POLITICAL VIOLENCE: WHY HAS IT RESURFACED DESPITE VOTING IT OUT ON AUGUST 12
We used to see a lot of such pictures of victims of violence during the PF regime. We were helpless. We could do nothing because the PF leadership never cared.
We continued hoping for change through the ballot. An opportunity finally came. We voted for the restoration of the rule of law. Some voted against the PF cadre violence, even when their own civil service jobs were at risk as a consequence of changing government. *They loved not themselves, they loved the country. They voted for the love of the country.*
What did we expect after the change of government?
I personally expected that perpetrators of violence would be arrested and prosecuted, specifically those who were being shielded by the fallen PF regime than allowing victims of that violence to revenge through violence.
While the new dawn leadership sees PF violence as statistics of PF cadres stripping girls and women found wearing UPND, to us what we remember is a person, whom we know and still see in the bus station or market, undressing a woman, beating an innocent person etc.
So what we have is John a known PF cadre undressing Jane who wore a UPND chitenge. Since John could not be touched during the PF regime, we expected John to be arrested and prosecuted immediately after our vote was given value, when victory was declared in our favour against all odds.
What did we see?
We saw the police failing to make any arrests despite having complaints at their various posts. Most, if not all, complaints of PF violence were reported to the police, even against groups supervised by the powerful PF leaders. If someone goes to Shiwang’andu police station he/she might find reports against a team of violent PF cadres who were known as “ba 100%”. This was a team which used to wear PF regalia with the inscription “PF 100%” during elections. It was lodging at a lodge owned by Shiwang’andu District Commissioner. This team terrorized people!
Even the current Vice President of Zambia and the current Minister of Science and Technology have been victims of Shiwang’andu violence and could have complaints right before Shiwang’andu police station. The police have done nothing!
What we have at play is that victims of PF violence have been denied the justice they voted for. Now they are now looking at their own ways of getting justice. So we are back to lawlessness.
The way forward is that the police, under the new command, should revisit all the complaints against the previously untouchable PF officials and cadres. These complaints and dockets in some cases are there in police stations. If they are not there new ones can be opened.
Let Mr Kampyongo present ba 100% PF to Shiwang’andu police. Let these cadres be prosecuted and then pardon them after they are convicted, if the new leadership is so eager to forgive perpetrators of political violence.
There will be no healing in the country if a team of people will forgive perpetrators of violence on behalf of all the victims. People will take the law into their own hands as we have witnessed. Otherwise why would people beat up a PF cadre today, if not for past wrongs which the police have neglected to act on?
The problem is you are remembering PF cadres maiming, undressing and killing Zambians whereas Zambians in their various walks of life are remembering Jones as PF cadre undressing Jane; Charles teaming up with other PF cadres to beat up Mark, Daniel and Ruth; a known former minister importing cadres from Lusaka to go and terrorize people in a rural constituency into submitting to supporting PF at all costs etc.
What appear to be statistics to the leaders are real people on the ground. These people want to see justice. Give them justice.
Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, the Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister, should sort out this problem before it escalates. The honourable Minister knows that there is no statute of limitation of time on criminal offences. Allow people to report the PF commanders that brutalized them. Let the police command act on the reports of PF violence, which were not acted upon due to political influence. Get the Commission of Inquiry report on political violence and act on it.
We can’t afford to continue seeing blood being spilled like what we just saw. We have moved forward.
Please honour our vote Hon Mwiimbu. Criminals cannot be pardoned before prosecution and conviction. That is the lawlessness I voted against.
I submit
McDonald Chipenzi
24/09/2021