[By Chambwa Moonga in Mansa]
RIOT police in Mansa on Saturday morning zealously mobilised to block Harry Kalaba’s roadshow campaign, but to no avail.
Meanwhile, Kalaba, the Democratic Party (DP) August 12 presidential candidate, addressed a cheering crowd of supporters at Kasoma Lunga of Lunga island district.
Kalaba arrived at Mansa airport, aboard Mahogany Airlines, on Saturday morning.
He was welcomed by hundreds of DP supporters, who started the more than six kilometres walk from the airport into Mansa town.
On the Mansa-Luwingu road, near Kaole Primary School, riot and traffic police started to block Kalaba’s campaign procession.
They cited disturbance of the traffic flow as the reason for their action.
But a hotheaded crowd could not buy police’s reasoning and continued the walk, spiced by loud partisan songs.
Around Senama residential area, still on the Mansa-Luwingu road, police reinforced and one of them was heard screaming out orders that: “tiyeni timugwile Kalaba (let’s pick up Kalaba).”
For whatever reason, that order fell on deaf ears, but two senior officers ploughed into the trotting crowd with the fruitless intention of arresting Kalaba.
By then, the procession had reached Mansa Trades Training Institute and vehicles branded with PF campaign posters, which were heading out of Mansa town, drove back.
In town itself, there was commotion as all attention, from the police and others in town, was on the DP campaign parade.
The roadshow continued into town, but as Kalaba was about to drive out to Chembe district, some police officers alerted him that he was ‘summoned’ by Luapula Province commissioner of police, Chilije Nyirenda.
The opposition leader complied to go to Nyirenda’s office, and his chanting supporters followed.
In Nyirenda’s office, Kalaba said: “when I came, our members welcomed me and I didn’t want to leave them walking and I drive off to Chembe.”
“In fact, what the police did there, I was even scared for them, coming in such a hostile environment. If I was a very unreasonable person, something bad would have happened to the police, because Senama is very notorious,” Kalaba said. “That’s why I even started running [with the crowd] to get away from Senama, because people easily take advantage of any small thing like this. But again your officers came to block us.”
He indicated to Nyirenda that his intention was to go straight to Chembe.
“But because the police were doing what they were doing, I got agitated and said ‘it’s campaign time, I can walk around’ and I have walked around,” he explained. “I was about to leave to go to Chembe but they told me that you want to see me. But I want to tell you that whatever we are doing, we have already submitted a three weeks’ schedule to the Electoral Commission of Zambia. We can still avail you a copy of our schedule, if ECZ has not done that.”
Nyirenda, on his part, said: “what I know and believe is that we are the same people.”
“Tomorrow elections will pass and we’ll still go to the same markets and same [other] places,” he said. “So, we still need one another.”
In the process, Kalaba spotted an eavesdropping intelligence officer and encouraged him to report accurately to President Edgar Lungu.
“I was foreign affairs minister and I know that he is from the intelligence. Report accurately and tell President Lungu that he is going,” Kalaba said.
Nyirenda continued, saying: we need peace to be maintained at all costs.
“Let us not view each other as enemies. If, as he (Kalaba) said, we didn’t behave well at the scene, we just sit and iron out [such], so that it doesn’t recur,” said Nyirenda.
In Chembe, Kalaba had another huge roadshow drive-through, all the way to Chembe border post.
He then went to meet over 200 village headmen, within Chembe district.
Later, Kalaba flew, on a chartered aircraft, from Chembe Secondary School ground to Lunga island.
He landed at Kasoma Lunga ground, and was welcomed by hundreds of enthusiastic locals.
Kalaba headed to chief Kasoma Lunga’s palace, whom he had a brief chat with, around this year’s elections.
“I came to this place by water transport last time (June 2020) and I know the problems of this area…” Kalaba told Kasoma Lunga of the Unga people.
Before flying out of Kasoma Lunga, Kalaba told an animated gathering that: “abena Lunga bacula pafula (the people of Lunga have suffered enough). This year I’ll carry you on my back here in Lunga.”
Kalaba remains in Luapula Province, for campaigns.
Lunga, principally the swampy areas of Lake Bangweulu, was conferred a district status by president Michael Sata on November 8, 2011.
It used to be part of Samfya district and now has Samfya itself, Mpika, and Chilubi as neighbours.
Senior chief Kalima Nkonde, Kasoma Lunga, Bwalya Mponda and Nsamba are all found in Lunga district.