neighborhoods.

  15. Isn’t the saying states that Prevention is better than cure? I would want to believe the statement in question would have added up to something,if it countered statements like, ‘There will be Ammagedeon if our party lose elections’
    Nalumango wants the issue not to be policitized and yeti can’t react to strong utterances like the ones seen on social media today?
    Wonder if it’s possible to plant peas and reap rice.

  16. THE UPND DISCOVERED THAT THE STATEMENT BY TERESFORE MPUNDU WAS DISMISSED. FOR THAT REASON THEY WANT TO SHOW THAT THERE IS NO PEACE IN ZAMBIA. THEREFORE THEY ARE GOING TO LENGTHS TO CAUSE CHAOS IN THE COUNTRY. BUT GOD WILL SORT THEM. IT WILL BE DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO THINK THAT THIS IS NOT THE WORK OF UPND.

  17. It is official, we have terrorists among us. Stop giving anyone a label whether they are UPND or any other party they should be treated as terrorists. This is the Armageddon that one opposition leader talked about even the chickens know about this so no need to even mention his name. If you have a grade 4 for a vice president, I do not know what kind of behaviour you would expect. However we need to be vigilant because the terrorists have been and are still in minority.

  18. We will know them by their fruits. These are the fruits of a named opposition party that has lost everything. The people of Zambia will rise above this criminality and those involved will be ashamed once more. Those already incarcerated for violence ion our peaceful land must test their own peel. The majority of the Zambian people have morals that are higher than those of the two arrogant people that are known by everyone. We already knew that this man HH meant no good for our country. This is why he removed Canicius Banda because an illiterate man like Bwalya Mwamba would have no real conscience to do anything right. Widen the net law enforcement agents, remember those within PF who just want nothing but power.

  19. NO MERCY THIS TIME!!!
    If ZP,Zambia Army,ZAF,ZNS,etc have failed president Edgar Lungu and all of us Zambians,ECL must hire FBI from USA and Scotland yard experts from UK.let those neutral experts do their works and believe you me,UPND leaders will be arrested within days.What is happening today is 100% sponsored by UPND.HH is upnd and upnd is HH,so his arrest has made all upnd followers very upset and they are ready to kill for the sake of HH ALL UPND WANT IS “KUFILILA MUNSENGA-meaning IF NOT HH IN STATE HOUSE,THEN NOBODY ELSE SHOULD”.BUT ZAMBIA IS BIGGER THAN HH,GOVNT MUST BY ALL MEANS SHOW HH THAT HIM AND UPND ARE SMALLER THAN MOTHER ZAMBIA!!
    Deregistration of upnd must start forthwith too because upnd is no longer a political party but A TERROR GROUP SUCH AS BOKO ARAM!!
    For us…

  20. Contonue……
    For us Zambians,its high time we teamed up and protect mother Zambia!!HH promised us Armagedon if he loses 2016 elections and this is what HH promised.BUT DEVIL IS A LIAR,SO HH’S EVIL WORKS WILL BE DEFEATED SOON!!moreover,Zambians are very upset with upnd especially in 6.5 provinces,so upnd cadres must mind their daily movements.i was at city market and so with my eyes how upset people are with upnd.DAYS FOR UPND IN ZAMBIA ARE NUMBERED-MARK MY WORDS!!!soon being a upnd member will be a taboo!!TODAY I HEARD EVEN DIE HARD TRIBALISTS BLAMING THEIR TONGA PARTY UPND BECAUSE GOODS BURNT AT CITY MARKET BELONGED TO POOR ZAMBIANS WHO ARE PF,UPND,MMD,FDD,ETC!!

  21. Thank you bo Nalumango for the timely statement to call on the right people to investigate the cause of the fires. We rarely read such statements in the modern Zambian politics. We hope the other leaders will start addressing such matters amicably and bring the perpetrators to book.

  22. Under Fives don’t know how to tell if a statement is right or wrong! The guy must have said that investigate and bring to book perpetrators of this crime! Since there is a high probability the perpetrator may be coming from them if you consider their utterances, they are careful not to reach there!

  23. fellow citizens lets guard our language and remain respectful of each other. fire accidents have happened before and accordingly the law enforcement unit diligently investigated the cause and at an appropriate time they informed us. you can only point fingers at each other when we are sure of what we say and not just rumor based ride. our country is going through a difficult time and we need unity more than ever before. when statements like this are given it is necessary for us to analyze the content and appreciate that our mother and senior citizen is equally devastated with the unfortunate incident. Let us for once put aside partisan preferences and speak as true Zambians. I love you all. God bless you!

  24. Ba fikala leave upnd out of your foolishness. Watch the video from your city market chairman.he is the eye witness and he says when the market was opened by police,the Council people started sweeping. And immediately the council left then they saw smoke coming out. So you fools were do implicate upnd here. You burn the market then mufwiki amala yambushi bakayele. Bafikala grow up. Now you have killed the ordinary poor marketier because of your selfish motives. This case is very simple coz even a grade 5 pupil from a GRZ school can find the culprits. You get the police and the council people who where at the scene early that’s all. Not saying I will declare a state of emergency on something you know how it came about.

  25. The bible define Armagedon as God’s battle and no man on this earth will ever bring Armagedon despite their declaration. Am just wondering , does this mean that we don’t have any Unpd trading at that market, haven’t they suffered the same loss as well . Let the people responsible for investigating this issue tell us what caused this misfit instead of speculations. These political differences is indeed taking us to the unknown destinations. Zambia is a Christian country and if we believe and know nothing is hidden under the sun ,can we seek God’s intervention thru prayers in these happenings instead of accusing each other.

  26. No need to investigate the ARMAGEDDON crusader is already at MUKOBEKO MAXIMUM CORRECTIONAL FACILITY…Unfortunately he can never be corrected…Ni chumbu munshololwa

  27. watchdog is a bunch of UnZambians fools, IT BITS ME TO THINK THESE *****S ARE THE AGENTS OF A MAN WHO WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT OF TONGA PEOPLE IN ZAMBIA, HOW FOOLISH CAN THIS PUBLICATION BE WRITING IN SUPPORT OF SUCH EVIL ACTS, PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA PUNISH UPND AND HH BY CONTINUING TO REJECT THE BID FOR THIS GROUPING TO BE IN-CHARGE OF ZAMBIA,,, ANYONE ATTACKING INNOCENT ZAMBIANS IN THEIR MARKET PLACE BY BURNING THEIR WORKING PLACE (MARKETS), SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN CHANCE TO BE A LEADER,,, LET UPND AND HH CONDEMN THIS ACT IF THEY MEAN WELL FOR ZAMBIA.
    CHI GBM IS A WELL KNOWN VIOLENT KAPONYA AND I CAN BET ON IT HE IS THE ONE BEHIND FINANCING THESE ACTS.
    DONT ALLOW WATCHDOG TO MISLEAD YOU BY POINTING AT OUR SECURITY PERSONNEL, THEY ARE WELL TRAINED PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINED PEOPLE AND I KNOW FOR…

  28. It is difficult to have security ifficers readily available at every public place. Consider thieves getting into Manda Hill. Even in the US or UK with high police officer to public arsonists and thieves still cause havoc, but what we need is true patriotism from ever Zambian. Such losses affect our families. I just hope this could come from electrical faults. But why this time when party-based hatred is so rife? It never occured during one-party rule.

  29. (With corrections) It is difficult to have security officers readily available at every public place. Consider thieves getting into Manda Hill so easily last Monday. Even in the US or UK with high police officer to public ratio arsonists and thieves still cause havoc, but what we need is true patriotism from every Zambian. Such losses affect our families. I just hope this could come from electrical faults. But why this time when party-based hatred is so rife? It never occured during one-party rule.

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