UPND HAS RESUMED POLITICAL VIOLENCE AGAINST INNOCENT PEOPLE-SEAN TEMBO
1. As Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) we are disappointed with increasing levels of political violence being perpetrated by ruling UPND members against the opposition, with no action being taken by the police. Within a space of one week, we have had the opposition Mpika Member of Parliament Honorable Francis Kapyanga being attacked by UPND members while featuring on a radio station, and we have also had the opposition Mandevu Member of Parliament, Honorable Christopher Shakafuswa and his wife attacked and assaulted while officiating at a soccer tournament in N’gombe Compound, Roma Ward 20, Mandevu Constituency. These are just two of the many acts of political violence that have been perpetrated by known ruling UPND members against the opposition in the past few months.
2. As Patriots for Economic Progress we further wish to put it on record that all these attacks and assaults by UPND members are committed by assailants who are well known to the victims. But despite reporting these vicious attacks to Zambia Police, no action is ever taken by the Police to arrest these perpetrators and take them to court.
3. In the premises above, we have no option but to conclude that this systematic assault against the opposition is sanctioned and facilitated by the Government of the Republic of Zambia in general and President Hakainde Hichilema in particular. The State, through UPND militias has been targeting, attacking and assaulting specific individuals and their families because of their political affiliation. This appears to be a grand plan by the ruling UPND party to weaken the opposition through calculated acts of violence.
4. As Patriots for Economic Progress, we wish to remind President Hakainde Hichilema that when the people of this country decided to overwhelmingly vote for him and his party on 12th August 2021, they were essentially voting against political violence and cadrerism. It is therefore surprising to note that President Hichilema is now using his newly acquired position as President of Zambia, to plan and orchestrate a genocide against his political opponents, in the name of correcting the wrongs of the past.
5. As Patriots for Economic Progress we wish to put it on record that the political violence that we are witnessing today is an escalation of the political violence that this country has ever witnessed in the past. Never before have we witnessed events in which an elected opposition Member of Parliament is attacked and assaulted while performing his duties in his constituency. It is totally unprecedented. Therefore, the systematic genocide which President Hichilema and his Government are perpetrating against the opposition does not only undermine the core of our democracy but also undermines the continued existence of Zambia as a unitary State.
6. We wish to remind the Zambian people that President Hichilema is on record during the early days of his Presidency, sanctioning so-called revenge attacks by his party members, and calling such perpetration of violence as normal. That statement by President Hichilema set the tone which is now being followed by his UPND members in attacking and assaulting opposing leaders and their families. This situation is totally unacceptable. We therefore call upon President Hichilema to stop paying lip service to the violence being perpetrated by his UPND members. The President must untie the hands of the Zambia Police Service and allow the police to operate independently so as to bring the perpetrators of political violence to book. If President Hichilema fails to do this, he will be guilty of genocide against the Zambian people.
Thank you and May God Bless the Good Citizens of the Republic of Zambia and Our Ailing Nation.
YOURS SINCERELY
SEAN E. TEMBO (SET)
PARTY PRESIDENT
PATRIOTS FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS (PeP)