Intercontinental Hotel Lusaka and the Taj Pamodzi have refused to host the eagerly anticipated news conference which was to be addressed by UPND President Hakainde Hichilema on the state of the nation.

Mr Hichilema’s team from the national secretariat had initially contacted the Taj Pamodzi Hotel as the venue for the news conference.

Management at the Taj Pamodzi agreed to host the event but later contacted the UPND to cancel the booking citing pressure from higher authorities.

By lunch time Tuesday, the UPND team managed to secure venue at the plush Intercontinental Hotel after management agreed to host the opposition political party.

The UPND Communications team even went into full gear publicizing the news conference at which Mr Hichilema was expected to recount his experience in Ndola on Saturday when he was attacked together with his entourage.

But management at Intercontinental Lusaka phoned the UPND much later in the evening informing them that the event had been cancelled at the last minute.

[pullquote] “We also took into account the events of Saturday in Ndola and since we host a lot of guests, we thought it would not be prudent to take such risks,” Ms Simubali said.[/pullquote]

UPND Deputy National Secretary Kuchunga Simusamba confirmed that the two hotels refused to host the news conference.

“Yes it has been moved to our secretariat at the same time. We couldn’t agree with the hotels and we had to move it,” Mr Simusamba said.

And Intercontinental Hotel Lusaka Public Relations Manager Veronica Simubali confirmed that the hotel rescinded its earlier decision to host the UPND leader.

“We had to review our decision to host the UPND after undertaking our own security assessments especially that there have been some media reports indicating that members of the UPND will start arming themselves. We also took into account the events of Saturday in Ndola and since we host a lot of guests, we thought it would not be prudent to take such risks,” Ms Simubali said.

“We consulted our regional office in Ndola and they advised that the event be cancelled purely based on security fears.”

She added that the decision not to host the UPND goes for all other political organisations.

“From now on, Intercontinental Lusaka will no longer host political meetings until such a time that the security situation improves.”

Ms. Simubali also confirmed that the UPND will be reimbursed.

[pullquote]“From now on, Intercontinental Lusaka will no longer host political meetings until such a time that the security situation improves.”[/pullquote]

But sources have revealed that the two hotels faced intense political pressure from State House with President Sata personally phoning managements at the two hotels and threatening them.

The source said President Sata threatened to deport the managers of foreign origins managing the two hotels if they do not cancel Mr Hichilema’s news conference.

Mr Hichilema has over the last few months emerged as a strong contender for the Republican President and has attracted a good share of harassment and victimization mainly from PF cadres.

Open Society Foundation (OSF) has challenged Republican President Michael Sata to categorically condemn the violence against United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema.

Executive Director Sunday Chanda said there is no need entertain and promote such acts of violence fifty years after Independence.

Mr. Chanda advised political players not to take Zambia’s peace for granted because it can easily slip away if such actions of savagery is allowed to continue.

He called on politicians especially those from the ruling PF to realize that Zambia is a multiparty state hence all political players have the right and freedom to do what UPND President and his team were doing on the copperbelt provided it is within the confines of the law.

He added that the incident in Ndola is an indictment on the Zambia police who allow such lawlessness to prevail right under their nose.

Mr Chanda has since demanded for a comprehensive statement from Zambia Police regarding the incident and arrest of those behind the violence.

Over the weekend Patriotic Front (PF) cadres armed with guns and machetes attacked UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s entourage and interrupted an interview he was attending at a radio station in Ndola.

Mr. Hichilema said that he suspected that the PF cadres whom he has referred to as being thugs may have come from Kitwe and Luanshya specifically sent to kill him.The UPND leader wondered why the Police have not arrested any of the suspected PF cadres when they were present at both incidents when members of his party were being attacked by the suspected PF cadres.

Meanwhile the Southern African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has observed that the escalating culture of political violence taking root in the country is retrogressive and does not have any place in the nation.

SACCORD Executive Director Boniface Cheembe said the culture of violence being perpetrated by political cadres is uncalled for especially that the Zambia is celebrating its 50th Golden Jubilee anniversary this year.

Mr Cheembe told Qfm News that the acts of political violence call for political party leaders to keep their cadres in check.

He said Zambians regardless of political affiliation should show unity in celebrating the country’s 50th independence anniversary.

Mr Cheembe said that there is need for political tolerance if the country is to have a functional democracy.

The SACCORD Executive Director has also appealed to the Zambia Police to ensure that the law is applied equally to all citizens regardless of political affiliation.

He further stateed that SACCORD hopes that perpetrators of the attack on UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema in Ndola will be brought to book.

Mr Simuusa said today when he paid a courtesy call on Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone in his office in Chipata that it was shocking that Zambia despite being the major supplier of maize in Southern region, the prices of mealie-meal had remain high.

The minister said there was no proper justification on why the mealie-meal in the country was very expensive and said amicable solution must be found in order to benefit many Zambians who were struggling to get the commodity.

The minister said he had already met Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) and said he was yet to meet Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) on the way-forward over the issue of mealie-meal prices.

“It is very shocking that a bag of mealie-meal is very high in the country and I have already met ZNFU and I am yet to meet MAZ in order to resolve this matter,”Mr Simuusa said.

He said Zambians should not suffer with the issue of the mealie-meal in the country. Mr Simuusa also disclosed that he would in few weeks’ time flag off the distribution exercise of fertiliser in the country.

The minister said the Government believed that by September this year all farmers should receive the farming inputs.

He explained that Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) has already started the production of fertilizer for the distribution to the farmers for the 2014/15 farming season.

He said it was also saddening that Camp Agriculture Committees (CACs) were failing the farmers across the country. Mr Simuusa said it was also disheartening that the cooperatives movement was siphoning money from the farmers.

He commended the Eastern Province for being the highest producer of farming inputs.

And Mr Sichone said Tanzania had the lowest prices in terms of food. The provincial minister also wondered why the price mealie-meal in the country was very high despite Zambia being being the major exporter of farm produce such as maize to the neighboring countries.

He said Chipata had the millers who were fond of telling stories on the issue of production of mealie-meal.