United Party for National Development(UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has said that his party has been a victim of state-sponsored violence by the ruling Patriotic Front cadres.

Reacting to President Lungu’s assertions political violence in the country can only end when Mr Hichilema and his party commit to the process, Mr Hichilema said that his party has had it’s youths murdered in cold blood by known PF cadres who still freely roam the streets, terrorising innocent citizens without any intervention from the law enforcement because the PF who are supposed to be the custodians of law and order are the prime beneficiaries of the gravitation of the chaos and crime.

Below is the full statement

We are greatly appalled by Mr Edgar Lungu’s escalated buck-passing on matters regarding the rule of law and public order of this nation. This is a clear vindication of our long held view that governance of this country under the PF has completely collapsed and in need of a total overhaul in 2021.

The back and forth flawed interpretation of the constitution that has led the nation and now his own Cabinet ministers into a debt crisis underscores this tragic failure by Mr Lungu to run the public affairs of the State.

To point at Hakainde and the UPND as the instigators of political and community violence when Mr Lungu controls governance institutions is not only a sick joke but a glaring admission of lack of leadership and a ready confirmation of the existence of a power vacuum that ultimately threatens peace and stability in the country. There’s no party that has been subjected to systematic State sponsored violence than the UPND, its leaders and supporters since the PF came to power. These matters are in the public domain and very well documented.

Our party has had it’s youths murdered in cold blood by known PF thugs who still freely roam the streets, terrorising innocent citizens without any intervention from the law enforcement because the PF who are supposed to be the custodians of law and order are the prime beneficiaries of the gravitation of the chaos and crime. Grazia Mutapa, Lawrence Banda, Mapenzi Chibulo, Vespers Shimuzila have all died at the hands of PF instigated violence. Known PF hired thugs attacked and brutalized mourners at Leopards Hill Memorial Park during the burial of a UPND supporter Clance Zulu and no one has been arrested to date.

At a personal level, we have been the target of well calculated incidents of political violence that have sometimes threatened our lives. In the Sesheke parliamentary by-election campaigns, live fire was discharged at our rally, while gallant Police officers who courageously restored order, by apprehending the PF thugs, were promptly retired in the so called national interest.

When conducting a Sun FM live radio interview on the Copperbelt in April 2014, heavily armed PF thugs discharged live fire as they raided the studio. By God’s Grace, we escaped through an opening in the roof.

PF cadres backed by senior District civil servants have carried out sustained terror attacks on various Community Radio stations around the country that have featured our interviews.

Armed PF cadres early this year raided Lusaka Central Police station, the biggest law enforcement facility in the country and assaulted and robbed officers on duty. Only recently in Muchinga Province during by-election campaigns, armed PF cadres mounted illegal roadblocks on public roads and hurled projectiles as we drove by; none of them have been arrested even though they are known to the police.

From the foregoing and many other unmentioned examples, it is succinctly clear that Mr Edgar Lungu and the PF are the instigators and beneficiaries of political and community related violence since the Chawama panga wielding incidents.

As UPND in power in 2021, courtesy of God’s will and the people of Zambia, we will from day one outlaw cadrism and political violence by ensuring law and order reign supreme.
We will allow law enforcement agencies to independently exercise their constitutional obligations to maintain order that will be devoid of political interference. We will not meddle in their professional duties to bring sanity and dignity back to our communities.

Our mothers in public markets and the travelling public in bus stations will no longer be terrorised by PF thugs that harass them and extort their hard earned money as is the current norm under the PF and Mr Edgar Lungu. Zambia shall return to normalcy and respectability once again.

On the commemoration on Human Rights Day, we would like to assure all Zambians that under our leadership, their rights will be fully respected.

President Edgar Lungu has challenged Zambians who are privileged with resources to help take care of traditional leaders in the country, as opposed to abusing them for political agendas.

President Lungu said it was sad that most traditional leaders are living in conditions not befitting chiefs and yet wealthy sons and daughters of the land are failing to look after them.

The Head of State said it was unfortunate that wealthy citizens prefer to seek endorsements from the traditional leaders, rather than looking into their welfare.

President Lungu said this when he held a meeting with six traditional leaders in Itezhi Tezhi district in Central Province.

The six ILA chiefs who attended the meeting include Chieftainess Muwezwa, Chiefs Musengwa, Kaingu, Shezongo, Shimbizhi and Chief Chilyabufu’s representative.

President Lungu said though it is government’s duty to look into the welfare of Chiefs, it was imperative that sons and daughters of chiefdoms supplement government efforts.

The President pointed out that government has pressing and competing needs to address.

The Head of State however assured the traditional leaders that government remains committed to delivering development in the area.

President Lungu said he will engage the Ministry of National Development Planning on whether any plans have been put up for the construction of a bridge on the Kafue river to connect the district to Namwala.

And President Lungu has told the Chiefs that no nation including Zambia can develop without education.

He said his administration has placed a high premium on education, health infrastructure development in order to improve the welfare of Zambians.

The President added that he will engage the Ministry of Health on the need to improve the health infrastructure and delivery of essential drugs in the district.

He assured the Chiefs that he will find out why the Itezhi-Tezhi Power Corporation was not remitting to the community the 0.5 royalty.

This follows complaints from the chiefs that the power utility company was not honouring its contractual obligations.

And the traditional leaders have pledged to ensure that there is peace in the country before, during and after the forth coming general elections.

Speaking on behalf of other traditional leaders, Chieftainess Muwezwa said Zambia has been a peaceful country and that there is no other place to run to.

The chiefs had earlier presented a list of developmental challenges in the district that require government’s immediate attention.

Chieftainess Muwezwa implored government to work on the Lusaka- Itezhi Tezhi road.

And Central Province Minister Sydney Mushanga said works on the road had not been completed because the contractor was waiting for a quotation and approval of works to commence.

The Minister disclosed that approval to complete the road construction has since been granted.

The Law Association of Zambia has warned that it will take legal action against all former ministers and their deputies refusing to pay back the money they illegally received after the dissolution of Parliament ahead of the 2016 general election.

LAZ President Abyudi Shonga says the legal steps will include instituting contempt of court proceedings and taking out appropriate writs of execution against the affected party.

He said in a statement that the ministers do not have an option but to pay back the money within 30 days.

“LAZ has welcomed the Ruling on Assessment by the Registrar of the Constitutional Court handed down on 7th December, 2020 in relation to the case involving the Ministers who illegally stayed in office in 2016. Through the said Ruling, state coffers will be boosted by a sum of about K4.2 million within the next 30 days. However, LAZ is deeply concerned with remarks circulating in the media attributed to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Honourable Jean Kapata in which the Honourable Minister is quoted as saying that she will not pay back the money as adjudged by the Court,” Mr Shonga said.

“Our concern stems from the fact that decisions emanating from our Courts of law should not, under any circumstances, be ignored or belittled. We do not expect citizens, let alone sitting Cabinet Ministers, to undermine the Judiciary or decisions handed down by courts of law. As LAZ, we wish to remind all the Ministers affected by the Judgment of the Constitutional Court that they do not have an option in the matter, but to abide by the decision of the court and pay back monies ordered to be paid within 30 days from the date of the assessment,” he said.

“LAZ warns all those ordered to pay back the duly assessed sums of money that LAZ will take every legal step possible to ensure that the Judgment of the Court is complied with. These steps will include citing those who undermine the court decision for contempt of court, and taking out appropriate writs of execution.”

Me. Shonga said LAZ will deploy all available options to ensure that every person, regardless of their standing in society, does not demean or undermine the sanctity of decisions of our courts.

“It must be stressed that everyone is duty bound to respect decisions of our courts of law. We therefore, call upon all the Ministers (as they then were) affected by the Constitutional Court’s decision to promptly comply to avoid the adverse consequences of the court’s coercive powers.”