By Leah Ngoma
Government has urged police to pursue suspected UPND cadres who attacked Kasama District Administrative Officer-DAO- Beauty Namukoko and ensure they answer for their criminal acts.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, suspected UPND cadres are captured mercilessly attacking the Kasama District Administrative Officer.
Commenting on this development, Chief Government Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda has described the act as senseless, inhuman and intolerable saying the perpetrators should be treated as criminals and not be misconstrued as political cadres.
In a statement, Ms Kasanda believes that no sane political cadre should resort to violence as government abhors violence and disregard of the rule of law.
She has since urged the police to pursue the criminals and bring them to book to answer for their criminal acts adding that government will not condone criminality and anyone found wanting will face the wrath of the law.
Meanwhile, the Zambia National Women’s Lobby-ZNWL- is appalled by the recent escalated levels of violence against women in the country among them the beating of Ms Namukoko and the harassment of the National Heritage Party President Chishala Kateka and her members that occurred at the nomination centre for the Kabwata Parliamentary by-election when UPND cadres issued threats against them.
ZNWL National Board Chairperson Daisy Ng’ambi says the two incidents are clear cases of gender-based violence (GBV) against women leaders and should not be tolerated.
Ms Ng’ambi therefore calls on the Zambia Police to act swiftly in investigating both unfortunate incidents and bring all the culprits to book.