Leaders engaging in electoral corruption should be arrested - Mwata Kazembe

Leaders engaging in electoral corruption should be arrested - Mwata Ka
By Patson Chilemba in Mwansabombwe and Mulimbi Mulaliki in Solw
Wednesday October 08, 2008 [04:00]

MWATA Kazembe of the Lunda people of Luapula Province has said leaders that are engaging in electoral corruption should be arrested. And Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata said Zambians should not shed blood to get what rightfully belongs to them.

Speaking shortly before a meeting with Sata at his palace in Mwansabombwe on Monday, Mwata Kazembe said politicians that engaged in electoral malpractices should be arrested. He said Zambians should be allowed to vote for a leader of their choice.

Mwata Kazembe also urged Zambians to maintain peace before and after the elections.
And during a huge rally, Sata urged Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) director Dan Kalale to ensure that ECZ conducted a free and fair election. He said Zambians should not shed blood to get what rightfully belonged to them.

He said people should not risk the country's future by electing someone with double allegiance.

Sata told Mwansabombwe residents that they had waited for years to be freed from the slavery of poverty.

"We have waited 44 years," he said.
On the forthcoming Mwansabombwe parliamentary by-election, Sata said the election followed MMD member Maybin Mubanga's disrespect for Mwata Kazembe.
However, he promised to restore the authority of chiefs once elected.
"You people of Zambia, you should have respect. Wait. There are only 25 days remaining. You get Mwata and you start playing around with him?" Sata wondered. "I have promised that Mwata you stay at your palace. I want to add more power to you than what your grandfather had."

Sata further said he would abolish the title of sub-chiefs.
"You can't have a sub-chief. A chief is a chief. Village headman is village headman," he said.

Sata further said PF would pass a law to ensure that members of parliament, particularly those from rural constituencies, stayed within their respective constituencies in order to share in their people's sufferings.

Sata also officially introduced Mwansabombwe parliamentary candidate Samuel Chitonge to the people.
Meanwhile, MMD cadres in Solwezi allegedly attacked PF cadres that were campaigning for Sata in the district.

PF councillor for Kitwe's Bupe ward, Elias Kamanga, who is coordinating the campaigns in Solwezi in a walk-in interview at The Post offices complained that MMD had continually attacked his cadres that were campaigning in the area.
"We have taken over the support MMD had in this province so they are now jittery because they know that most people in the province are now supporting PF," he said.
However, Kamanga complained that police had not protected the PF cadres despite having reported the matter to them.

"I am appealing to MMD cadres campaigning not to resort to violence; let them tell the people as to what the MMD government has been doing for them. We are scared that this kind of behaviour is being perpetrated by the party in power," he said.
Kamanga disclosed that on Monday around 21:00 hours, MMD cadres attacked them at their campaign base about 200 metres away from the police station and that it took police officers one hour to arrive at the scene.

But MMD youth provincial chairperson Newton Malwa accused PF cadres of provoking MMD cadres who were conducting a peaceful and issue-based campaign.
He said PF was not even a factor in their campaign in North Western Province because Sata was not popular due to his insults.

"Sata has been insulting the people from this province and they have resolved not to support him, the only contender we consider in this province is UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema, not Sata," Malwa said.
Meanwhile, North Western Province Police commanding officer Fabian Katiba confirmed that three PF cadres were assaulted in Messengers' compound during door-to-door campaigns.

He said police issued medical reports to the trio for them to receive medical attention.
However, Katiba said police had not yet received a report on PF cadres and officials that were attacked by MMD cadres at their campaign command centre.