UPND secretary general Stephen Katuka says more demonstrations are bound to occur countrywide because people are feeling the pinch of poor governance.
Chaisa residents on Tuesday took to the streets, threatening to burn down a Zesco customer care service centre in protest against long hours of load shedding.
But PF media director Sunday Chanda accused the opposition UPND of mobilising Chaisa residents to protest against long hours of load shedding.
“Patriotic Front (PF) joins the multitudes of Zambians in condemning the desperation by United Party for National Development (UPND) who cajoled other people’s children to protest against supposedly load shedding in Chaisa Compound. UPND is a malicious socio-political misfit that has been rejected multiple times by the Zambian people; so out of desperation, they now want to fan civil unrest. They have become so desperate that they not only pose a danger to the current general peace and stability of our beloved Zambia: but to Zambia’s future as well as our children,” Chanda stated.
“But why did UPND choose to place innocent young lives in harm’s way? It’s clear; because they wanted at least one of the children to die in order to make political capital out of it. They are ready to sacrifice human life. That’s why people call them satanic. The Chaisa farce is part of a scam by the UPND leadership to front other people’s children from “ku komboni” in their reckless politics. The UPND life president is eagerly hoping to spark riots across the country to further his personal political interests, even if it means sacrificing the lives of innocent children in the process.”
He urged police to investigate the matter and further called upon the church to condemn the protests.
“We urge the Police to investigate this matter even as we thank them for their professional handling of the matter under extreme provocation by politicians who are red with their blood thirstiness. This is rain season and everyone knows load shedding will significantly reduce. Clearly as the rains pour, and the water bodies fill up, load shedding will drop; yet someone wants to capitalise on it before it ends. Their desperation is mindless,” stated Chanda.
“It’s an outrage! How can someone be so desperate to engineer protest by children to march against load shedding? Shame what a spineless cowardly low life fellow! UPND has no Scruples, no Principals, no morals, no care for Zambia. They have a seared conscience. It’s all about themselves and their leader. Consequently, we invite the Church and other spiritual and moral voices to join the growing loud chorus of condemnation against these child sacrificers. We also ask parents to take care of their young ones and keep them from the red bloody stained sacrificial altars of these child abusers hiding behind a political party. Spare the children: don’t spoil their future.”
Reacting to Chanda’s allegations in an interview, however, Katuka said the party had nothing to do with the demonstrations, arguing that people were just angry about the poor state of the economy.
“When people protest, nobody incites them they are showing their displeasure in the way they are being looked after. So it can spread; it can be done in the Copperbelt, North-Western, in Eastern Province anywhere and that means they are displeased with what is happening. People are going for 15 hours without power and can you laugh and praise government for that? And it will continue, I can safely say. If there is no sky in the sun, they say it is UPND. If there is no rain, it is UPND. That goes to show how they are having sleepless over UPND. I saw the people rioting on TV and it had completely nothing to do with UPND there was nobody there but I also heard people saying ‘forward forward’ what that meant was that they wanted somebody to give them hope and the only one who can give them hope is UPND,” said Katuka.
“When you are drowning in water, you can even hold on to any leaf that is floating hoping you will get rescue from it. I don’t think there is anything that UPND did to foster those demonstrations. Whatever happens they want to link it to UPND. This load shedding is a nuisance to the whole country! Not only to the people of Chaisa but the whole country. People have the right to demonstrate because it is reality that they are suffering with this uncaring government. I have dispelled that nobody forced them they make their own decisions and they are feeling the pinch of poor governance that is why they are behaving in the manner they are behaving. You can’t accuse innocent people. Did you see any party regalia or anyone identified as a UPND member in that demonstration? It is a program that was not planned by the UPND but by the citizens of Chaisa I don’t even see why they draw us into the debate.”
One Response
There are problems in Zambia and the despicable Patriotic Front is responsible for many of them. However, this is not ground for lawlessness. Avenues to address these issues have not been exhausted, therefore, it is irresponsible for anyone to agitate people to riot. My message to komboni dwellers is that beware of people who leave their children ku ma yard and come to mobilise you against danger. It is time you realise that politicians leave their children safely behind wall fences and come to use you komboni dwellers to do their dirty work.