“Asking Questions is Not a Crime”: Suspended UPND Official Defends Ministry Visit, Alleges Witch-Hunt
LUSAKA — The ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) is in news yet again following the suspension of its Lusaka District information and publicity secretary, Matomola Likwanya, for what the party calls “gross misconduct and insubordination.” But the suspended official is fighting back, alleging that his real crime was demanding transparency over suspicious government contracts and that his suspension is a targeted witch-hunt.
The action, issued by Lusaka Province UPND chairperson Obvious Mwaliteta last Friday, accuses Likwanya of leading a group of party cadres to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services to harass officials and demand contracts. The move has exposed deep fissures within the party, pitting the leadership’s demand for discipline against grassroots cries for accountability.
In a passionate and detailed rebuttal, Likwanya has publicly dismantled the party’s allegations, insisting his mission was one of civic duty, not personal enrichment.
“We never went to the Ministry of Community Development to get contracts,” Likwanya stated unequivocally. “We went to inquire on how they awarded a tender to someone who was the third best bidder and left out the first and second best bidder.”
He pointed to an even more glaring issue, questioning, “Secondly, we wanted to find out how they awarded one person a contract to supply 100,000 phones and to date that person has not supplied.”
Likwanya claimed his concerns were part of a broader pattern of opaque dealings at the ministry. “We wanted to find out why we have the same companies that supply fertilizer at the ministry and so many issues such as why the same names appear to get social cash transfer including others who are not even eligible and are well to do,” he said, adding pointedly, “I have all this data at my finger tips so please let’s not get there.”
Forcefully pushing back against the characterization of the visit as an intimidation tactic, Likwanya challenged the ministry to provide concrete evidence. “I just wanted you to know that because others are buying into this propaganda that we went to ask for contracts and I went to insult. I have never submitted any profile at that ministry; they have the records.”
He directly invoked the ministry’s own security apparatus, stating, “The Ministry of Community Development has CCTV cameras. I challenge them to bring any footage that we went and harassed the PS.”
Beyond the allegations themselves, Likwanya raised serious concerns about the disciplinary process. He argued that the suspension was procedurally flawed, coming from the wrong level of party leadership. “I was supposed to be suspended by the district chairman and not the provincial chairman so that if am dissatisfied with the decision of the district I then appeal to the province,” he explained, suggesting an irregular overreach.
He also highlighted what he perceives as a deeply personal and unfair targeting. Despite being part of a group of four, he was the sole individual suspended. Furthermore, he revealed the personal humiliation of learning his fate through social media. “I have accepted the suspension for the respect I have for the party and the president,” he said, “even when it’s only me who was suspended when we were the four of us and my suspension letter was not sent to me but rather posted on social media.”
He condemned the one-sided nature of the investigation, noting, “We were not even called to explain what happened but they made a decision by hearing from one side of the story.”
Likwanya’s defense escalated into a stark warning about the party’s direction. He accused the UPND of falling into a trap set by its political opponents. “We are buying so much in the propaganda of the opposition and we act based on what the opposition direct us to do,” he lamented.
He voiced the frustration of many long-serving, yet overlooked, party members, saying, “We have so many of our people who fought for UPND and nothing has happened to them in terms of them being supported as citizens.”
Most powerfully, he framed his actions as a direct embodiment of the party’s own principles. “We have been preaching about the Access to Information Bill that every citizen can walk in any office and access information,” he argued. “But today it is a crime to get information, most especially that I was elected as information publicity secretary for Lusaka. We must not be intimidated with arrests for simply visiting a public office to inquire on a public tender.”a
Despite the public fallout, Likwanya ended his statement with a mix of defiance and a plea for recognition. “Sometimes silence is good but not at this point were someone wants to tarnish my reputation and try to make me look violent,” he stated. “Use the same energy you are using to bring us down to uplift us who have been loyal to you for many years.”
Ultimately, he reaffirmed his loyalty to the party itself, distinguishing between the current leadership’s actions and his faith in the President. “I shall still remain UPND as this is not an expulsion from the party,” he concluded, “and I shall continue to write and post about the good works of the President.”
The ruling party has not issued any further comment. As the case awaits a hearing before the party’s provincial disciplinary committee, it has ignited a fierce debate among supporters, forcing a public conversation about transparency, internal democracy, and the price of asking questions within the ruling party.
