Police impound trucks ferrying MMD supporters

Police impound trucks ferrying MMD supporters
Written by Mubanga Mubanga

POLICE in Nakonde in Northern Province have impounded two trucks which were ferrying suspected MMD supporters to Ntantumbila to cast their votes in yesterday's presidential election. Ntantumbila is about 40 kilometres west of Nakonde border on the Mbala-Nakonde road.

The impounding of the two trucks by the police has left about 69 registered voters stranded, as they have no other means of travelling to the area where they registered to cast their votes.

Nakonde police acting officer-in-charge Ernest Chuni confirmed yesterday in an interview that all the 69 registered voters who were taken to the police station together with the two impounded trucks had been released after subjecting them to scrutiny by the police and other security agencies.

Chuni said police had released all the registered voters and asked them to look for their own transport to take them to the area where they registered.

Chuni also disclosed that investigations had revealed that one of the trucks was hired by a named prominent MMD member, who hails from Ntantumbila village, while the other one belongs to an unidentified member of the ruling MMD.

“Yes, I can confirm to you that as police in Nakonde, we have impounded two trucks namely Fuso truck ABJ 9537 and another Fuso truck registration number ABC 3837 which are now parked at the police station. One of the trucks was allegedly hired by ...," Chuni said.

Chuni also disclosed that about 15 people who were in the trucks suspected to be foreign nationals ran away as they were being led to the police station and police are investigating the matter.

Meanwhile, the eligible voters who were on the trucks told journalists after being screened by the police at the police station that they would not manage to vote as they had no money to pay for transport to go to Ntantumbila.

Jackson Sichalwe of Chimilombe in Nakonde central said the MMD officials promised to take them to Ntantumbila where they registered so as to cast their votes and bring them back to Nakonde after voting

"We were told by MMD officials that there will be free transport to the polling station in Ntantumbila and bring us back but now that police have impounded the trucks which were supposed to take us to Ntantumbila, we are not going to vote today because we have no money to pay for transport," said Sichalwe.

And Beatrice Namundi said she was now stranded after police impounded the truck which she was to use to travel to Ntatumbila where she registered to vote.

But when reached for comment, MMD Nakonde Constituency chairman Joy Siame said it was not true that the MMD officials in the district hired the trucks to ferry registered voters to Ntantumbila to cast their votes.

"It is not true that we as MMD hired the trucks to ferry people to Ntantumbila so as to enable them cast their votes," said Siame.

He claimed that the two trucks were hired by ordinary people.

Siame said it was unfortunate that some people would not be able to vote because of the move by the police to impound the trucks.

And election monitor Christopher Chanda from the Zambia National Women Lobby Group [ZNWLG], who tipped the police on the alleged electoral malpractice, said he spotted the two trucks loading people near Nakonde central market and later left for Ntantumbila.

Chanda said about 15 people escaped and ran into the nearby bush after police impounded the trucks.

And voting in Nakonde central started on a low note but later, the situation improved after 10:00 hours and the atmosphere was generally peaceful.