Thursday, March 28, 2024

The rising tide of militarized politics of the gun under the PF regime

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PF Cadres with Guns in a public place Guns
PF Cadres with Guns in a public place Guns

By Anthony Bwalya – UPND Member

Yesterday, President Edgar Lungu again went on the record in his usually muted, badly choreographed Statehouse Press Statements; in which he practically made the problem of armed violence in the political arena a “problem for all Zambians”, as opposed to taking absolute responsibility that this is fundamentally a Patriotic Front (PF) creation, which now has the main opposition UPND having to make a decision around whether or not such barbaric, militia tactics by the PF should be repaid with the force it deserves.

Of course, in the UPND, the consensus is such that once, if, when and should our constitutional liberties to assemble, associate and speak freely come under such unsolicited attack at the hands of a heavily weaponized, armed, gun wielding PF militias, we will and shall defend our rights without reserve BUT have committed to doing so with caution, restraint and with such utter respect for the rule of law and human life – including the lives of our adversaries.

As a party, the UPND and it’s leadership have always held, that the primary responsibility to maintain law and order, and that of keeping all of us safe, irrespective of our political affiliations, rests with the police. And this is why we have kept on reminding our men and women in uniform to guard against executing political orders that fly in the face of constitutionalism, the basis of our collective nationhood.

Military grade, armed political violence under the Patriotic Front (PF) and the Presidency of Edgar Lungu has not only surged. It has also found institutional legitimacy and protection.

The level of armed militia tactics being employed by the PF to routinely intimidate members of the main opposition UPND and it’s leadership cannot be executed without the blessing and financial backing of Statehouse. These have become highly sophisticated, organized and bold.

The militiamen are acting for and on behalf of Statehouse and President Edgar Lungu’s illegal bid to remain in power post 2021.

Zambians must be reminded, that the UPND has been in existence for many years. And before the PF came into power in 2011, there was never heard of or seen the level of big money, assault weapons based political violence in Zambia. Never.

Zambia has lost more young men to political violence in the period 2011- 2019 than it did in the 20 years post the rebirth of multipartism in 1991. This is not a coincidence and records are there for all of us to tap into and verify.

The main worry in the UPND is that political violence on the scale we are witnessing under the PF always distorts national conversations and the erodes the credibility of our national elections as more and more people choose to keep away and stay alive, than lose their lives at the hands of what is evidently a criminal gang of corrupt, power hungry degenerates mascarading as political leaders.

And as has been warned by various respected international research organisations, the focus of the PF regime has invariably moved away from realistically and logically serving the Zambian people. Their conversation has moved towards consolidating their power base for themselves at the expense of Zambians.

This is why they are unapologetic about commiting the country to a mountain of public debt we can never pay, because in the short run, it allows them to artificially hoodwink the public into submission.

Except, not anymore.

Zambians will and shall not be cheated.

Zambians will and shall rise to the challenge and defend the integrity, unity and togetherness of our shared nationhood until we get the sound political leadership we deserve.

Zambians do not want guns in politics.

Zambians want ideas for INCLUSIVE development, ideas that will help us resolve the corruption question, growing income and wealth inequalities, joblessness, pensions insecurities, poor education standards, the land question, substandard public healthcare and restoration of the rule of law and our constitutionalism.

This is the Zambia we want, and this is the Zambia we all should and must fight for and defend.

28 COMMENTS

    • The scariest part is there are actually six monkeys who think like you and have voted you up but knowing the stup!d!ty of PF supporters am sure you voted yourself up.

    • It is a masterpiece. I love the contents of this above-mentioned article. I appreciate the author’s critical reasoning. The author’s rational approach makes sense because it consists of many hard facts, which are very easy to access. While the author (Bwalya) writes factual issues, his/her body of work needs to be edited. I am very grateful to many Zambian authors for being very observant, especially, those who diligently write matters which are a reflection of the PF government’s conducts. Please, any author who writes substantive issues, which mirror irresponsible governance is welcome to do so. Zambians deserve better governance. Most Zambians can do better than corrupt politicians in power. Thank you very much and God bless Zambia.

    • Anthony, first I told you to stop shouting that you are Kabushi MP in waiting.
      Stop calling ZP officers as PF cadres in police uniform, it’s very disrespectful.
      I tell you to totally stop making noise or I will chase you from here like many others.
      I like UPND…

    • Point of correction. Violence in UPND strongholds was there even before PF came to power. When was MAPATIZYA fomula?
      Namwala, Sesheke, Kaoma, Mufumbwe are all UPND strongholds. Article is clearly unbalanced and the author keeps praising himself under comments section.

    • Corrupt clueless Lungu is the gangster in chief himself. He has allowed guns to proliferate in the country. What he doesn’t know is that this will open the doors to more shady gun runners and criminal gangs that will totally destroy the image of Zambia, and make the country virtually ungovernable. All these guns falling into the hands of hooligans need to be confiscated and the thugs sent to prison. But he won’t do that, because the thugs are on his side. What a shame.

    • This is what you get when the state is run by Kaponyas. This PF lot has no regard of the constitution. It has destroyed institutions that are supposed to protect ordinary citizens through being neutral.The Judiciary & security cluster is PF’s “personal assistant”. What a shame!
      All we have are PF militants wielding their weapons & intimidating law abiding citizens. We are now living in a Banana Republic!!
      Thank God we have seen this movie before..Muyaya had its end so will dununa reverse.

    • THE AUTHOR OF THIS MADNESS IS A COWARD OF THE WORST KIND. HE STARTS HIS ARTICLE WITH A LIE BY DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS A BEMBA BY PUTTING A BEMBA NAME AT THE TOP WHEN HE WOULD JUST HAVE PUT HH’s LAP DOG AS A NAME.
      THE UPND CAN FEEL THAT ITS POPULARITY IN WESTERN PROVINCE IS AT THE RISK AS PEOPLE THERE HAVE SEEN THE MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT BY THE PF. SO THE UPND WANTS TO SCARE THE PEOPLE THERE INTO VOTING FOR FOR MAD POLITICIANS WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING EVEN SPILLING BLOOD

  1. Well written piece. This is the kind of analysis and logical guidance we need, not hooliganism even in print. Uniforms send a message so police in military attire scare people into submission under the assumption of an emergency. Is HH such a fierce opponent that the whole top leadership needs to be physically present in a village to stop him from speaking to those who would listen? In some countries, people do not have to attend a rally to signal their choice. It shows in the ballot. So one day, people will make individual decisions and make their choices accordingly unless of course Priscilla and friends return to inflate the pf choice as happened the last time.

  2. It is a masterpiece. I love the contents of this above-mentioned article. I appreciate the author’s critical reasoning. The author’s rational approach makes sense because it consists of many hard facts, which are very easy to access. While the author (Bwalya) writes factual issues, his/her body of work needs to be edited. I am very grateful to many Zambian authors for being very observant, especially, those who diligently write matters which are a reflection of the PF government’s conducts. Please, any author who writes substantive issues, which mirror irresponsible governance is welcome to do so. Zambians deserve better governance. Most Zambians can do better than corrupt politicians in power. Thank you very much and God bless Zambia.

  3. These tactics and modus opera endi originate from places such as Zimbabwe, Rawanda, and Uganda. The Zambian voter must be commended for their wise choices. This is what you “voted” for DEAL with it Do NOT complain.

  4. Anthony Bwalya , BRAVO for this piece of writing, UPND must put you in the media team. Your logical and thoughtfull analysis of is commendable. Indeed the PF has turned this country into a GUN state, this is failure of Leadership

  5. We told you lungu knows and directs , through deceitful silence, of all the armed attack PF dogs of war…….

    The main problem is PF and lungu think because they have built roads and hospitals to a $17 billion debt, they think Zambians owe them their votes by default……..

  6. The deception in politics has largely remained the same but the levels have changed. Kwena ba Zambia. This is a photoshop image there is nothing like that. This is coming straight from a UPND cadre by the name of Anthony Bwalya. This leve of deception will be worse as we approach the 2021 general elections, just be on the look out. Shortly before the 2016 general elections the UPND “media machinery”put ut a photo shop image pupporting that CNN had predicted that HH would win the elections. It had all the marks of deception on it. This too by Anthony Bwalya is fake, fake. Kubeja pesi.

    • The !d!ot in the picture who I assume you share the same tiny brain with issued a video where he justified being armed you m0r0n. Get your head out of Sunday Chanda’s a$$ and read other news outlets f00l.

  7. “The rising tide of militarized politics of the gun under the PF regime.”
    PF, UPND… they do not deserve the baton because they Fail to recognize the past and the future.

    If you drop the baton, you will be disqualified! If you run out of your lane during the baton pass, you will be disqualified! If you run out of the takeover zone without changing the baton, you will be disqualified!
    If you cross the finish line without the baton, you will be disqualified!

    “If someone passes the baton to another person, they pass responsibility for something to that person. If someone picks up the baton, they take over responsibility for something.”

  8. Absolute unfettered biased rubb. ish, typical of the trible party.
    The truth is both parties are armed to the teeth and violently blo.ody. Otherwise why do you think that GBM was once charged with the offence of drilling?
    By the way where is Mwaliteta to give us some guidance on armed casres in both PF and UPND? Don’t forget that Mwaliteta came from PF where he introduced gun culture, and then crossed over to UPND carrying the same characteristic but on a more violent level.
    The truth is that both parties are violent, more so when they face the threat of losing. In short neither His Excellency Edgar Lungu nor his political nemesis HH can be taken for their word.

  9. Anthony Bwalya is a discredited trible, he is so biased that the first article he wrote made him untrustworthy. As a typical trible he will point fingers at the other party while his own party is doing exactly the same or even worse, as if their tribalism is not enough self inflicted damage.

    • Junior JJ. Compare and contrast the drivel you have written to Anthony’s and then tell us who is biased and untrustworthy?!

    • ” It is easier to fool the people, than to convince them they have been fooled ” (Mark Twain)

      No truer words were ever spoken regarding PF/ECL supporters

  10. upAdown is the engineer of violence. I totally agree with Mulele what he has said is the truth.upAndOWN created matizya formula, tripartite tribe bantustans, all these are part of violence.Akatanshi takalisha, upAndOWN grow up! You always fight with any party in power since the death of original UPND! I distaste violence and not a supporter of apf, but the support of peaceful efforts apf is striving to attain!

  11. At last we have a vigorous and pull-no-punches Zambian in the name of Anthony. For a long time PF has fed us on hogwash and UPND was always retroactive. Not so any longer. It;s rhetoric for rebuttal and I’m enjoying Anthony Bwalya. Bwalya we need you. Please get on toe-to-toe with the sleazy politicians. You are one of the handful of Zambian in the likes of Laura Miti, Chanda Fumba and J. Mulenga who know how to punch with words and thank you all for taking PF to task.

  12. Can the Speaker of The National Assembly ask our Home Affairs Minister to give a Statement as to why many Zambians are buying guns! The number of Zambians applying for gun ownership licenses is unprecedented! Are we suddenly living in fear? How safe is our society with so many guns in our midst? We also want to know why the PF Cadre who killed the UPND member has not been arrested but only the UPND member who shot PF cadres in the buttocks in self defense is the only one arrested? The murderer is still at large while the victim of PF violence is the one who gets arrested? This injustice will not go unpunished!

  13. wina azalila again the power of the ballot box.The only person who knows the power of the ballot box is the box itself wait and see.

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