Lubinda condemns beating of Post photojournalist by MMD

Lubinda condemns beating of Post photojournalist by MMD
Written by Moses Kuwema in Lusaka and Chibaula Silwamba and Christopher Miti in Chipata
Tuesday, March 03, 2009 12:31:00 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda has said the beating up of Post photojournalist Thomas Nsama by MMD cadres is a bad signal for the Rupiah Banda led administration.

And MMD Eastern Province chairperson Kennedy Zulu yesterday condemned his party’s harassment and beating up of Nsama at Chipata airport on Saturday.

Commenting on the incident, Lubinda said the behaviour of the ruling party cadres was a bad development, and should be condemned by all Zambians.

Lubinda wondered whether President Banda's loss of temper when he addressed the cadres at State House on Thursday had started having effects on the MMD members or not.

"People who are intolerant to divergent views have no place in the civilised world we live in because Zambia is a democratic country," he said.

Lubinda appealed to all citizens to uphold the tenets of democracy, which Zambians fought for in 1964.

"We need to preserve the tenets of democracy we fought for in 1964, which for some time was suspended by Rupiah Banda and Kenneth Kaunda between 1972 and 1991 but Zambians regained this freedom. MMD cadres should be made aware that people can be silenced but they can't silence an idea through violence," Lubinda added.

He said resorting to beating up journalists might intimidate one or two individuals but that would not stop people from expressing their opinions.

Lubinda called on the acting Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde to be vigilant and ensure that innocent citizens are protected from enemies of democracy.

"The Inspector General should also exercise power of his office without regard to political affiliation because two weeks ago he announced that he was going to release 500 police officers to guard PF cadres at the courts and yet the number of cadres was only 100, so it meant five police officers per cadre," Lubinda said. "That is excessive power and yet today [yesterday] MMD cadres at the Supreme Court had a free way. William Harrington was harassed by MMD cadres but police were conspicuously missing."

Lubinda said Kabonde should not exercise his power in a manner that exposed his political affiliation, adding that the same standard must be applied to all political parties.

He called on MMD cadres not to allow themselves to be abused by the top leaders of the party.

"Those cadres who marched to State House last Thursday were abused by [MMD deputy national secretary Jeff] Kaande to shift the attention of people from his alleged corruption of inflating figures at the Ministry of Home Affairs," he said.

Lubinda further warned that the PF would not be duped by Kaande as they would continue following up the case.

And in Eastern Province, Zulu condemned the attacks on Nsama but noted that the MMD cadres that attacked the Post photojournalist were not from Eastern Province.

Zulu said the behaviour of the cadres was undemocratic and therefore should be discouraged.

"Cadres beating journalists is undemocratic; it's not good. We should not allow that. We should discourage that. We should not encourage violence," Zulu said. "One thing I know is that it was none of the youths from Eastern Province or should I say those who live in this place."

He said the MMD enjoyed a good relationship with Post Newspapers staff in the province.

"Although you come from Lusaka, I think you personally know that we have got good relationship with your office here. We wouldn't do such a thing especially in front of the President [Rupiah Banda]," said Zulu. "So maybe people came from other places to do that but because I was not there I just read it in the newspaper."

And MMD Chipata district secretary Samuel Lugomo-Phiri condemned the behaviour of the cadres for beating up Nsama.

"Those are Lusaka boys, they are not from here because here we don't tolerate such behaviour," Lugomo-Phiri said.

On Saturday, three MMD cadres suspected to be from Lusaka approached Nsama and demanded to know which media organisation he represented. But when Nsama declined to release his press pass, they said they knew that he was from The Post and they started dragging and beating him up. Nsama was only rescued by alert security personnel from State House.