Maravi

Rupiah is shielding MMD cadres – Kazabu

Rupiah is shielding MMD cadres – Kazabu
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Wed 05 May 2010, 04:10 CAT

UPND chairperson for education, science and technology Luxon Kazabu has observed that President Rupiah Banda’s branding of UPND as a violent party is a ploy to shield MMD cadres who were the real aggressors in the Mufumbwe by-election. And Kazabu has urged the ruling MMD not to behave as if they were landlords of Zambia.

Giving a detailed account of events that surrounded the by-elections in Mufumbwe, Kazabu who was part of the UPND campaign team camped in Mushima ward said the local people and the police knew very well the persons in the fore-front of instigating violence in the area.

He said MMD cadres led by a man identified as Lampen pounced on whoever they suspected or believed to be supporting the opposition UPND.

Kazabu recalled that on April 20, 2010 UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema was scheduled to address a rally in Mushima ward but before he could address it, he and his entourage decided to pay a courtesy call on chief Mushima as per tradition.

“When we walked to the chief’s palace, we found a crowd armed with sticks and all sorts of ammunition you can imagine shouting that, ‘We don’t want you here! Go back!’ Even the chief himself was saying that,” he narrated.

“The vice-president Mr Richard Kapita remarked that ‘what kind of a chiefdom is this?’ We were undaunted because we wanted to fulfill tradition so those people the chief and the crowd said president HH with three or four people could go into the palace and pay the courtesy call. There was a temporary ceasefire.”

He explained that after Hichilema paid the courtesy call, he went back to the rally site and addressed a peaceful gathering.

“In the evening, going into the night after that rally on that day, the aggressors who are the MMD pounced on whoever they believed to be supporting the opposition. They were led by a lumpen called Lampen and that is the one who spearheaded attacks on known UPND supporters,” he said.

Kazabu narrated that the same Lampen ran a hammer mill located just near the two churches that were burnt by MMD cadres.

“The burnt churches were near Mushima Basic School where the MMD had their camp. As a matter of fact, the same school was used as a polling station. That is a serious anomaly and I challenge them to deny it,” he said.

“If really as President Banda claims, our people were the ones that burnt those churches, the first target would have been Lampen’s hammer mill because it is located just near those churches.”

He said UPND as a responsible party with responsible leaders urged their cadres to keep away from the areas where the MMD were allegedly instigating violence.

Kazabu said UPND had no trouble-makers such as the likes of William Banda and others in MMD.

He said when President Banda went to address his rally at Mushima Basic School grounds, the UPND leadership made sure that they evacuated their supporters to a place called Kamatete just to ensure that there was no confrontation between the two camps.

“And President Banda will confirm himself that there were no problems at his rally,” he added.

Kazabu explained that when President Banda paid a courtesy call on chief Mushima, he sought to know the people that burnt the churches and the traditional leader categorically told him that the MMD were responsible.

“And the chief’s own children who are UPND members were present during this meeting. That is when the President made those pledges to assist the two churches that were burnt,” Kazabu explained.

He said after the burning of the churches, word went round that the MMD would re-enforce themselves by bringing in thugs from Mufumbwe boma to cause more havoc and UPND members were gripped with fear but leaders encouraged them not to panic.

He also recalled that on the day Hichilema paid a courtesy call on chief Mushima, three UPND members ran to their camp and reported that they had been knifed by MMD cadres.

He said the UPND camp quickly organised transport and took the three to Kasempa District Hospital but when foreign affairs minister Kabinga Pande arrived, he allegedly manipulated the three to claim that they had been attacked by the UPND.

Kazabu said when some of the UPND members who were headed for Lusaka heard of the MMD’s diabolical plan to attack the UPND camp, they advised that the Mushima camp moves to Kasempa for security reasons but he Kazabu and his colleagues vowed not to go anywhere and that if it meant being killed, they would just be killed.

And Kazabu said the MMD were not landlords of Zambia but were only privileged to be in power at the moment.

“Yes, we are in the opposition but we are not tenants. We have an equal stake with them. As politicians we have a responsibility to guide our cadres to behave in a manner that will help this country otherwise we might set it on a fire that we might fail to put out,” said Kazabu.

“We should deliver our campaign messages without injuring each other physically. This country needs everyone’s contribution. Personally I have sufficient capacity to debate any issue.”

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CADRES, LUXON KAZABU, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:57 AM