Lungu unfair to Wynter - UPND
By Roy Habaalu
Tue 03 Sep. 2013, 14:01 CAT

EDGAR Lungu is being unfair to Wynter Kabimba by demanding that he disciplines hooligans who on Saturday destroyed property at Northmead High School, says UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa.

Commenting on Lungu's statement that PF secretary general Kabimba, as the custodian of the party, should come to the rescue of the PF and stop the increasing levels of indiscipline among members, Mweetwa said Kabimba had nothing to do with the atrocious and heinous criminal activities perpetrated by PF members believed to be supporters of defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba.

Mweetwa, who is Choma Central member of parliament, said it was Lungu's responsibility as Minister of Home Affairs, to enforce law and order for the safety of the nation. He said Lungu was washing his hands and putting Kabimba in the spotlight.

"It is alarming that as Minister of Home Affairs, who should stamp authority vested in his office to enforce law and order so that the law visits those hooligans breaking the law with utmost impunity, the minister has chosen to engage in gerrymandering, hide and seek and decided to trivialise a serious issue and relegate it to the secretary general of PF," Mweetwa said.

"Wynter is innocent in all this; it's the domain of the Minister of Home Affairs to handle crimes committed. Wynter is not responsible for criminal activities as SG (secretary general). The succession plan in PF is deep-rooted and one person can't be singled out and you can't blame it on the secretary general. It can't be solved overnight."

Mweetwa said what happened at Northmead was beyond PF and had become of national interest.

He demanded that Lungu tells the nation the full measures he would enforce against the perpetrators because what they did bordered on national security.

Mweetwa said it was sad that the political leadership was applying kid gloves on their hands and began to baby-play on an issue with far-reaching consequences.

"This is a living testimony that PF is the most violent party and damning indictment. As a ruling party, PF has a moral obligation to respond to challenges and mirror that they are a ruling party in a democracy. The police should tell us how they agreed to give PF a permit at a public place when we as UPND, they have refused. We demand strongly that before schools open, PF, and not government, is surcharged and repair the colossal damage caused at Northmead Basic School. They should not be allowed to exercise their impunity on public property," Mweetwa said.

Mweetwa said if members of the ruling party could maim each other, death was certain if violence involved opposition political parties.

On Sunday, Lungu said Kabimba should come to the rescue of the PF and stop the increasing levels of indiscipline among members.

He said it was saddening to see a breakdown of law and order in the ruling party.

"Personally, I am worried about the trend where party members are at each other's throat. The SG (secretary general Wynter Kabimba) should take decisive action and stop this breakdown of law and order. As disciplinary committee, we only respond to what has been brought before us. For instance, the SG can charge someone for breaking the rules and the aggrieved person then can seek our intervention," said Lungu.