Dr Fred M’membe, the President of the Socialist Party, has accused the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) of being responsible for the violent conduct of their cadres and supporters.
In a statement on his Facebook page yesterday, Dr M’membe said, “Please don’t believe or trust whatever the UPND leadership says about them being against political violence. They support, encourage, and sponsor the violence of their cadres and supporters.”
He further claimed that UPND leaders were selective in their condemnation of political violence, and that they only spoke out against the violence of their political opponents.
Dr M’membe said, “They certainly don’t like the violence of their political opponents and are truly against it. But they have no problems with the violence of those who belong to them, who support them and campaign for their party.”
Dr M’membe also cited recent incidents of violence allegedly perpetrated by UPND cadres, including an attack on Patriotic Front (PF) leaders who were attending church in Chililabombwe. He said, “Yesterday, UPND cadres were mobilised and transported to a Catholic Church in Chililabombwe, where PF leaders were worshipping – among them Mr Chishimba Kambwili, Mr Bowman Lusambo and Mr Richard Musukwa – to attack them. This disgusting conduct was strongly condemned by the parish priest. There isn’t even a hypocritical condemnation of this barbarism from the key UPND leadership. Why?”
The Socialist Party leader also accused UPND cadres of attacking his party’s supporters in Serenje and looting their campaign materials and foodstuffs. He claimed that UPND leaders had put pressure on the police to arrest and charge people who were attacked and had to defend themselves, but no UPND cadre had been arrested for the attack.
Dr M’membe also questioned why UPND cadres seemed to be above the law, saying, “Why are UPND cadres untouchable by the police or seem to be above the law? It is because their violence is sponsored and supported by their leaders, who command the police and other law enforcement agencies, and to some extent the courts of law.”
He concluded by calling on UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to take action to stop the violence of his supporters.
Dr M’membe said, “If Mr Hakainde Hichilema really wanted political violence to end he could easily achieve this by stopping UPND violence first. If this were stopped the police would easily deal with whatever opposition violence arises. The rotten elements in the opposition can easily be dealt with.”
“Part of this UPND cadres’ violence arises from their leaders’ desire to win every by-election at any cost. Violence is used as a tool to stop, paralyse, slow down, or frustrate their opponents’ campaigns. Leaders with uncontrolled appetites for electoral victory will have no scruples deploying violence as an electoral tool. We shouldn’t forget that even the most violent don’t say they want violence; they claim to stand for peace. It’s not what they say that matters, but what they do. It is said that actions speak louder than words. Moreover, how many things have they promised but not delivered, or even delivered the opposite – fertilisers, mealie meal, fuel, jobs? And the buck for UPND cadres’ violence stops with Mr Hichilema,” he said.
HH lit0Ie yaambuuwa. Star neey0k0
There are only insults and tantrums in you damn head? It is always good for a genuine citizen to be kind and to have compassion and empathy. We are one Zambian family. We are not enemies because we belong to different political parties or religions — even when we seek to be elected to positions in government.
Kiswapako your tribal f00Iishness doesn’t allow you to condemn your fellow tribal cow when he insults our president by calling him kutumpa uko. Go eff your self!
Kaizar Zulu, Edgar Lungu was not PF president, he was Zambia’s president — a president for all Zambians. He is now a regular citizen. This is how some of you Zambians worship other mortals. HH is currently our country’s president and he deserves respect from everyone, including those who did not vote for him. That is the way democracy works. Politics is about the present and the future; it is not about the past. Don’t get stuck in the past. In a democratic country, there are no enemies among citizens — there are only opponents who wish to serve the people and their country in one way or another. Get over it — I mean calling a former president “our” president and the current president “other people’s president.”
Blah Blah Blah
Wasted breath wasted time
Slowly the UPND is creating a Presidential candidate who might remove HH from power in 2026
That’s my biggest worry.
I would not be so worried, though, if the candidate they were creating for us was a unifier.
You joking Of course
Fred Mmembe wants to hoodwink Zambians when he prompted PF and Michael Sata to form government through his defuncted Post News paper. Fred Mmembe during PF and Michael Sata was seen as a higher being than most Zambians. He was worshiped at the Post as a god. Mmembe was rewarded with lucrative businesses of transportation, publicity and propaganda for the PF regime. Evaded taxation on his businesses with pride as un touchable in Zambia. Mmembe was like a tick sucking Zambian economic blood line without shame. When reality caught up with him of evading Zambian tax, that spelt his down fall, the Post news paper liquidated and all his businesses evaporated in the thin air. Poor judgement of events in life, not fit for public office.
Wasn’t he a darling the time he had running battles with Edgar Lungu?
Cowards are always on the look out. This government needs to be hit from all angles. The biggest fraudsters of our generation.
HH has never condemned or discouraged violence by Upnd. He’s quick to attack others, rather say he makes Upnd look like they are victims.
The violence he’s claiming to have ended is the disabling the PF cadres.
a Fred tekeni amat**k* panshi naimwe!
Hichilema whilst in opposition was being tear gassed every day, did you ever hear of him ever carrying guns.
HH used to be tear gassed all the time when in opposition and never used to carry guns
Fred M’membe and his hero in the portrait behind him in the picture — mimicking Fidel Castro’s dress code! It is embarrassing that Fred can worship Fidel in this time and age — a socialist / communist dictator who is responsible for the astonishing poverty currently facing Cuba.