Africa-Press – Zambia. The Patriotic Front has charged that the opposition United Party of National Development (UPND) has resorted to political violence in order to push for a government of national unity after the August polls.
PF Media Director Antonio Mwanza said that it is unfortunate that the opposition UPND has decided to cause anarchy in the country as a way of preparing a stage to push for a government of national unity after the August polls.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka today, Mr Mwanza stated that UPND are in a panic mode after realizing that the PF has gained ground into their strongholds such as Western and North Western provinces.
“And what UPND is doing now is to go on a path of violence to disrupt the election process, to delegitimize the election outcome and strategically they have been attacking the judiciary, the electoral Commission of Zambia, attacking the police; denouncing these fundamentals of our democracy with a view of making the outcome of the 2021 general elections look illegitimate, ” Mr. Mwanza said.
The PF Media Director has since challenged Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland and the church to give their stance on the current status of violence being perpetrated by the UPND.
The PF Media Director stated that it is regrettable that stakeholders such as the Commonwealth and the Church have remained mute on the continued violence being witnessed in some parts of the country.
Mr. Mwanza has since challenged the commonwealth and the church to tell Zambians what role they are playing in ensuring that the peace pledge that was recently signed at Mulungushi International Conference Centre is upheld by all political parties.
He has further appealed to the police to be on the lookout in order to thwart any plans of violence by the UPND. Meanwhile, PF campaign Manager for Lusaka Mumbi Phiri has said that she is a very sad person today given the violence being perpetrated by the UPND, challenging the police Inspector General Kakoma Kanganja to arrest perpetrators.
Speaking at today’s PF virtual rally at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Mrs Phiri said that the late Presidents, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa and Michael Chilufya Sata, reconciled their differences and she is scared of what would happen if HH is brought into government.
Mrs Phiri said in 2008, when PF saw violence on the Copperbelt, following Sata’s election loss, Sata went on ZNBC to stop the violence, adding that violence can be stopped by the opposition.
Mrs Phiri said that Mr Sata did not ask the Church to reconcile with Levy at State House, before asking: “Do you know why HH fails to recognise President Lungu as President?”
Mrs Phiri has challenged the Inspector General of police to arrest those perpetrating violence in Sioma and elsewhere in the same vein PF stalwarts are being arrested – an apparent inference to DEC’s nabbing of America One, who is called Innocent Kalimanshi.
