We’re giving UPND sleepless nights and nightmares – UKA

We’re giving UPND sleepless nights and nightmares – Saki

By Fanny Kalonda(The Mast)

UNITED Kwacha Alliance chairperson Sakwiba Sikota says the alliance is giving government sleepless nights as it is constantly on their minds.

Sikota said the alliance is operating the way the UPND alliance is operating, which is acknowledged on official programmes and state events without being registered.

Featuring on Diamond TV’s Breakfast show on Friday, Sikota said if the UPND alliance can go ahead without registration, “why shouldn’t the United Kwacha Alliance also go ahead?”

“It seems like we are constantly on their minds day in and day out. The only thing occupying them is UKA. It’s seems as if we are giving them sleepless nights and nightmares, you know. I wouldn’t be surprised that each morning they are being shaken awake by their spouses because they are chattering and moaning in their sleep having a nightmare and their spouses saying UKA, UKA iwe, UKA,” he said. “And they wake up and hear UKA and it puts them back into that mood. So basically what I’m saying is that there is this obsession by them about UKA and I understand it. It is something which has taken hold countrywide. It has spread to all corners, all sections of society. Everybody is talking about UKA. So in their minds they have got a plan to say we must stop it by all means.”

Sikota explained that UKA does not need to be registered for it to operate.

“First thing is we don’t even need to be registered. We are operating just like the UPND alliance is operating. Nobody says the UPND alliance is legal or anything like that. In fact, if anything, if you look at official programmes on state events they will even put UPND Alliance members. It will be in official state documents,” Sikota explained. “Now, if they are able to operate, why can’t another alliance operate just because it’s an opposition alliance? It shows the fear that they have and it shows also that they are not sincere when they comes up with things like ‘oh, they are not registered’!”

He said the UPND keeps on creating all kinds of roadblocks because of their fear of UKA.

“On the registration part we made the application, reserved the name and everybody knows that they have been putting all kinds of roadblocks to try to stop us from actually concluding the registration. There was that whole circus that they created over the fingerprints, sending us from Woodlands Police Station to Force Headquarters. From Force Headquarters, Lusaka Division. Lusaka Division saying no, go back to Force Headquarters,” said Sikota. “So much so that I had to come and say we have got to bring this to an end. Let me go and see the permanent secretary at home affairs and I went and saw the permanent secretary. And to be quite honest, he had no reason that he could give us as to why they kept on making us going from pillar and post. And so he was forced to say okay I will talk to the police. They keep on creating all kinds of roadblocks, that’s what I’m saying because of this fear they have of UKA. What the state would have to tell us is, if UPND Alliance can go ahead without registration, why shouldn’t United Kwacha Alliance also go ahead? What is good for the goose must be good for the gander.”