President Edgar Lungu says the Kafue victory has shamed merchants of violence who want to impose an alien culture on the peaceful people of Zambia.

In a statement issued by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda, the Head of State said the victory is a clear example of the supremacy of ideas that the PF had over falsehoods.

“This victory represents the triumph of the enduring power of peace over violence. We have won, and we shall continue to win in a peaceful manner. But this particular poll is a clear example of the supremacy of ideas over falsehoods. Secretary general, please accept on behalf of all our hardworking party cadres, my heartfelt congratulations on this well deserved victory, and pass on the message of peace and my instruction that none of our youths must be ferried into campaign areas to commit violence,” President Lungu said.

President Lungu said he would not tolerate violence for as long as he remained Head of State.

“Those who resort to violence have no place in our dispensation. As I have stressed in the recent days, violence will not be tolerated in any election as long as I remain president. In the forthcoming parliamentary and local by-elections on April 11, I expect police to be more proactive and forestall any possible incidents of violence,” President Lungu said.

President also regretted the arrest of some opposition UPND supporters for being in possession with offensive weapons on the day of voting in Kafue.

“We formed government without using violence because we are a peaceful party. We shall continue to use the strength of ideas, civil messages and continuous political mobilizations informed by virtues of tolerance and co-existence. In addition to public rejection, plotters of violence will face the full force of the law. Given a chance, people will always reject violent parties and the signs of this are written all over our political landscape. But the majority of the people reject violent parties because the majority of the people of this great republic are non-violent and inherently democratic in character. That is why we in PF are irrevocably resolved to upholding the values of non-violence and the promotion of peaceful co-existence,” said President Lungu.