Copperbelt UPND youth chairman Kelly Jibinga has warned PF cadres to stay away from the Ndola Police Station when their party leader Hakainde Hichilema appears for questioning over the alleged sale of ZAFFICO if they want peace.

But PF Copperbelt Youth Chairman Nathan Chanda has accused the UPND of wanting to cause violence and then blame it on the ruling party.

In a statement, Monday, Jibinga claimed that the PF had printed UPND party regalia to dress their thugs on that day to cause chaos.

“We wish to warn the Patriotic Front party here on the Copperbelt to stay away from Ndola Police Station on Tuesday when our party president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, will be appearing for questioning over what is known by many as flimsy grounds and alleged sale of ZAFFICO to the Chinese. We are aware that PF has printed our party regalia to dress their thugs and cause chaos on that day and blame us for their own actions. This will not be allowed and we shall screen these known elements of violence if the police will not do so,” Jibinga stated.

“At the same time, our friendly advice to the PF Copperbelt youth chairman Nathan Chanda is don’t allow your cadres to dress in our party regalia and cause havoc because this time around, the country is ready for your malfeasance. Like our party president says, for us in the UPND, it is Zambia and Zambians first.”

And Jibinga appealed to the police to place the interest of the country first when interrogating Hichilema.

“At the same time, we would like to appeal to the police to place the interest of the country first when interrogating our president because his fight for a better Zambia is meant to improve their conditions of service as opposed to a select few top corrupt PF leaders and some senior officers in the service. Our party president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, was robbed of the 2016 electoral victory with only 13,000 votes and this means that half of this country believes in his vision for a better Zambia,” stated Jibinga.

“If anything, the police and PF cadres must realise that Mr Hichilema is placing the interest of our country first by questioning the rampant corruption and sale of State assets by the PF to its associates. The PF cadres must know that this time around, it will not only be our party members to say; ‘no to their illegality,’ but the country as whole. The country is solidly behind our party president, and so you touch him, you touch the country.”

But Chanda counter accused the UPND of printing PF t-shirts so that they could cause violence.

“We want to categorically state that we are fully aware of the opposition UPND schemes to cause violence on Tuesday and blame it on the ruling PF youths. We are aware that the UPND have gotten PF t-shirts to give their youths so that they can cause violence in Ndola when their leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema comes for investigations on Tuesday,” he charged.

Chanda said he directed all PF youths not to wear their party regalia today.

“I therefore, direct that all PF youths from the districts, constituencies, wards up to sections should not wear any PF regalia on Tuesday. We know the youths on the Copperbelt love President Edgar Lungu and are proud of wearing the regalia of PF, we want to direct the youths to follow this directive to shame the violence planners. The plans by the UPND is purely to cause confusion and violence, and transfer the blame on PF. We have direct information about this plan from the UPND. As PF, we want to put it on record that the desperation of the UPND is alarming and unzambian for Zambian is known as a beacon of peace in the world from time immemorial.
The UPND have acquired PF regalia to give to their cadres and fight within themselves,lest paint the PF as a violent party. But we know what the UPND is planning. PF youths are very peaceful and law abiding. We urge the police to pick anyone who will be putting on PF regaila on this day because we want the police to work freely,” said Chanda.

“We appeal to our youths to remain vigilant and avoid any level of violence coming from the UPND. We know our youths have been provoked big time by the threats from the opposition to our leadership, but please we urge all our PF youths to remain calm for our DNA is birthed on peace and love as exhibited by His Excellency the President of Republic of Zambia Mr Egdar Chagwa Lungu who has so far been visiting districts preaching about love, unity and peace in all places even where he was not voted, moreso the massive developments he has taken to all the 10- provinces.”

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema is today expected to appear before the Copperbelt Police Division for investigations on the alleged incitement of residents in Kitwe which resulted into riots over the ‘sale’ of ZAFFICO.