NRPUP SURVIVES YET ANOTHER ATT•ACK
….as Elias Kamanga goes into hiding for fear of his life….
More than 50 suspected UPND cadres, last night stormed Nkana East Police Station in Kitwe, where they assa•ulted the driver to Mr. Elias Kamanga and security detail while demanding to know his whereabouts.
In an interview with NRPUP Information and Publicity Chairperson Elias Kamanga said the group which was armed with fire•arms, pangas and catapults, invaded the police station after he had gone there to report an aggravated robbery at Eshuko Apartments, where members of NRPUP Presidential candidate Brian Mundubile’s campaign team were reportedly staying.
Kamanga said the cadres demanded that police hand him over, shouting that they wanted to ki•ll him.
Kamanga further claimed that police officers hid him together with former State House Private Secretary Flatela Msimuko, Fuli Msimuko, a security guard and other NRPUP officials to prevent a confrontation.
“We heard them shouting from our hiding place, ‘We want Kamanga. He’s de•ad once we catch him.’ Moments later, they descended on my driver and my security officer, beating them in full view of the police,” Kamanga alleged.
He identified the two victims as his driver, Bornwell Mpundu Kalumya, and his security officer, Benjamin Sichinga, saying they were assa•ulted before taking refuge inside the police station.
Kamanga further alleged that earlier in the evening, the same group atta•cked Eshuko Apartments, where they assa•ulted a Geyes security guard, only identified as Nyimbiri who was manning the facility, seized his fire•arm and pointed it at former State House Private Secretary Flatela Msimuko.
The attackers then grabbed K28,000 in cash and a mobile phone from Msimuko, as well as mobile phones belonging to another former State House aide, Andrew Chella.
He said that as the suspects fled, they were confronted by NRPUP Member of the Central Committee and Deputy National Mobilisation Chairperson David Kakoma, prompting them to abandon a white Toyota Hiace minibus near the apartment entrance.
According to Kamanga, the abandoned vehicle allegedly contained UPND chitenge materials, several bags, and a passport belonging to a man identified as Felix Chewe.
He said police officers arrived about 30 minutes after being alerted, inspected the scene, and requested that he, Msimuko, the security guard, and representatives from Geyes Security accompany them to Nkana East Police Station to open a formal case.
Kamanga has called on President Hakainde Hichilema to immediately stop what he described as political vio•lence against opposition figures.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw last night was real. I was wondering if this was a movie scene,” Kamanga said. “Police were completely overrun at their own station by Katai and his team, who openly threatened and insulted officers for hiding me at the station.”
“I will personally hold President Hakainde Hichilema responsible for what will happen to me. My family and the Zambian people should know that his agents Katai and his group have threatened to ki•ll me,” he said.
“It is sad that President Hichilema, whom I personally served in 2011 when he was under vio•lent attacks in Solwezi, leading to my own ass•ault and hospitalisation, could today unleash his cadres on me in this manner,” he added.
By press time, Kamanga was reportedly in hiding, while his driver and bodyguard were detained at Nkana East Police Station under instructions from Katai for reasons that were not immediately clear.