Maravi

Turn your tears into votes, Mongu mother urges WP

Turn your tears into votes, Mongu mother urges WP
By Mwala Kalaluka in Mongu
Tue 23 Aug. 2011, 17:10 CAT

A Mongu mother says Western Province women should turn their tears for those that were killed over the Barotseland Agreement on January 14 into votes to oust the murderous MMD government. And the Mongu Central PF parliamentary candidate says immediate past area member of parliament Joseph Mulyata failed to deliver because he considered politics just a game.

During a PF campaign rally held at Mukoko Basic School grounds in Mongu on Saturday, Ilinanga Mubonde, who witnessed how 31-year-old Barotse amputee Davison Siyoto was shot at by police in Mongu on January 14 this year said September 20, 2011 should be a day of mourning in Western Province.

Ilinanga Mubonde of Mongu's Katongo area said in Silozi that what she witnessed on January 14 during the Mongu fracas caused her excruciating pain in her heart.

Mubonde told the crowd which kept on referring to President Rupiah Banda's MMD as babulayi killers, that Siyoto was shot whilst retreating and raising his hands in a surrender posture.

"That guy whose leg was amputated was shot in my premises," Mubonde said. "Even when that police officer got hold of the gun and shot at him, I was observing from the door. He was shot at, at the house of the MMD chairman for Katongo ward."

Mubonde said Siyoto had gone to Katongo area in a bid to find a peaceful environment from the confusion going on in other areas of Mongu town.

"I was at that time selling beer and he started buying from my place and drinking from there. Unfortunately, we heard the sound of a gunshot and we scampered from where we were and entered the house," Mubonde said.

"I saw that the number of police officers had increased in my yard and there was no other colour around apart from green. I opened the door to observe what was happening. We saw one police officer signaling to another police officer that they should check on one side of the yard."

Mubonde said Siyoto was trying to go outside when police officers ordered him to stop.

"I saw him raise his hands as a way of surrendering. They approached him but he told them he was not doing anything and that he just wanted to seat within the yard," she said. "They told him to go back where he was but after moving two to three steps, there was another gunshot and he fell on the ground."

The crowd agreed with Mubonde that anybody that would allow a murderer in their house was signing a death contract.

"My colleagues, especially us women, let us take this seriously. This mourning is not for one person and even during funerals it is us women who cry the loudest. Sometimes even a funeral of somebody you don't know, just seeing another crying you also shed tears," Mubonde urged.

"It should be the same here. We should not be swayed by chitenges. Let us watch the murderers among us. Those that died did not wish to lose their lives. They government did not only want those from Linyungandambo to be killed but what they wanted was for every Lozi to die. Reject murderers."

A Mongu resident, Kanyanga Liwoyo, said in Mbunda that Mulyata did not deserve any votes from the people of Mongu Central because he had nothing for them in five years.

PF Western Province secretary Morris Litula urged the electorate to reject politicians that wanted to divide them on tribal lines because development did not choose one's colour or tribe.

And PF Mongu Central parliamentary candidate Nathaniel Mubukwanu told the people that because of failing to deliver to the people of Mongu Central, Mulyata was now ashamed of meeting them.

"Because we took politics as a mere game, that is why we took people like Mulyata to go and play in the game," Mubukwanu said. "This is why five years has elapsed without Mulyata doing anything - because it is a game."

Mubukwanu said the MMD were now in trouble and that it was time for the people to liberate themselves. He asked the people not to allow the God-given chance to liberate themselves slip away from them.

Labels: BAROTSE FREEDOM MOVEMENT, PF, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 5:33 PM