Mongu cops protect Rupiah from the people

Mongu cops protect Rupiah from the people
By Mwala Kalaluka in Mongu
Sat 10 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT

MOBILE police officers on Thursday blocked a crowd of Mongu residents that gathered along Airport Road at Kapulanga compound to protest against President Rupiah Banda's visit to the town. And President Banda said his critics have been shamed by the unprecedented 'crowd' that turned up at Mongu Airstrip to welcome him.

President Banda's chopper landed at Mongu Airstrip at 17:00 hours from Lukulu and he was received by a crowd comprising civil servants, plainclothes police and intelligence officers, curious on-lookers and some MMD cadres.

Most of the civil servants, save for heads of government departments, were standing on the eastern side of the apron while the curious onlookers were on the western side and the sizeable crowd of MMD cadres was in the middle in front of the dais.

The sizeable crowd of MMD cadres, some of whom detached themselves from the group to accost President Banda on the apron, waved their party symbol frantically towards the President as soon as he stepped out of the chopper.

But there were very few people waving the MMD symbol on the eastern and western sides of the airstrip, forcing the master of ceremonies, only identified as Danny, to urge them to wave the MMD symbol too.

"Those who take pictures for newspapers they should come here so that tomorrow we see what has happened here on the front page. Yes, there is no doubt about it, RB is going to make it whether you like it or not," Danny said. "Those of you in the western direction we are not seeing you flash the symbol, please do and even those in the east let us see the symbol...Our ZNBC coverage is all over. Our security is all over, we can see...The youths let's shake it up, the head of state has just landed."
As the group of MMD youths that had detached itself from the main group tried to follow President Banda on the apron, his security blocked their way.

"Don't block the youths. The President is here for the campaign. Let them receive him because he is not here on official duties. He has come to campaign and those are the party officials, give them chance to welcome their President," Danny was heard pleading with President Banda's security. "It is allowed wherever you go throughout the country. You can't, give them chance. Don't disturb them, give them chance. They have come to welcome their President, please can you give them chance."
Danny wondered where those who had been cheating that President Banda would not come to Mongu were now that he was in Mongu.

"We just don't want to mention your names but today you have been shamed," said Danny.

MMD provincial acting chairman Katongo Kameya said Western Province belonged to President Banda, which he pronounced as Mbanda.

"We are welcoming you to Western Province today, especially in Mongu Central Constituency. What is before you is an indication that you are winning. Those saying there is no MMD in Western Province are the ones whose parties have no presence here," Kameya said. "We are assuring you that Western Province is yours and you will win it the way you did last time. The Lozis are immensely thankful for the work that you have done for them. The work that you have done in the two and half years is tremendous and we should appreciate by giving you a 100 per cent vote."

And an elated President Banda said, as Mongu district commissioner, a civil servant, exaggeratingly interpreted for him, that he was thankful for the big number of people that turned up to welcome him to Mongu.

"Thank you to all of you for turning up in such big numbers when tomorrow one of the headlines will say the President was met at Mongu Airport by an unprecedented number of people," President Banda said.

"This is a sign that the people of Mongu, the people of the Western Province take these elections very seriously. They are very important elections and we must continue to mobilise so that many people can vote because their vote will determine the future of this country."

President Banda said the things Zambians had achieved in the last three years of his leadership were a marvel to watch.

"We are showing that we are determined to stand up and rebuild, reconstruct and transform our great nation," he said. "Let us reject violence. We have been free since 1964 and at no election have Zambians turned violent. So let us not allow leaders who advocate violence because by so doing they would like to reverse our gains."

President Banda said he was aware there were those who liked taking pictures of him with children.
"I know people like taking pictures of me when I walk to the children because I am different from them. I think they (children) are wonderful when they come to the airport to welcome you, so I always go there then they take the picture quickly to show that there was nobody. He was just met by those little children. The adults are here also," President Banda said.

As President Banda was talking, a plane carrying a delegation from Angolan President Eduardo Dos Santos touched down at Mongu Airport and some of the curious onlookers and party cadres abandoned their positions to watch it land.

"I have just dropped off...that is the delegation from Angola from the President of Angola. They have come to see me here," said President Banda as he realised the interest the plane had aroused in the curious onlookers. "I find that in this campaign many people are interested.
Civil servants, teachers, police, army because they realise that now is the time to decide whether to go forward or to go backwards and I want to thank everyone for the interest that you have shown in our campaign."

But as President Banda was addressing those at the airport, another crowd of PF supporters and other residents had converged at Kapulanga compound waiting for his motorcade.

Armed Mobile police officers had parked anti-riot motor vehicles in front of the gathering as they stood on the Airport road to ensure nobody went towards the turn-off that President Banda's motorcade would use in a bid to avoid passing through Kapulanga area and Mongu town centre.
Police sources said there were pockets of hostility against President Banda at Kapulanga area, especially, where a child was shot and injured by the police in January causing people to fight running battles with the police.

Kapulanga compound and Mongu town centre were the flashpoints during the January 14, 2011 Barotseland Agreement-related Mongu fracas and the majority of those arrested and detained over the issue were from Kapulanga compound and the surrounding areas.

As the presidential motorcade left the airport and approached the Zambia Army regional offices in whose proximity the PF supporters had converged, the police officers blocked the road from any pedestrian and motorists while trading their eyes on the chanting crowd that was now facing the Presidential convoy.

The PF supporters and residents were chanting 'we want change, we want change' as they ran up and down the road waving their party chitenges and PF leader Michael Sata's campaign posters.

Others had stuck several of Sata's campaign posters on a tree at Kapulanga market and as some of the motorists heading in the direction of the airport were told to turn back by the police, they defiantly raised the PF symbol and in the process attracting applause from the crowd.

The defiant chants continued even after President Banda's motorcade veered away from the point by using a winding route behind Kapulanga and Kambule areas to the Presidential Lodge.

Some of the youths were heard celebrating that President Banda failed to drive past them and used a different route because he was scared of them. The police remained in position.