THE BUCK FOR UPND CADRES’ VIOLENCE STOPS AT HICHILEMA
Please don’t believe or trust whatever the UPND leadership says about them being against political violence. They support, encourage and sponsor the violence of their cadres and supporters. They certainly don’t like the violence of their political opponents and are truly against it. But have no problems with the violence of those who belong to them, who support them and campaign for their party.
Yesterday UPND cadres were mobilised and transported to a Catholic Church in Chililabombwe where PF leaders, among them Mr Chishimba Kambwili, Mr Bowman Lusambo and Mr Richard Musukwa were worshipping to attack them. This disgusting conduct was strongly condemned by the Parish priest. There isn’t even a hypocritical condemnation of this barbarism from the key UPND leadership. Why?
On Saturday, we were followed by UPND cadres in Serenje at our meeting in an area where we were supposed to be campaigning as per Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) timetable and were attacked. And there’s no condemnation of this from key UPND leaders. Instead, the UPND leaders have put so much pressure on the police to arrest and charge people who were attacked and had to defend themselves. Not a single UPND cadre has been arrested by the police for this Serenje attack on Socialist Party supporters, cadres and leaders.
We were assaulted by known UPND cadres in full view of the police but no arrests have been made.
As if this was not enough, UPND cadres at night attacked our comrades at the main campaign camp and looted all their campaign materials and foodstuffs. This was after known UPND cadres warned us of doing so in front of police officers at a police post. But up to now no arrests!
Why are UPND cadres untouchable by the police or seem to be above the law? It’s because their violence is sponsored and supported by their leaders who command the police and other law enforcement agencies, and to some extent the courts of law.
So, when it comes to violence the words of UPND leaders are not matched by deeds – they are worthless like salt that has lost its taste.
Here we are dealing with very shameless hypocrites who speak eloquently with their tongues but their hearts are telling lies and are full of evil.
If Mr Hakainde Hichilema really wanted political violence to end he would easily achieve this by stopping the violence of UPND first. If this is stopped the police would easily deal with whatever opposition violence arises. The rotten elements in the opposition can easily be dealt with. As we observed in Serenje, and the PF government experience, the police have serious difficulties dealing with the violence of ruling party cadres. Part of this UPND cadres’ violence arises from their leaders desire to win every by-election at any cost. Violence is used as a tool to stop, paralyse, slow down or frustrate the campaigns of their opponents. Leaders with uncontrolled appetites for electoral victory will have no scruples deploying violence as an electoral tool.
We shouldn’t forget that even the most violent will not say that they want violence; they claim to stand for peace. It’s not what they say that matters but what they do. They say actions speak louder than words. Moreover, how many things have they promised and they have not delivered or have delivered the opposite – fertilisers, mealie meal, fuel, jobs…?
And the buck of UPND cadres’ violence stops at Mr Hichilema.
Fred M’membe,
President of the Socialist Party