Rupiah is giving ZANAMA too much power – Musenge

Rupiah is giving ZANAMA too much power – Musenge
By Zumani Katasefa and Mwila Chansa
Sat 09 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT

NKANA Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Mwenya Musenge has accused President Rupiah Banda of giving Zambia National Union of Marketeers (ZANAMA) too much power.

And ZANAMA vice-secretary general Enock Chifuka accused police of working in collaboration with the PF and failing to protect ZANAMA offices from being damaged from rowdy Chisokone marketeers.

Speaking to journalists after he appeared before police at Kitwe Central Police Station for questioning in connection with the protest at Chisokone Market on Thursday which left ZANAMA offices destroyed, Musenge said it was very unfortunate that ZANAMA had been given so much power by the Republican President.

“It is very, very unfortunate because ZANAMA has been given so much powers by our Republican President because of so called title deeds because each time they ZANAMA call, the President responds to their wishes. This is what you expect,” Musenge said. “About 6,000 miners lost their jobs here on the Copperbelt Province, it was not very important to Rupiah Banda and he never bothered.

And it does not bother him up to now, he is not bothered and he never rushed to come and comfort people who had lost jobs, the miners. But he rushed here to come and glorify ZANAMA who are now…this is not a first case there is already a court case where they ZANAMA broke ribs of one person and the case is dragging on in court.

“We know that something is going on wrong. Now here is a life that has been lost. How can somebody say I created this confusion? Why? Why did they beat a person, these are things we are talking about.”

He said there was no way he could agitate for confusion in his area as member of parliament.

Musenge said police were still investigating his alleged involvement in the protest and the consequence of burning the ZANAMA offices.

Musenge said the police had promised to get back to him once his involvement in the matter was proved.

And Chifuka said it was sad that some political parties such as the PF were trying to make political capital out of the death of Chisokone marketeer Charles Kalenge.

He said the security neighbourhood watch under ZANAMA never beat the deceased.

“Surprising enough, you know that the Copperbelt is dominated by the PF, they twisted the story that the ZANAMA had killed a person,” he said.

Chifuka said the time some PF members heard that the deceased was admitted to Kitwe Central Hospital, some PF members led by Mulonda Mwanza mobilised people at Chisokone Market in readiness for the protest.

Chifuka said goods worth about K200 million were damaged in the ZANAMA office, which was set ablaze by the irate protesters.

Marketeers at Chisokone market on Thursday run amok following the death of Kalenge who they alleged was beaten to death by ZANAMA officials. The marketeers carried Kalenge’s coffin into the market in protest against his death and set ZANAMA offices on fire. However, ZANAMA officials claimed that Kalenge fell from the ceiling after he attempted to escape from the ZANAMA cell where he was detained.