More condemn UPND cadres for verbally assaulting ECL

By NATION REPORTER 

THE UPND is inciting its cadres and the Zambia police to attack and embarrass former President Edgar Lungu so that he could be cowed into stopping his public appearances which are causing severe discomfort to the governing party leadership, Governance activist Andrew Ntewewe has said.

And Council of Churches in Zambia General Secretary Father Emmanuel Chikoya has said that the time for hooliganism was gone and that the UPND needed to ensure that it delivered on its campaign promises.

Meanwhile, Operation Young Vote (YOV) has condemned UPND cadres for attacking former president Edgar Lungu as they question what motivated the conduct by the cadres.

Fr Chikoya said the attack on former President Lungu should be condemned in the strongest terms because the former head of State deserved respect and was a free citizen who was not under house arrest for his movements to be restricted.

“Every well-meaning Zambian needs to denounce the activities of the cadres and the UPND should just focus on ensuring that they fulfil the promises they made to the people of Zambia,” Fr Chikoya said.

And Mr Ntewewe said the recent attack on former Lungu by UPND cadres may have the blessings of President Hakainde Hichilema because according to him, the head of State has failed to condemn and discipline his truant members who have been causing rumpus across the country.

Mr Ntewewe said that despite the head of State having chosen to lead a quiet life, save for his not too often public appearances, it had become evident that the continued harassment of the former President Lungu had the blessings of the highest authority in the land. He said there had been a sustained propaganda against former President Lungu to the extent that the UPND had started peddling perception that the former head of State was preparing for his second coming into politics.

And YOV executive director, Guess Nyirenda has said it is perturbing to note how the UPND cadres were behaving at national events that were supposed to unite Zambians such as Traditional Ceremonies.

Mr Nyirenda said the conduct of the Youth from the UPND to attempt to physically prevent President Lungu from attending the traditional ceremony in Malambo Constituency at the invitation Chief Nsefu of the Kunda people was despicable. 

“We are very appalled as OYV, especially that those reported to have conducted themselves in an unruly manner were the Youths,” Mr Nyirenda said.

He said their action was cheap, trivial, backwards, ancient and unacceptable behavior and politics and does not only warrant serious condemnation but also punishable by both the law and the gods if it were possible. 

Mr Nyirenda said the question that begged an answer was what had motivated the conduct, why block a former President from attending a traditional Ceremony in his province of origin, very shameful.

He said the police should identify the cadres that attacked Mr. Lungu, arrest them and begin the process of prosecuting them so that they account for their misconduct.

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