By Patson Chilemba
Paul Moonga is inciting violence, says the police service.
Speaking with Daily Revelation on the threats issued by Lusaka provincial PF chairperson Paul Moonga that he has directed youth chairperson Daniel Kalembe to mobilise the youths to whip all those who would dare protest against President Edgar Lungu and the government, as they were being used like condoms by politicians who had actually stolen, Police spokesperson Esther Mwaata Katongo said Moonga was indirectly instructing the youths in the ruling party to commit violence, saying anyone with information on the matter can report him to the police.
“I am saying if someone says I am going to mobilise youths to do this and that, in others words that is indirectly giving an instruction to the youths. Because if they hear a leader saying I’m going to do this it means that already you have stated your position,” she said.
Katongo said political leaders must always think through something before they said it, and consider the repercussions of whatever they were doing.
“We don’t have to put the country on fire just because there will be elections, just because there are people in political parties no. So that is inciting violence if he says no I’m going to do this, to mobilise, that is inciting because there are other youths who may take him seriously just from there and then because they will be saying that no our leadership has given a position,” Katongo said. “So let them leave the work to the police we are there. We are trained for that. We are an institution that is mandated by the Constitution so we cannot allow groupings to start rising against each other, we are not going to watch that.”
Katongo urged politicians to leave the work of policing to the police and stick to their lane of selling their manifestos to the people.
“Who wrote that story? You? You interviewed him and that’s what he said?” Katongo asked, insisting that politicians stick to their lane. “Any other person who is not within the police has got no authority to begin policing because that is lawlessness within itself. So anyone that is going to go against the provisions of the law regardless of which political parties they are coming from they will be dealt with sternly by the police. We are not going to allow civilians to begin policing when there are institutions given the mandate to do so.”
Katongo said those being mobilised would be doing it at their own peril, whether it was the leadership that had mobilised them, as they would be going against the law by engaging in violence.
“They are going to be dealt with. So let them leave the work to the police. Two wrongs can never make a right. If we allow anyone to start doing then there will be chaos in the country, that’s why the police are there,” Katongo said. “If the PF feel that they have been aggrieved by certain sectors of society let them go to the police and let police look at that than them getting to the streets because that is already recipe for anarchy. Even in the way we talk to each other let the people tone down. All political leaders should tone down and…the tone which will be set now will go into 2021. So leaders should begin rebranding, to find the better words.”
Katongo said the police will not allow institutions which are not mandated by the law to start enforcing matters.
Daily Revelation yesterday ran a story where Moonga said he has instructed Lusaka Province youth chairperson Kalembe to mobilise party youths to whip the youths who will dare demonstrate against President Lungu and the government.
He said the party has had enough of the nonsense from the charlatans and minions, saying majority of the youths actually supported the ruling party.
Moonga said ruling party members will pounce on those who dared demonstrate and whip them, warning them to dare demonstrating.
“I have told Kalembe if they are going to demonstrate you go head on and we shall see who is a bigger family, who is controlling who. We will pounce on them, we won’t allow any nonsense. I am not going to allow any nonsense in Lusaka Province. And let me warn this through you Patson, tell them that provincial chairperson Paul Moonga says that you try to go and demonstrate we shall whip you,” Moonga said. “If the police can’t do it, us we shall take them on because I have enough muscle, enough manpower and I’m in control of Lusaka Province. Let them go and try elsewhere, may be they can go and try in Monze. Let them try in Lusaka, let them try in Lusaka. We will whip them. Enough is enough. We have had enough of this nonsense from mere charlatans, these minions.”
Moonga charged that the people who were yapping about corruption are crazy and foolish, and they are just being used like condoms by politicians who have actually stolen.