(LUSAKATIMES) PF cadres severely beat up two founder members

PF cadres severely beat up two founder members
Saturday, June 6, 2009, 11:55

A GROUP of Patriotic Front (PF) cadres yesterday severely beat up two founder members of the party who had called a Press briefing to demand for a convention and changes to the party’s constitution.

The two, Samson Zulu, who called himself an interim chairperson of a pressure group within PF, and Mubanga Chileshe, the chairperson for mobilisation, abruptly stopped their Press briefing when PF cadres pounced on them.

As soon as the two decided to stop answering questions from journalists who had gone late for the briefing, a group of about seven PF cadres stormed the conference hall at Court Yard Hotel and immediately started beating up the duo.

The cadres said Mr Zulu was arrogant and started beating him while dragging him downstairs from the conference hall in full view of journalists who had gone to cover the event.

As Mr Zulu and Mr Mubanga resisted being taken away from the hotel, the beating continued to the surprise of staff and management of the hotel who did not do or say anything about the turn of events.

However, noticing that the PF cadres were more interested in Mr Zulu, Mr Mubanga managed to flee and hid behind the hotel as his colleague was dragged outside the hotel’s premises.

Mr Zulu was dragged across Thabo Mbeki Road to a taxi rank opposite the National Assembly Motel where he was further beaten and bundled into a waiting van which sped off.

The fracas caused commotion with motorists wondering what was happening as Mr Zulu, who was severely bleeding from the mouth, pleaded with onlookers to assist him.

The van that carried Mr Zulu sped away and one police officer who was in the vicinity went to the hotel where he located Mr Mubanga and helped him escape in a private motor vehicle.

Court Yard Hotel management said they did not know what happened except that PF leader Michael Sata had telephoned the hotel to find out if there was any PF Press briefing.

A manager at the hotel, Hari Lavu said after Mr Sata was told that there was a Press briefing, he said he did not know about such an event.

Before the briefing ended, workers saw the two people being beaten and taken away.

Mr Lavu said as far as the hotel was concerned, the people who held the Press briefing had paid for the venue.

However, when reached for a comment, PF Spokesperson Given Lubinda declined to comment on the issue, saying he had received no information about the beating and manhandling of the two PF leaders and their call for a convention.

“What time did it happen? I am not able to comment because I have got no information about the clash,” Mr Lubinda said.

[Times of Zambia]