The UPND says it has noted with dismay attempts by the Patriotic Front Media Team and Smart Eagles to twist facts relating to the proposed dialogue between President Edgar Lungu and its Leader Hakainde Hichilema.

Party spokesperson Charles Kakoma says the dialogue was proposed by Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo when he was giving a ministerial statement in Parliament on Wednesday 19th February 2020.

He said Mr Kampyongo called for dialogue between the PF and it’s government on one hand and the UPND on the other hand to resolve problems currently affecting the nation which the UPND and Mr Hichilema have agreed to.

Mr Kakoma emphasised that Mr Kampyongo asked the UPND to dialogue and does not see why the UPND should have rejected the dialogue.

He noted that for a long time, the UPND has been calling for dialogue through the Three Church Mother Bodies and if UPND did not respond positively to Mr Kampyongo’s call for dialogue, some people could have misconstrued that they are unwilling to seek some solutions through dialogue and that they may be hiding something.

Mr Kakoma said the UPND have nothing to hide as they are a civilised and responsible group of people who have always been open and available for genuine dialogue.

“In our understanding, a ministerial statement represents government position. Mr Kampyongo was the bearer of the message of dialogue from Mr Lungu. It is therefore surprising that the PF Media Director Sunday Chanda and the PF sponsored Smart Eagles can poor scorn on the proposal by the minister for dialogue and twist facts to insinuate that the UPND are begging for dialogue because of an imaginary offence”, he added.

Mr Kakoma noted with regret propaganda and facts are also being twisted to insinuate that the UPND is opting for dialogue instead of law enforcement.

He said in a statement that dialogue does not replace or take away the responsibility of the police and other law enforcement agencies from performing their duties to protect life and property from criminals such as those gassing people.

Mr Kakoma said Law and order as well as the rule of law should prevail and it is wrong for innocent people to be gunned down by the police or killed by instant justice mobs.

He said this injustice is causing people to lose confidence in the police and going forward both PF and UPND must focus on genuine dialogue to help resolve the current crisis.

“But it appears some people are against dialogue and are mockingly putting spanners in the proposed dialogue”, said Mr Kakoma.

Former Local government Permanent Secretary Timothy Hakuyu has died. Mr Hakuyu died in the early hours today, Thursday 20th February 2020 after a mob intercepted him, searched his car and found him with offensive weapons.

According to sources the former PS was stopped by the mob who insisted on searching his vehicle.

It is alleged that during the search, Mr. Hakuyu who was in the company of two others was found with Axes, Syringes, and masks, which infuriated the mob to attack.

Mr Hakuyu served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local government and Housing and Ministry of Labour and Social Security in the President Rupiah Banda Administration.

In 2016, Mr Hakuyu contested as Siavonga Member of Parliament on the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Early this week Zambia Police said that an emerging tendency where members of the public are blocking public roads and searching motor vehicles on suspicion that they are carrying chemical substances being used in suspected chemical spraying cases currently being experienced in some parts of the country was a source of concern.

Zambia Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said that this was a pure act of criminality where some criminals would want to take advantage of the prevailing situation to attack unsuspecting members of the public and steal from them.

Mrs Katongo said between Manyinga and Mufumbwe of North Western Province, a mob blocked the road using logs and stones and stopped motor vehicles among them, a Power Tools Bus and demanded that they conduct a search on the bus.

She explained that upon searching the bus they found a first aid kit which contained pain killers, bandages, methylated spirit, gloves and a small axe as per road traffic regulations but the mob became suspicious after seeing an axe.

Mrs Katongo said a similar situation was experienced in Kafue between 18 00 hours and 20 00 hours and also around 06 00 hours where a mob blocked the road between Kafue Gorge turn off and Shamikobo area stopping and searching motor vehicles and caused damage to five motor vehicles.

She said Police arrested eight people for riotous behaviour who are currently detained in police custody and has warned all those who have adopted this tendency or those contemplating the same that police will not take this criminality lightly.

Mrs Katongo has urged members of the public to desist from this criminal act and avoid involving themselves in duties which are not within their mandate.

And in Northern Province in Nseluka area, Mrs Katongo said there was a report of mob justice in which members of the public have killed an unidentified male person who they later dressed in a combat police uniform which was found in the victim’s motor vehicle.

She said this was after members of the public suspected the deceased who was in the area in the company of his colleague to be behind chemical spraying in the area.

Mrs Katongo explained that upon interrogations, the friend to the victim ran away and the mob searched the victim’s motor vehicle and found a pair of police combat uniform which they dressed him after killing him and later set the victim’s motor vehicle on fire.

She said investigations have been instituted to establish the source of the police combat uniform.

In another development, 27 people were arrested in the early hours of today by a joint operation team in Mtendere Compound for conduct likely to cause the breach of peace.

Mrs Katongo said 22 various offensive weapons were recovered from them and after screening, those linked to the offensive weapons are likely to be charged with possession of offensive weapons.

She said all those who would want to conduct patrols in their communities should do so in liaison with police in their respective areas.

Mrs Katongo said all those that will be found moving round communities on the pretext of conducting patrols without police blessings will be dealt with accordingly.

Meanwhile, in Chongwe, Police received a report of riotous behavior which was sparked after word went round that police had detained some suspects behind chemical spraying in the area.

She said the people went to the police station in the area demanding the release of the said suspects with a view of killing them and later went to the streets where they staged riots.