National Democratic Congress (NDC) president Chishimba Kambwili says the PF are abusing the law by banning political activities on the Copperbelt Province as some PF officials have continued to mobilize their structures even after the ban.
On Saturday, PF Copperbelt provincial chairperson Nathan Chanda led the Copperbelt provincial executive committee in party mobilization activities.
Chanda and other party officials were engaging the PF grassroots structures in Chifubu and Ndola Central, while Kabushi PF member of parliament Bowman Lusambo donated computers and TVs to Lubuto Clinic and the National Assembly office in Kabushi Constituency in Ndola.
In an interview, Kambwili vowed that the NDC would equally attempt to hold public meetings on the Copperbelt in view of the PF’s decision to defy Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo’s ban on political gatherings.
He also wondered why the police had failed to stop the PF from going ahead with their party activities when there was a ban on political activities on the Copperbelt.
“Firstly, it is not only Bowman Lusambo; he (Kampyongo) said there will be no political activities; we saw the (PF) provincial chairman for Copperbelt (Nathan Chanda) in Chifubu having a mobilization meeting, and we saw Bowman Lusambo also having a mobilization meeting. So, where is the police? Because, you see, we are also going to apply for a permit to hold a rally, and I hope the police will give us a permit because, really, they should be no second-class rules in this country for the ruling elite and for the opposition. If, really, Kampyongo meant his word, which…first and foremost, he has no power to stop political gatherings on the Copperbelt. He doesn’t have that power,” Kambwili said.
He also accused the PF of using the tension that had gripped Chingola in recent weeks to paralyze opposition parties from carrying out party activities in the province.
“…And I know that now that we are going towards elections, they want to kind of stop the opposition from mobilizing and that is why this whole thing of ritual killings and this idea of smoking people with this chemical is very suspicious. It is extremely suspicious! Because, for me, I feel that the ruling party wants to use that to guard the opposition and that is not to good. So, let Kampyongo tell us why the police and himself allowed the PF to do political activities over the weekend. I have said, it was the provincial chairman in Chifubu in Ndola, Nathan Chanda, and honorable [Frank] Ngambi addressing people in Chifubu. And again, we saw Lusambo doing mobilization and donating things, saying ‘they are from President Edgar Lungu’,” said Kambwili.
“So, why do they like to create second-class rules? The opposition must be second-class and the police are quiet! And every activity must be sanctioned by the police. It is unfortunate.”
