Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) spokesperson Margaret Chimanse says the Commission has not recorded or received any reports of violence from the ongoing Katuba by-election campaign.

Last week, Patriotic Front (PF) Central Province chairman Remember Mutale charged that UPND cadres had attacked his camp in Katuba constituency and injured several party members.

But Chimanse in an interview said the Commission was not aware of any recorded violence in the area, as no one reported.

“I am from speaking from our team member, who is in Katuba, and they haven’t recorded anything. What we would advise stakeholders and political parties, particularly those who are working during the campaign, is to advise the Conflict Management Committee if there is an issue or if there has been an issue where conflict was involved or violence. If they don’t report, we don’t know because we cannot just rely on what is being shown on whatever media. What is important is for those who are involved to report such issues to the commission,” Chimanse said.

And when asked for the ECZ’s position on the appointment of Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) executive director Patrick Nshindano as the ECZ’s new director, Chimanse expressed ignorance on the development.

“I have no information on that [and] I am hearing it from you. The Commission hasn’t issued any statement to that effect. If we did have anything, we would have issued a statement in that regard,” replied Chimanse.