Catapult-wielding MMD cadres ground ZAF chopper in Mufumbwe

Catapult-wielding MMD cadres ground ZAF chopper in Mufumbwe
By Misheck Wangwe in Mufumbwe
Fri 09 Nov. 2012, 14:00 CAT

OVER 20 MMD cadres at Kyamwina grounds in Mufumbwe on Wednesday attempted to stone a ZAF helicopter that was ferrying election staff and materials within the constituency.

And Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) commissioner Minerva Tembo said it was illogical for anybody to think that the Mufumbwe election would be rigged.
The helicopter could not take off on time as it was surrounded by cadres armed with catapults and knobkerries, threatening to stone it and accusing the ECZ and the PF of trying to rig yesterday's by-election.

North Western Province police commissioner Eugene Sibote, who confirmed the incident in an interview said the police had arrested an MMD cadre identified as Fred Mangisa, 30, who has since been charged with conduct likely to cause the breach of peace.

"A ZAF officer came running at the police station and told us that the irate cadres want to stone the chopper. When our officers rushed there, these cadres started throwing stones at the officers. The one arrested (Mangisa) from chief Chizela areas was using a catapult and one of my officers was hit in the process," Sibote said.

He said the police confronted the cadres that were claiming that the air-lifting of election materials and election staff was one way of rigging the election.

"They were saying they are suspicious about these materials being air-lifted; now to us it was not a very valid concern. This constituency is vast and a chopper has been used so many times during elections. We are not interested in individuals that want to unnecessarily alarm the nation and make false claims of rigging. There are places that are closer to Kaoma and very far from this place and a chopper is used," Sibote said.

And speaking during a stakeholders' meeting yesterday, Tembo said political parties must refrain from telling lies that had potential to disrupt peace.
"What happened over the chopper was regrettable. How can elections be rigged in a chopper when records are there to verify and countercheck the process? If we ask how and where rigging takes place, can you explain? This is the confusion that you are perpetuating and it must be stooped," Tembo said.

MMD leader Nevers Mumba, who went to the police station on Wednesday, vowed that party cadres would do everything possible to defend themselves and the votes because the PF had engaged in malpractices.

Mumba, who was in the company of Gabriel Namulambe, said the party expected the police to take action against PF cadres that had engaged in electoral malpractices.

He alleged that the PF was beating up MMD cadres and they were going round distributing stuffs to people despite the campaign period coming to an end.
"Listening to you commissioner, you mean well but there is a big thing going on. If you don't stop people like Judge Ngoma, the people in the MMD will stop him but stopping him, it may be bad for both the groups which we don't want the police to allow what's happening. We are giving you a tip to save lives. Even if you answer us and give us explanations, it will not change what they are planning to do," Mumba said.

But Sibote said the police would work professionally and according to the law, adding that it was unacceptable for anybody in the MMD to think that the command was biased.

He said officers had been deployed on the ground to monitor the situation and to bring those breaching the law to book.

But PF campaign manager Jean Kapata said it was sad that Mumba had resorted to lies after noticing that the PF was enjoying popularity in Mufumbwe.

Kapata said the PF had not in any way engaged in malpractices in Mufumbwe and it was sad that stories were being fabricated by the MMD to portray a picture that there was violence in Mufumbwe when in fact not.

"It is sad that Nevers Mumba is now a blatant liar. He is a pastor, he must be telling then country the truth. We are not campaigning as PF, it's the MMD camp that is trying to cause confusion and our people have been avoiding them," Kapata said.

Voting started on a slow pace and final results are expected by 10:00 hours today.