Chief Kapichila of the Tumbuka-speaking people in Lundazi says he is concerned with the political violence obtaining in Mkombwe Ward being perpetrated by Patriotic Front cadres.

And UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has told the people of Mkombwe ward to vote for his candidate Joseph Mtonga if they want the area to develop.

Speaking during a rally, Saturday, group headman representing 50 headmen in Chief Kapichila’s village, Phillmon Chipeta, said the current political violence in the area had become a source of worry to the chief.

“The chief is very much concerned with the current political violence here in Mkombwe. People are being beaten by known people who belong to a known political party. Our people are no longer sleeping in their houses in fear of being beaten. The chief is very worried with this behaviour. Zambia is a democracy where people should be free to support the person of their choice, but what we are seeing is that people no longer exercise their right to belong to their party of their choice. Mr. president, as group headman, I want to tell you and these people gathered here that the chief has expressed his concern and says this violence should stop,” Chipeta, speaking on behalf of the chief, said.

Headman Chipeta said the chief wanted the PF government stop its cadres from beating and axing their UPND opponents.

“The chief has appealed to the PF government to ensure that they should stop its cadres who are going round beating their opponents in UPND cadres. The chief wants to see peace during this campaign period,” he stressed.

And Hichilema told the people of Mkombwe ward to vote for Mtonga if they wanted development.

He said there was no doubt that the PF government had failed the people of Lundazi and the country at large.

“When you give a vote on February 12 by voting for my candidate Mtonga here in Mkombwe then you will see development because UPND is a visionary party. We want to bring development here in Mkombwe, here in Lundazi and in this country. It is clear that the PF government has failed to bring development here. As I was coming, I saw the road is bad! I was looking around and I have seen that people here are farmers, but because this PF ‘Paya Farmer’ government is not caring [for] you, my fellow farmers. I am a farmer myself and I understand how farming is run. Once you give my candidate a vote then, come 2021, you [give] me a vote to form government, you will see what we shall do here in Mkombwe and Lundazi,” Hichilema said.

He accused the PF of spearheading violence, saying they had run out of ideas and plans on how to convince Zambians to vote for them.

“This ‘Paya Farmer’ has now realized that Zambians are no longer interested in them and so they are now putting fear in them so that they should not go to vote in order for them to steal the vote. I want to tell you that don’t get frightened by them because soon they will no longer be in government. We shall kick them out because they are only in government to steal! Give us chance to run this nation and stop listening to these PF who are telling you that once you vote for HH, then he will kill you. They go round telling people that don’t vote HH because he is not from here. Would you say there is sense in that? Don’t remain behind this time. Let us go forward by voting for a party that has vision for the people of Zambia,” Hichilema said.

Earlier, he stormed Lundazi Police Station to seek audience with the officer in-charge, who was unavailable, in order to understand the cause of violence in Mkombwe Ward.

“I have come here to see the officer in charge. Where is he?” HH asked one of the officers found at the reception.

“Where is your boss? We have come to find out why he is failing to arrest PF cadres going round breaking people’s houses, axing our cadres and beating them?”

Later, Hichilema had a meeting with 50 headmen of Kapichila village where they presented a list of challenges, among them the lack of boreholes, schools and shortage of medicine at the only clinic in the area.