Maravi

PF youths condemn Ng’ombe violence

PF youths condemn Ng’ombe violence
By Mutale Kapekele
Thu 27 May 2010, 04:01 CAT

PF youths at Post Newspapers offices on Tuesday - Pictures by Collins Phiri
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) youths have condemned the violence witnessed in Lusaka over the weekend in Ng’ombe township.

Lusaka Province PF deputy youth chairman Daniel Kalembe, who led a large crowd of youths to The Post Newspapers on Tuesday, said the citizens did not feel protected by the police from alleged violence by MMD cadres.

“We, the PF youths in Lusaka, would like to express our profound concern on the degrading state of peace that Zambia has enjoyed since independence,” Kalembe said.

“The violence that characterised the recent Mufumbwe and Milanzi by-elections, the ferrying of MMD cadres to Luapula Province to protect the second Republican president Dr Frederick Chiluba, the illegal grabbing of land by MMD cadres led by Lusaka Province MMD chairperson William Banda near SOS village and recent threats to sort out our president Michael Sata, are taking the country back into the vigilante era when citizens were brutalised by party cadres and the state tolerated the situation by failing to protect the citizens.”

Kalembe charged that it was surprising that the recent violence the country witnessed seemed to have the “blessing” of the President.

“The MMD cadres have completely usurped the role of the police in Zambia. William Banda is still reeling in the vigilante hangover and has no place in the new democratic dispensation,” he said.

“PF is a peaceful party and has always embraced a non-violent approach to resolving issues. But our party will not stand aloof and watch our leaders being threatened and attacked by MMD cadres in the full view and knowledge of the police who only enforce the law when it is the opposition that attempt to defend themselves.”

Kalembe said the PF youths would not hesitate to form a watch group to protect their leaders and citizens if the police failed to take action against perpetrators of violence.

“PF will not allow its law abiding and peaceful members to be brutalised by the MMD sponsored thugs,” he said. “We urge the police to be professional in handling matters of violence and avert the country plunging into the abyss of anarchy.”

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CADRES, DANIEL KALEMBE, PF, POLITICAL VIOLENCE

posted by MrK @ 2:20 PM