MINISTRY of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Dickson Matembo says government is aware of planned, stage-managed violence that is yet to occur ahead of the August 13 general election.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana claims that members of the opposition are wearing UPND regalia and attacking themselves in an attempt to paint government in a negative light.
Speaking when he addressed the media, Thursday, Matembo urged the police to investigate acts of political violence and arrest perpetrators without segregation.
He claimed that the violence being witnessed was being deliberately orchestrated by irresponsible cadres to create a narrative that the current campaigns were centred around violence.
“The reports and videos of political violence on different platforms of the media cannot go uncondemned. Apparently, it is becoming clear that some of the violence we are witnessing is deliberately occasioned by irresponsible cadres who are creating a narrative that the current campaigns are marred with violence. An example is seen in one of the videos where a cadre in a non-opposition regalia is changing to that of the ruling party after causing political violence so that the blame is on the ruling party. Ladies and gentlemen, the Republican President Hakainde Hichilema has been consistently firm and clear on how much they oppose violence. I re-echo his sentiment: if the law catches up with you, you are on your own regardless of the political party that you belong to. Government is very much aware of the planned, stage-managed violence that is yet to occur. I just want to urge those who are being made to participate in this violence or planned violence to stay away because you will be on your own,” he said.
“Without any fear of contradiction, the new dawn government is a responsible government that respects the rights of citizens and will not intentionally harm these citizens but rather protect them. The Zambia Police Service is urged to expeditiously investigate these sporadic pockets of violence and arrest perpetrators without segregation. The path to August 13, must be peaceful so that every citizen can vote peacefully. Members of the public, just like government, have the solemn duty of ensuring that there is peace before, during and after elections. Any form of violence must stop and stop now, regardless of what party is involved. We want a clean and clear system”.
Matembo said some people were not happy with the peace that had characterised the country.
“One of the objectives of education is that you have the citizenry that is able to analyse issues progressively. Not people taking advantage of your ignorance. After they intoxicate you with the dead minds and they leave you. Be careful youths, don’t be used. Let’s be careful and as responsible citizens let us report, regardless of who’s involved, those who are planning to do evil to the nation. You report, then you’ll have a peaceful nation. You should be aware that some people are not happy with this peace that we have enjoyed. Because they are used to operating in a violent environment. Taking advantage of the vulnerable. But the policy of the president is to look at the vulnerable so that they are brought up regardless of their backgrounds,” said Matembo.
And Kawana alleged that opposition cadres were attacking themselves in an attempt to paint the government in a bad light.
“In fact, they are attacking themselves. They are getting their political party cadres to cause trouble, cause mayhem and put on regalia of the ruling party so that then the ruling party is blamed, and when you blame the ruling party, in essence you are blaming government, and when you blame government, you are actually blaming the president who is the candidate. A plan by political players to try and paint this government and particularly the president black as the country is going towards elections. And we want to make it very clear that two things are for certain. Number one, that these violent, periodic violence incidents that you are seeing are orchestrated, they are planned, they are practiced, they are rehearsed and they are implemented,” said Kawana.
“Even where you see police getting involved and discharging tear gas, it is because the deliberate plan is equally to engage the police and ensure that the police react. The police have a way of reacting to public disorder. So if you go, for example, in Western Province, you pick up sand and throw it into the face of the police, the police’s reaction is to disperse you and they will tear gas you. But all these, we are aware that are planned and they are planned in specific regions, three in Western, North Western and Southern. We are aware also that now that they will be moving to Southern Province, they have planned that even in Southern Province they will be attacked. The hope is that at the end of the day, the president should not be voted for because Zambians hate violence”.