The Governance, Elections, Advocacy, Research Services has observed with concern voter apathy and spates of violence that characterized the Kafue By-election especially in the afternoon of the voting day.
The queues and calm that characterized the morning voting waned out in the afternoon when polling stations started recording trickles of voters and when incidents of violence started being witnessed.
For example, out of about 900 registered voters at Kafue Day School only about 170 had voted by 15hrs while at Nakatete School, about 200 had voted out of about 700 voters registered.
It is likely that less than 50% turn out will be recorded in this Kafue by-election, according to Organisation Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi.
Mr. Chipenzi said GEARS Initiative recorded violent confrontations between UPND and PF cadres in the afternoon.
He said at Kafue Day School around 15hrs UPND and PF cadres clashed.
Mr. Chipenzi said according to the investigations done by GEARS Initiative, the genesis of the Kafue Day School fracas was that about 10 PF youth camped behind one of the polling streams within the prohibited area.
He said the youth carried a “box” which, when the report went to the UPND camp, raised suspicions that PF youths had carried a “ballot box containing suspected ballot papers” when in fact not.
Mr. Chipenzi said the youth claimed they were a security wing for the ruling party and effort to remove them failed and in the process, UPND responded by mobilizing themselves and overpowered the 10 PF youth, cornered them and hacked one of them with a panga who almost fainted.
He said Police apprehended one person and later calmed the situation while the PF youth left heading towards turnpike.
Mr. Chipenzi said GEARS Initiative also received a report of another violent confrontation between UPND and PF at Lukolongo Ward.
He said another violent confrontation happened at the Council Hall and our monitors report that this happen when Minister of Lands, Jean Kapata, visited the place and allegedly confronted the ECZ officials who told her that she was not accredited and should not be in the hall.
Mr. Chipenzi said this is said to have angered the Minister and later, she was joined by her PF cadres causing commotion an incident which attracted UPND cadres who went on rampage beating all those around the hall accusing them of contributing to the confusion triggering a fight. One PF cadre is said to have been hit by an object by the UPND cadres right there.
However, Mr. Chipenzi said GEARS Initiative has not yet established the cause of the violent confrontation in Lukolongo.
He however said GEARS Initiative is happy with the manner with which the Police have handled the confrontation and hope would continue in the same manner up to the end of the process.
Umm so this koswe is real, I read all this earlier in the day and I brushed it,is koswe the OP?how does s/he get all news on real time. Plse ba pf leave local elections to the locals,As for Jean kapata, no one is above the law.
Big Sigh
All those PF leaders left offices to campaign all week, and still people didn’t vote?
Those ECZ should put elections on Saturdays, that’s the day people don’t like to go in farms, ku mabala.
Even soccer, Zambians watch on Saturdays.
These silly elections just disturbing poor Zambians….at the end of day Voters end up with nothing in their pockets….just more misery
“Bamene bali nakasaka”
PF are a violent party who are used of influencing voting patterns by way of violence and thuggish behaviour , rendering the police impotent
PF cadres headed by Japhen Mwakalombe Provincial Minister for Copperbelt have been found with Premarked Ballot papers in Kafue.
Mwakalombe is using a fake ID labelled Joshua Simumba issued by ECZ and posing as one of the electoral officials.
Meanwhile, UPND’s Obvious Mwaliteta has been arrested from Kafue and detained at Lusaka central police.
The PF plan to rig elections in Kafue tonight and people like Mwaliteta have to beg removed first. The plan is to intimidate and beat up UPND officials and chase them from counting centers which will then be populated by PF thugs imported from Lusaka. In the operation, the police will be working with PF cadres . A senior ranking police officer in Lusaka Province. Yobe Luhana is coordinating the project to remove all UPND officials. Officer Luhana…
Spaka sure…you cant even read and understand simple english..Who started the two fights! Its your under5, Who hit someone with a panga its your follow under5,I have said it time and again violence usually happens in under5 stronghold because of been primitive just like spaka
So, what about the peace accord between PF and UPND?
ECZ must disqualify both the PF and UPND. Let the next contesting party with the highest votes be declared winner, even if they only got 15 clean votes.
I hope Lungu sees this with his own eyes instead of being lied to by his advisors. The economy is biting, with such voter apathy, people no longer believe in that nonsense of vote for us if you want development in your area. They’ve had enough of those lies, please Mr President, if you want to win in 2021, cut down on the dancing and running. Concentrate on fixing the country and get rid of corrupt ministers as they will jeopardize your agenda by chewing everything meant for projects and other critical governmental obligations.
What can he do? So long as he danced on stage like a drunkard he is happy
When we tell you that Lazy Lungu’s directatives and “fake” concerns about ending violence are just as impotent as his leadership you think it’s a joke.
There is nothing constructive that comes from your dump ass-head jay jay…H…asaka
Chipenzi is a UPND sympathiser and is not as intelligent as he tries to portray himself.. Mwaliteta was arrested for the violence and was found with offensive weapons and currently is in custody while other UPND members ran away. Gary Nkombo when asked just answered casually that lets not conclude anything.. Now Chipenzi wants to distort the story as usual and blame the PF…What a party of Sadists the UPND when they sense a lose
Why doesn’t the PF vuvuzella ZNBC show any prof of the lies from PF caders ?? Like how time tv was showing prof of PF violence ???
Because it is all lies….there is no UPND violence
@ Spaka you’re a UPND sycophant every one knows that fact…ZNBC reported that at 1900hrs News
Show video …..no one trusts what znbc says without video badala ….have they not got cameras from the $275 million digital migration??
@ Spaka kindly confirm from your UPND friends that UPND has the Kafue elections by about 500 plus votes…
Meant lost…sorry
Bad signal
Ba UPND, mwalipwa! And with behaviour you Zambians can vote for you chief architect of violence iyi nama HH? Mubepelefye.
How come there is no violence in bhahati and roan
We have to identify the zambian architect of violence
No violence because PF think they have those areas in their pocket ……
Just Imagine and these lunatics jayjay and spaka demons of hate wants to be offloading their dump heads here.
How come most of violence has only be experienced in the so called UPND strong hold? Something is wrong here.
Because PF want to cause fear …..lungu thinks because he was spending the Eurobonds on roads , everybody owes him their vote …..
It seems Chipenzi has fairly reported, but I think Zambia Police need to issue a comprehensive statement on this to the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
If what is being reported is true, then this is a GREAT OPPORTUNITY for Zambia to cleanse this caderism and electoral violence. Send a STRONG message that you will deal with violence or any hint or sight of it decisively. DISQUALIFY BOTH UPND and PF.
Let the new Council Chairperson be the candidate in the Third Place.
This is a great opportunity to walk the talk, or forever loose it and make Bishop Mpundu’s prophesy come true.
ECZ, we are all eyes on you now.
Unfortunately they were only 2 candidates.
What was Jean Kapata doing there? what were PF intercity cadres doing there? I thought it was agreed that there would be no outside cadres brought in? Does anyone in PF respect what the president orders. Jean Kapata is a disgrace to the PF party and an insult to us Zambians that she is even a minister.
They have no respect for him as they know he is a weak man with a small sack of money hence are not afraid of him…they have more respect for SG Mwila than Lazy Lungu!!
Dear brethren please don’t get excited. Who is reporting this story? You all know what he stands for.
Exactly …. We all know and just watching his foolishness
From 41 counted polling stations,PF is leading and UPND is down:
PF-6 356 and UPND 6 125!!!
But I still think UPND will retain this seat while PF shall also retain Roan and Bahati on the 11/04/2019 as voting pattern is still regional in Zambia!!Kafue is a UPND stronghold.
always there is violence in the upnd strong hold….why???
In future, let those with diplomas, degrees and other higher qualifications who understands Politics vote not ba civotevote
Indeed, you have a PF minister trying to barge into a ECZ restricted area by force ….
And you expect no violence ??
Spaka the final results from Kafue are:
PF:8 ,907 and UPND:8,489!!!
Congratulations to Mighty PF!!I feel sorry for Kambwili’s NDC because CK will be embarrassed badly by PF on 11/04/2019 in Roan.
Because Chipenzi said so? During elections each candidate has people monitoring on their behalf. It can be a minister or anyone. Unfortunately Upnd can only afford Chipenzi. What was Jean Kapata doing there? And what was Chipenzi doing there?
Just like Mumbi Phiri and Kaizer Zulu were spotted at City Airport to receive ballot papers form Copperbelt.Was it really their job?
In the 2016 elections
Breaking News!!!! PF cadres headed by Japhen Mwakalombe have been found with Premarked Ballot papers in Kafue
Who votes for PF? Nobody. Government workers are not paid salaries and in the normal sense you think PF can win elections?
Comment: THIS voters aparthy is caused by the leaders that we vote for.let them start fullfillng the promises they make.otherwise come 2021 it will be worse.