Maiko Zulu
QUESTIONING THE RULE OF LAW UNDER UPND
This morning on Diamond I watched Socialist Party leader Cde Fred M’membe visiting some of his party members after violent attacks allegedly by the ruling UPND caders in the Eastern Province where the first by election under the new regime is taking place. There was also a clip of UPND Minister of Local Government Garry Nkombo who was earlier challenging his party caders to show that political violence was a Patriotic Front thing.
Well it now seems clear that political violence was not just a PF cancer but rather a political party cancer which continues to show its ugly head whenever there is a call for elections. This same violence is why Zambians kicked the PF out in the hope that there would be normalcy and sanity in the political landscape of Zambia. Its is also clear that people feel they have to fight for public offices as opposed to having citizens choose the best among the aspirants. This foolishness must not be accepted. These are stone age politics that must not be tolerated. We cannot just change the colours of the ruling classes while the behaviours remain the same.
Now that PF is out of the picture, the onus is squarely on the head of President Hakainde Hichilema and his UPND party to answer to these criminal allegations and sort the mess. Politics is not enmity but a battle of ideas and should never be a cause for bloodshed. Good governance should not just be about rhetorical statements by leaders but a practice. We cannot continue on the same path. The UPND ought to realize that they are no longer in opposition and that people still have choices in as far as by elections are concerned and all parties have to be accountable for the behaviour of their members.
We therefore call on the Zambia Police to show us their worth and arrest the people involved in the violence in Eastern Province no matter who they are and what political party they may belong to. We cannot sit and protect criminals anymore. Accepting what happened to Socialist Party members is accepting to go back to the days of PF.
It’s a no for me!
#TheRevolutionWontBeTelevised