United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia president Charles Chanda says violence cannot end because the PF and UPND are not being led by true leaders.
And Chanda says he boycotted the ward elections that took place on April 24 because he could not tolerate the violence emanating from the two political parties ahead of voting.
Speaking on Millennium radio, Tuesday, Chanda said the PF and the UPND had trained their cadres to be violent.
“The two parties are blaming each other, and we in-turn will blame them since they are already blaming each other. So, it’s the leadership, political leadership of these two parties, the PF and the UPND, that think that they can put Zambia at ransom as if they have bought Zambia; those are the people I am blaming because a leader must have authority. 2016, you know it made my heart to bleed. How a Zambian citizen, you have failed to take this cadre to school, you go and teach him on how to go and throw stones without missing, because that training is only done in the army where you must hit the target. So, we should expect violence at each and every election,” Chanda, who is famous for his land empowerment scheme, said.
“I don’t know where they do their training because they make sure that when they get a stone, their target is hurt. And there was stone-throwing that year, their leaders were quiet. None of them voiced out. If you are a true leader and you see that your army is going astray, you bring them to order. But we have leaders who are so afraid of their cadres. And then these cadres are the ones controlling this leadership. At the moment it is very difficult to control cadres because we have trained them to be unruly. You have used them and they feel that we owe them something as leaders. That is where the problem is and that is why as UPPZ I have made it very clear, I will not have cadres. I will have followers because if you have a follower, you train a follower to come and do what you are doing.”
And Chanda said he boycotted the ward elections that took place on April 24 because he could not tolerate the violence emanating from the two political parties ahead of voting.
“Tell me, if these two political parties continue with where they are going, then can you see that we are in danger. Which means in the next twenty years when their leaders are gone, the people they are training now, who are going to be there, those are leaders of stone-throwing. That is why I have boycotted these elections. I am not participating. As a matter of principle, I cannot entertain violence. And I will never entertain it. I want peace and I will fight for that peace. Fight for that peace not with blood, but telling the Zambians the right things that we need to do. And I think time has come when Zambians have to say no to violence,” Chanda added.
Meanwhile, Chanda stressed the need for opposition political parties to start fulfilling their promises before they are voted into power.
“Government has a challenge. We have 1.5 million housing deficit. The government alone cannot do it. They need to be assisted but we have a problem because some politicians, they will tell you they have a solution, but they will keep their solution, the ten-point plan, in the pocket and they will tell you I’m waiting. I’m not using this. I will use this when I get to State House. Now suppose you don’t get there? Then the ten-point plan will die in the pocket? That is not being a leader. Because as a leader you use examples,” said Chanda.
“I’m the only single Zambian citizen in the whole country who is competing with the Chinese on the acquisition of Zambian land. I’m competing with the Chinese and the Indians. The Indians are the middlemen. They are buying land, I mean go to Lusaka, go along Kabwe road, are you aware that the Indians have bought land along Kabwe road, but they didn’t stay there. There is no insignia that stays near Chaisa or Kabangwe there, but they have land there. You know why they bought land these Indians? It’s because they were now selling the same land to the Chinese and we Zambians we are busy squatting pushing ourselves. And when I come and give cheap land to Zambians, you say it’s because he wants to be president.”