Maravi

Rupiah backing William Banda's violence - Panji

Rupiah backing William Banda's violence - Panji
By Patson Chilemba in Mpika
Fri 09 Sep. 2011, 14:01 CAT

POLICE are failing to arrest Lusaka Province MMD chairman William Banda because he has the backing of Rupiah Banda to commit violence, says Colonel Panji Kaunda. And Col Panji said Democratic Republic of Congo's Katanga Governor Moses Katumbi's participation in Zambian politics borders on national security.

Commenting on the failure by police to arrest William for beating up people in Chongwe, Col Panji said he was not surprised that police had failed to arrest William because the President was urging him on.

Col Panji said sometime back he warned that this election would be the bloodiest if the government did not take steps to address the matter.

He said MMD cadres had on several occasions committed violence, but police were always hesitant to arrest them.

Col Panji said no action had been taken against the MMD cadres who violently tried to disrupt the pact forum in Chipata despite a docket being opened by the police.

"So I am not surprised that William Banda is doing it. It's not him doing it. This is Rupiah Banda urging him to go on because if Rupiah Banda was against violence, he should have immediately withdrawn William Banda from what he is doing," Col Panji said.

"It's an offence to pull down posters. It's an offence to disturb any meeting of any party. So what they are doing, beating people, almost killing people openly is to intimidate Zambians from going to vote. They want to scare us from attending meetings for the PF because they know they are going. So we are looking forward to the police tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow to see that William Banda is arrested."

Col Panji said he wanted to see a realisation on the orders Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde recently issued to all the commanding officers to arrest those who were committing violence, especially that William had admitted that he was at the centre of the violence.

"If they don't do it then they are telling Zambians that it's a free-for-all, we can all pick up our guns and start shooting each other because it is allowed. This time the stakes are very high, you are talking of change of government. And if people are intimidated, my advice is defend yourselves," Col Panji said.

"I don't care what they say. If the police can do it for us, we will stop. If police don't act, we must defend ourselves."

And Col Panji said this was the first time ever that a foreign leader was directly interfering in the country's campaigns.

"It borders on national security. What else are they doing apart from broadcasting? Are they bringing arms in here? Are they giving money to the MMD? Are they bringing in materials here? So all these are issues which we must address. After the election the new government must ask DRC President Kabila why his people were interfering with our elections," said Col Panji.

"So that is the issue we must seriously look into and ask the President of Congo ‘your man in Katanga was doing this', or else we shall be enemies. We shall close borders."

Labels: DRC, PANJI KAUNDA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RUPIAH BANDA, WILLIAM BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:10 PM