Thursday, March 28, 2024

President Lungu urged to deploy soldiers ahead of 12 August Election

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PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has been urged to deploy the Zambia Army in hotspot areas of Mandevu, Kanyama and Chawama Constituency if violence is to end.

Speaking after a convoy of UPND cadres attacked him and other roadusers along Kasangula Road on Monday afternoon, Governance Activist Isaac Mwanza said it has become apparent that the Zambia Police Service has failed to deal with violence and will not manage to save lives ahead of 2021 elections.

Mr Mwanza who was in the vehicle Registration No. ALD 8901 driven by Mr Bebe with 2 other passengers was caught up in the violent attacks near Petroda Filling Station on Kasangula Road and was among the people and motorists that have been attacked and their vehicles damaged.

Mr Mwanza who recently joined the Patriotic Front has been a target of attacks by UPND Members.

Mr Mwanza was once attacked at the Supreme Court building by UPND cadres who were in the company of Sylvia Masebo but was also attacked after leaving a programme at Radio Phoenix in Lusaka.

While Mr Mwanza called on Police to respond to violent attacks that have been unleashed by the Opposition UPND Youths, he said the Zambia Police appear to be powerless to prevent the violence during this election.

“President Lungu must act not to save the lives of innocent people from the barbaric behaviour from cadres. He must not place the trust on the police to keep peace because the violence going on is bigger than what the Police can handle,” he said.

Mr Mwanza said the peace accords being signed by parties will achieve nothing and are just a waste of time as these cadres are being armed by the same leaders who are signing peace agreements.

38 COMMENTS

  1. In fact, deployment must include Southern Province bcoz UPND is intimidating others and ECZ won’t manage conducting fair Elections. Police won’t manage, so inadequate. Sorry what happened to you

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  2. Only soldiers will stop the ongoing violence. Those papers the peace agreements are written on not worthy the paper they are written on. Just a way to get money from donors

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  3. Declaring a State of Emergency in Zambia during the Election Campaign Period is not advisable. Soldiers are not trained to do Police work. All they know is to shoot and kill. In South Africa they have deployed Soldiers to supplement Police Work. Soldiers shouldn’t be deployed to shoot unarmed Civilians protesting for Human Rights. The writing is on the wall.

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  4. The state is to blame, why can’t they use state machinery to root out bad seeds before many people lose their lives…? Including clumsy leaders. Reaching to the extent of attacking the president..? It’s a big joke!

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  5. Keep the guns in the barracks…under 5 is losing and if he tries to be funny he knows something about the long arm of the law…if not he can ask his ally kbf unanakwe to guide him…

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  6. CONSIDERING THE LAST 5 YEARS HOW IN GOD’S CAN WE POSSIBLY HAVE ANOTHER 5 YEARS OF THIS CRUMBLING ECONOMY PLEASE
    ALSO WHY IS PF PAYING BLOGGERS TO BLOG ON ALL MEDIA SITES ???
    IS THIS A CREDIBLE GOVERNMENT ???
    NO NO NO PF MUST FALL

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  7. MR. ISAAC MWANZA HAS JUST CAUSED PROBLES FOR HIMSELF AND IN THE EYES OF MANY PEOPLE. CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT TO DEPLOY SOLDIERS IN SOME SELECTED AREAS OF PERCIEVED TO BE UPND STRONG HOLDERS WILL JUST AGGRAVATE SOLDIERS ARE NOT TRAINED TO POLICE CIVILIANS BUT THE JOB OF THE POLICE AND MWANZA IS CITING THE POLICE FOR NOT DOING ENOUGH BECAUSE HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ON THE GROUND. ISAAC HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BELONG TO ANY POLITICAL PARTY OF HIS CHOICE BUT WHEN PEOPLE REALIZE THAT HE IS DINGTHINGS TO PLEASE HIS MASTERS FOR HIS PERSONAL GAIN THEN PEOPLE WILL VIEW ONE AS WORKING AGAINST THE MAJORITY. MWANZA BETTER TAKE A SHORT BREAK FROM PUBLIC EYES IF YOU ARE BEING ATTACKED. WHY ONLY YOU BEING ATTACKED?

  8. What Mr Mwanza is saying is true because PEP President Sean Tembo was attacked right in Lusaka town near central police by known PF caders who have not even been brought to account for their actions up to now

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  9. Only military can tame the unruly UPND cadres and their leader. Government should take a decision accordingly at the earliest.

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  10. In view of the widespread violence, perpetrate by UPND, this is the only effective solution in sight.

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  11. UPND has track record of violence when cornered. This time their leader is in deep trouble due to the massive corruption he committed. Therefore the cadre is trying to divert attention of the administration from the main issue by resorting to violence. They must be brought to justice and given harshest of punishment.

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  12. People’s safety is paramount for the government. It should do everything possible to protect the people and punish the culprits. Military must be deployed in troubled areas and the perpetrators should be reined in.

  13. This is a serious thing. If the UPND cadres can be so violent despite being in opposition, imagine what they would do if came to power.

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  14. For common people, military is the only option for protection from power hungry UPND cadres. They are on killing spree in desperation to come to power.

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  15. Military needs to look into the violence in Southern Province. The situation there is really serious. UPND is on rampage. They need to be cut to size ASAP.

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  16. Anyone who takes the law in his hands should firmly be dealt with. Now there would be the opposition surrogates who will cry foul even in this.

  17. Safety of people and upholding rule of law is must during elections. No one should be allowed to disturb the peace in the country.

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  18. It is easy to advice from outside, but very difficult to act from within the system. Every step has to be taken after due diligence. Government is doing the same an acting to protect innocent people from UPND

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  19. Involving Zambian Armed Forces in domestic politics is a bad bad idea .What if those armed men started getting divided along ethnic/political lines then we’d have another Rwanda?

  20. This mwanza is a mere PF cadre and not an activist as he claims. Therefore what he is advocating is intimidation to would be voters on polling day in order for them to be swayed to vote for his party out of fear of violence.

  21. Isaac Mwanza is making a huge mistake to incite ECL to deploy Soldiers on the streets. Soldiers shoot and kill and don’t know how to Police Crowds and Protesters. PF have a Military Wing composed of Militias, Commanders and Generals. These marauding PF Cadres will be clobbered by the Soldiers on the streets. Mwanza should be careful what he wishes for. The writing is on the wall.

  22. There is no clear cut evidence that most of the violence is being perpetrated by UPND. Is this a dress rehearsal for justifying planned clampdowns? I don’t condone violence but there has to be objectivity, consistency, truth and action against it at all times. For years the PF has maimed people as a ‘norm’, without as much as a raised eyebrow or action from ECL – just piecemeal mumblings. All violence should be condemned, but in truth those in authority have systematically turned a blind eye to PF violence since 2011.

  23. ALL PAID PF BLOGGERS ARE BACK
    STOP WASTING OUR TIME WITH YOUR USELESS AND MEANINGLESS STATEMENTS
    PF IS GOING TO FALL AND ITS NOT WISHFUL THINKING IT IS A REALITY !!

  24. Isaac Mwanza is a PF Cadre.He is inciting ECL to deploy Soldiers in UPND Alliance Strongholds to help him rig Elections in these 3 Constituencies. PF knows that they cant win Elections in Kanyama,Chawama and Mandevu Constituencies . PF want to rig Elections in the 3 Townships with the help of the Military. ECL and PF know that they cannot win free,fair and credible Elections in Zambia. PF are scheming on how to rig these Elections using the Military. ECL is figuring how to declare a State of Emergency to help him rig the 2021 Elections. With Parliament dissolved we shall see how ECL will illegally deploy Soldiers in Townships to intimidate Voters. The writing is on the wall.

  25. HH is psyching the minds of his voters for violence when he loses on 12 August….we won’t allow him to spill blood…bring soldiers on

  26. It’s funny how some sections of people would turn to remain bitter when others have turned to change in the approach of politicking.

    We are one Zambia, one people or one nation.

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