STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UPND to punish perpetrators of hooliganism
Thursday, 6th June 2024
LUSAKA – We support our Republican President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema that the ugly incidences of political hooliganism in Lusaka Province perpetuated by groups of individuals shall not go un-punished.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) is a peaceful political party that cherishes restoration of human dignity.
Therefore, the UPND leadership in Lusaka shall not condone such uncouth behaviour that threatens peace and public order. We shall follow the directive by His Excellency, President Hichilema which is against hooliganism, cadreism and impunity by either our members or those who hide behind our red regalia to commit crimes in the hope that they will be protected.
We are also reassured by the President’s directive to the police to arrest and prosecute all the people who disrupted public peace on Leopards Hills road in Lusaka on Tuesday.
Our party is founded on the principle of rule of law and shall not renege on this one and other principles that entrench democracy as they identify who we are.
The people of this country have not forgotten how they were dehumanized at the hands of Edgar Lungu’s Patriotic Front brutal regime.
Those masquerading as UPND cadres that have recently taken to the streets, disturbing peace of innocent people shall be dealt with firmness that is proportionate to their behavior.
We don’t have a culture of breaking the law with impunity like what we witnessed under Mr Lungu and his minions.
The politics of our party are issue-based and we are ready for the negative propagandists and detractors through constructive engagements. Our cadre of professionals in various fields and experienced politicians are equal to the task of debunking the lies and innuendoes, while driving an agenda that restores confidence in public office.
Those who deliberately engage in politics of insults, hate speech, divisiveness rather than uniting the country shall encounter the law.
Let me hasten to state that the law is blind and all those who decide to go against it, should brace themselves for a stint in prison.
The emergence of desperation by the opposition leaders to engage in anything, including activities that are inimical to breaking the law in order to usurp power from legally elected government will not help them because our members have been put on high alert at all times.
Don’t cry the loudest when the law comes to knock on your door. Don’t shrink your own space for existence by doing that which is not in conformity with the Republican constitution governing all citizens.
I would also like to urge our brothers and sisters in the opposition to come to terms with the fact that President Hichilema is the Head of State until 2026 when he renews his mandate to continue ruling the country.
ISSUED BY: OBVIOUS MWALITETA
UPND Lusaka Province Chairman
On this one Sir, we are with you, we don’t want hooliganism, Zambia is a peaceful country. These chaps are not even UPND, they are just hired to bring confusion and tarnish the image of UPND. UPND is not known for pangas.
There we go again!!!
Iwe Citizen, these are known UPND cadres and trust me, nothing will happen to them. This is all rhetoric.
Mr. Mwaliteta, you are one of those inciting cadres and cadrism. Scroll through your utterance and examine your public statements. Those in government and particularly the Head of State have stated over and over again. You break the law and allow cadres in markets or public spaces, you are on your own.
Being a Cadre or a member of a party is not and should not be a means to getting wealth, the public purse or a means to earn a living. It may have been done in the past, and it was a wrong that was not addressed because it meant a loss in popularity. Public servant too joined the band wagon as it gave them a passport to enrich themselves while turning a blind eye to the law.
We have said NO! To this, in our 2021 as Zambians. But there certain quarters of society that benefit from it and sir, we feel that you are one, saying you speak for the cadres of UPND; when you really speak for yourselves, as a means to enrich yourselves. Stop. Zambia is not for a select few. It belongs to us all.
This government in its role has created an enabling envirnoment with facilities to build capacity. CDF is just one, Youth enpowerment is another; yet we hear on a daily basis cadres moan that the would like to be allowed to pillage local and central government institutions that collect revenue from the provision of public services. Get a job, go back to school or run a business, we say. Stop using the stewardship role of politics to as a means to wealth. Its a culture we have to put an end to and persons like you, sir perpetuate it.