MMD cadres manhandle Post reporter
MMD cadres manhandle Post reporterBy Staff Reporter
Thursday October 09, 2008 [04:01]
THREE MMD cadres on Monday evening manhandled Post reporter Mutuna Chanda and blocked him from covering commerce minister Felix Mutati at Kalulushi Municipal Council. Mutati is on the Copperbelt Province holding campaign meetings ahead of the October 30, 2008 presidential election.
Chanda in the company of photojournalist Abel Mambwe arrived at Kalulushi Municipal Council on Monday evening only to find Mutati in the company of MMD Copperbelt Province chairperson Joseph Chilambwe holding a closed door meeting in the mayor's office while journalists from the Times of Zambia, ZNBC and Zambia Daily Mail waited in the office of the secretary of the mayor.
Chanda explained that few minutes later, an unidentified MMD cadre walked into the secretary's office and ordered The Post reporters to leave the premises.
He said The Post was not needed because that was an MMD function.
According to Chanda, Kalulushi Town Clerk Maxwell Kabanda then came in and advised the cadres to leave them and allow them to do their job.
Chanda explained that the cadres who by then numbered three chased him and Mambwe out of the secretary's office saying there were enough reporters who could cover Mutati and that if they wished they could get what would have been discussed from reporters from Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail.
"Mambwe left but I remained behind and one of the cadres, Charles Kabubi, came and pulled me by my hand and I told him that he did not need to touch me; I told him I could walk on my own," Chanda narrated. "That's how I moved out of the office and went and stood at the entrance of the reception area."
Chanda explained that while at the reception area, Kabubi who is Kalulushi district publicity secretary and two others told him to wait for Mutati outside the fence of the premises.
"I told them that they had no right to chase me because I was in a public place, but they responded: ‘walaponoka’' You will be beaten," Chanda said.
Chanda said Kabubi told him that although it was a public place, the meeting held there was for MMD.
He said Kabubi told him that they did not want The Post because it was too abusive and warned him that should he write what he termed silly things, they would sort him out.
Chanda said Kabubi in his running commentaries told his fellow cadres that MMD would only cooperate with The Post after winning the elections on October 30.
He said when Mutati came out of the building in the company of MMD Copperbelt chairperson Joseph Chilambwe, Kabubi again blocked him from speaking to him and pushed him away while threatening to beat him up.
Chanda said he was only rescued by Chilambwe who also found it difficult to command the cadres to listen to what he was telling them as their provincial chairperson.
Chanda said Chilambwe asked him to follow them to their next venue where Mutati was due to address another meeting but the cadres told him that they did not want The Post to cover their meeting.
Labels: CADRES, ELECTIONS, FELIX MUTATI, MMD, MUTUNA CHANDA, THE POST
posted by MrK @ 12:29 PM
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