FATHER Richard Luonde has warned that if the PF leadership does not control its violent cadres more people will be killed in 2021.
He also says President Edgar Lungu should be ashamed to seek a third term of office after destroying the country.
Fr Luonde, who is the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) national chairperson, said because PF has tolerated violence from its membership, ordinary youths have also taken it up.
“If this situation is not controlled, a lot of people will be killed, come 2021. You cannot say because those leaders being insulted by PF cadres are from the opposition, so it is fine. Very soon they will start beating all of you PF leaders publicly,” he warned in an interview. “This is a monster you have created and it is still growing. PF does not belong to individuals, it’s a national party which should look into the interest of the nation.”
Fr Luonde who gave a catalogue of shameful incidents committed by PF cadres against their leaders, said “this is the worst our country has ever reached politically”.
“It is only in PF government where ministers are abused by their party cadres. Last year it was [justice minister] Given Lubinda who was beaten by PF cadres in Kabwata. This year we have Stephen Kampyongo being insulted almost every day by PF cadres,” Fr Luonde said. “And just last week, we had a PF member of parliament in Bahati Constituency [Charles Chalwe] who was physically attacked by PF cadres. What is causing all this is because PF has been promoting violence all along. Look at how [UPND leader] Hakainde Hichilema and [NDC leader] Chishimba Kambwili have been openly insulted by PF cadres, to the extent of insulting their parents. And no one has been arrested for such insults even when the culprits are very well known.”
He said youths had now found it favourable to commit crimes in the ruling party’s name.
Fr Luonde wondered if that was the legacy PF wanted to bequeath itself with.
“Youths are now saying as long as they shout the name of PF, they can do anything criminal and get away with it. For as long as they align themselves with PF they can even kill and go scot-free. This is the message this government has sent across the country. We have a government that has bred and sponsored criminals against its own people – against the people it was elected to protect,” Fr Luonde said. “And this is the legacy PF will leave when they lose power next year! That they were a government that tolerated criminals committing crimes in their name. And if the PF leadership does not deal with this scourge, the country will be doomed. This level of State-sponsored violence has never happened in our country. We have never seen a situation where pupils begin to fight before they start writing their final examinations. Where are they learning this from? It’s because they are seeing how those in government are treating those in the opposition.”
And Fr Luonde has asked the PF to allow another party take over government because they have failed.
“One should be ashamed to even think of running for a third term when they have brought the country to its knees economically. PF should let and allow other people to run the affairs of our country, come 12th August 2021,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fr Luonde called on citizens to scrutinise all politicians offering themselves for leadership.
He said many of them are wolves in sheep’s clothing “who pretend to be humble and loving when they are just wolves”.
“Let us begin to scrutinise all the leaders vying for the presidency of our beloved country. We have worse dictators who are yet to be exposed. God has given us good guidance through what we are experiencing and going through currently. Most leaders have surrounded themselves with minions who are simply there as praise singers just for crumbs that fall from their masters’ dinner tables,” said Fr Luonde. “We need genuine leaders to come and move this nation in the right direction. We do not need dictators who are going to make things worse than we are experiencing today. This will help us avoid unnecessary deaths through hunger and deprivation of very necessary social needs like health for all, jobs, better and affordable education and many more.”