Maravi

MMD militia

MMD militia
By The Post
Mon 11 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT

MMD are at it again. The comments by Lusaka Province youth chairman Chris Chalwe is another clear signal that Rupiah Banda is determined to use violence against his opponents or anyone that he thinks is not supporting him.

But what is wrong about Chalwe’s announcement is that he is actually confirming the Copperbelt MMD's claim that they are running a militia. This is a serious development that Rupiah should not continue to ignore. These Gimboz, as they call themselves, will land Rupiah into a lot of trouble.

The desperation that Rupiah is showing is a serious threat to the peace and stability of our country. Anyone who enters State House should know the day they do so that no matter how long it may take, they will leave it. This is a system of government that we have chosen for ourselves.

To go into State House with a mind that does not accept the possibility of exit leads to desperation that can result in the sort of irrational behaviour that we have seen in Rupiah and his minions.

It is indefensible that they have decided to exploit unemployed youths and other desperate people to carry out these evil acts. Instead of working to provide employment and other opportunities for these able-bodied citizens, they are using them to fight aimless political battles.

The possibility of leaving the presidency should not be so worrying for somebody who has been doing correct things. We saw this in Levy Mwanawasa.

He seemed prepared to leave the presidency even after his first term. This made him independent of cheap political manipulation. He understood that his job as president would not always make him popular.
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Levy also seemed to understand that some of the decisions that he was taking for the benefit of the people could cost him his presidency. But as we said whilst he was still alive, there was something noble about Levy. We do not think that Levy would have resorted to the kind of violent desperation that we are seeing in Rupiah.

Even the current gymnastics about abuse of office are a result of people being worried by the inexplicable acquisition of property and wealth that Rupiah and his league have engaged in.

But even with those problems that they have, it is not proper for them to start creating militias.

As we continue to remind them, this sort of violence may appear beneficial to them today but it won’t be long before they find themselves on the receiving end of the same violence that they are fomenting today.

Everybody can now see that William Banda’s operation orders are to molest and inflict harm on any of the political opponents of Rupiah.

This explains the courage of the likes of Chalwe, the Lusaka thug that can take a public platform and tell the nation that they are the defence security and military wing of the party. Why should a political party need a military wing? We saw in Chilanga the other day why the MMD needs a military wing.

The attack on UPND president Hakainde Hichilema is a clear indication of things to come. Rupiah’s recklessness is threatening to Balkanise this country.

What they are forgetting is that today, they might stop Hakainde from going to Chilanga because they have got their thugs to block him. But tomorrow, they also may fail to go into an area where Hakainde’s party is strong. This is not an acceptable state of affairs. But clearly, Rupiah thinks that this is okay.

It is not too long ago that George Kunda had to stop to give way to PF president Michael Sata’s motorcade during the Chifubu by-election. There was no violence involved but the reaction that came from Rupiah and some of their paid social commentators and ‘non-governmental individuals’, NGIs, was shrill.

To them, giving way to a group that was bigger to pass was an insult that they could not stomach. And yet they are busy sponsoring thugs to molest their political opponents.

If anyone was in doubt that Rupiah was behind what is going on, his silence on the matter speaks volumes. How can a president who was sworn to uphold the Constitution keep quiet when his party functionaries continue to announce the existence of illegal militias that they are going to use to bully and inflict violence on his opponents?

It is interesting to note that Chalwe’s threats were targeted at Enoch Kavindele and Jonas Shakafuswa.

These threats were issued because according to this militia, Kavindele and Shakafuswa had issued negative comments and insults against the President. Chalwe also said that the threat to bar Kavindele and Shakafuswa from attending the convention applied to other senior people who know that they are in bad standing with the party.

Predictably, the statement that Chalwe issued was copied to William Banda, Rupiah’s personal demon of violence.

These thugs have decided that they are going to mete out violence against people that they claim to have insulted Rupiah. But what they do not tell us is what those insults are. They also go further to tell us that they will bar anyone who has issued negative statements against Rupiah.

To them, speaking against Rupiah or criticising him is an insult. This is the kind of democracy that Rupiah wants to develop. It is also understandable that these thugs are allowed to confess to being members of illegal militia groups without any consequences. As long as something is said in apparent defence of Rupiah, it is acceptable. Even if it is criminal, no criminal sanctions can ever follow.

This matter needs to concern all people of goodwill in our country. We cannot allow this kind of lawlessness to develop whilst we are watching. For our part, we will continue to denounce this nonsense. As for Rupiah, he seems prepared to commit treason if that is what it takes to keep power. That raises the question: why does he want this power?

If he wanted this power in order to help our people and do correct things for our country, he would not be prepared to resort to violence in order to serve. That would be a contradiction. The logical explanation for what is going on is that this desperation to keep power at any cost must be because Rupiah and his minions would like to continue the RP Capital and Zamtel type of deals.

And to do this, they are prepared to turn themselves into warlords that exploit unemployed youths and other desperate people into their militias to ensure that by hook or crook or any amount of violence, they retain power.

We challenge the police to tell the nation why they so shamelessly allow these MMD thugs to continue issuing threats and telling the nation that they run militias.

Is there anybody in this country who is allowed to run a private militia? What we saw in Chilanga the other day is simply the beginning of something that Rupiah would like us to get used to. We know that Francis Kabonde is a disgraced chief of police but there should be levels to which he is not prepared to go if he has to continue considering himself a human being.

A policeman who respects himself cannot allow thugs and all sorts of criminals to continue announcing their illegal activity without fear of the law. Kabonde, like all of us, is a Zambian who should have some pride in his job. If he cannot do his job, he should do the decent thing – go home and rest!

Labels: CADRES, CHRIS CHALWE, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, WILLIAM BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:24 PM