CHIEFS MEETING IN MANSA AMOUNTS TO ELECTORAL INTEREFERENCE AND MALPRACTICE
Lusaka- Tuesday 19th November 2024
We have noted a communication attributed to Mrs. Prudence Mwansa Chinama, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Luapula Province, inviting our traditional authorities to meet with Cabinet Ministers to be held at Sali Riverside Resort on Wednesday, 20th November 2024.
The New Dawn Government has been brutal in its approach, especially in the handling of the court cases of the Kawambwa Member of Parliament, Hon. Nixon Chilangwa, Pambashe MP, Hon. Ronald Chitotela and former Council Chairperson Kalumba Chifumbe.
The trio has been jailed and the case record clearly shows that there is no sound basis for their jailing, other than political persecution.
They have since appealed against their unfair convictions convictions and harsh sentences.
Further, they have been denied bail pending appeal and were transferred to Mukobeko Maximum Prison based in Kabwe, despite the fact that their alleged offence is not a capital offence to warrant being incarcerated in such a harsh environment.
Despite a court order issued by Chinsali High Court on 19th August 2024 interdicting and stopping the by-election from proceeding, the by-election, the Electoral Commission of Zambia has disregarded the court order and proceeded to hold both the Council District Election and now the Parliamentary by-election in Kawambwa.
It should be made very clear that these manouvres and utter injustices have caused great distress to the people of Luapula and Zambians in general.
It is therefore clear that the action by Government to call for this purported consultative meeting with Chiefs in Luapula is a clear desperate attempt to pacify the feelings of the people and amounts to blatant acts of electoral interference and defacto vote buying.
We urge the UPND Government to stop abusing public resources and refrain degrading our traditional authorities for purposes of political expediency. Further, we urge our political leaders in Luapula Province to shun this UPND event planned for tomorrow.
As TONSE ALLIANCE, we wish to assure the people of Kawambwa Constituency that we shall definitely retain this parliamentary seat in honor of Hon. Nickson Chilangwa who is currently languishing in Mukobeko Maximum Prison, for no good reason other than the insatiable appetite by the ruling UPND party to force a two thirds majority in Parliament. We further urge the good people of Kawambwa to take whatever bribes that are offered to them by this corrupt UPND Government, but ensure that come the day of voting on 20th December 2024, no single vote should be given to them, as a show of solidarity with the unduly incarcerated Hon. Nickson Chilangwa.
TILI TONSE
Issued by:
Sean Tembo
PeP President and TONSE ALLIANCE Spokesperson
Lusaka, Zambia