NGOs petition Rupiah to set up enquiry into Mufumbwe violence

NGOs petition Rupiah to set up enquiry into Mufumbwe violence
By Moses Kuwema
Tue 18 May 2010, 04:20 CAT

THREE Civil Society Organisations have formally written to President Rupiah Banda asking him to set up an independent enquiry on the violence that characterised the Mufumbwe by-election.

The three CSOs include the Southern African Center for the Constructive Resolutions of Disputes (SACCORD), Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) and Caritas Zambia. In an interview, SACCORD executive director Lee Habasonda said the CSOs were yet to receive a response from President Banda.

“We know that the president has indicated that he will take the matter to the court but we believe that the court has no mandate to investigate, they will just rely on the evidence from the complainants and the plaintiffs which will be subjective,” Habasonda said.

He said the CSOs were of the view that the violence in the Mufumbwe by-election needed special attention.

“We hope that President Banda will get back to us because we believe he had reacted to the media but this time around we have officially written to him. We heard the Vice-President George Kunda the other day saying the people who caused violence in Mufumbwe need to be taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC). If they find the violence to be so serious, why not set up an independent enquiry which will find out who committed the violence?” he asked.

Habasonda said setting up of an independent enquiry would also show a measure of some commitment against violence from the government.

“We hope this matter will not be perceived as partisan because if next year’s elections are rocked by violence, it will not help to lament so we need to find answers to the violence in Mufumbwe,” said Habasonda.

The Mufumbwe by-elections were marred by political violence, which left three people dead, and several injured.