United Party for National Development (UPND) vice-president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba says guns are sold so that people can defend themselves when attacked.

And Mwamba says President Edgar Lungu cannot discipline violent PF cadres because he is a major beneficiary of their violence.

Speaking during a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mwamba vowed that should he or his family ever be provoked and attacked by PF cardres, he will use his gun to defend himself.

“Violence without Edgar being firm and strong and issuing a decree, it will never end in this country. But because these same violent people are the ones that took him to Mulungushi [Rock of Authority] and became President through pangas; he can’t discipline them. But he should be mindful that even people they are attacking, they must defend themselves. Why should I just stand and watch somebody coming to chop off my head? I will blow his head off if I have a gun. Why are guns sold? They are sold to defend yourself. So, I personally will defend myself,” Mwamba warned.

He observed that violence would not end in Zambia if President Lungu did not tame his supporters who were championing politics of violence.

“Yesterday (Sunday), our candidate, Charmaine [Musonda], was doing her campaign programme when she came across PF thugs with pangas, stones and they badly stoned her team. Yet I was in Chilanga at a Catholic Church with Bishop Alick Banda, what he was preaching yesterday was about peace and reconciliation, working together. And he said something which was very important: that Zambia is bigger than all of us, including Edgar and his clones. After the sermon, we had a very fruitful meeting with the Bishop, and we thought probably these PF would listen because I saw some of the PF members in the same church. But, unfortunately, I think that good sermon fell on deaf ears, they were not listening! A few hours later, what do we hear? Our candidate had been attacked. What kind of party is this? We have never seen this kind of violence from any political party ever since independence,” Mwamba told journalists.

And Mwamba justified his ‘panga for panga’ statement, which received negative criticism from political stakeholders, especially from the ruling PF.

“People thought UNIP was ruthless, but unfortunately, you can’t match it to what is happening today in the PF. I did say that, it will be ‘panga for panga’. But I didn’t incite violence by that statement, what I meant was to defend ourselves. Not too long, what happened to me in Shiwang’andu in the just-ended ward by-elections I was literally attacked by Kampyongo’s boys with pangas, which I saw with my own naked eyes. Where has this matter gone to? Nowhere, no one wants to even take interest in it. Even the Church have kept quiet, but when I tell Zambians that we should defend ourselves, then there is an issue,” he lamented.

“I am reliably informed that two little thugs of PF have been paid by Kaizer Zulu and [Ronald] Chitotela to go and report me to the police that I have incited violence. At no time have I incited violence, but I have said you should defend yourself. Let’s put it this way; if the PF thugs came to my house, do they really think they will go out without me defending myself? I am going to defend myself to the last, and those who go back alive will be very lucky. So, my job is to defend myself and my family. UPND, your job is to defend yourselves, because they will kill you. You know we are under the PF police who are all cadres, the courts have been compromised, so you will just die for nothing. So, the best option is to defend yourselves, which I personally I will do. I am going to defend myself to the last and I am urging all of you to defend yourselves. Never allow PF to think that its only PF who should enjoy the freedom of Zambia.”

Meanwhile, Mwamba asked the PF government to reconsider its decision to demolish Chisokone Market in Kitwe.

“In UPND, we are quite concerned with what is happening on the Copperbelt on the eviction of traders in Chisokone Market. I think this is something that the PF shouldn’t do. This something that will displace a lot of families out of earning a living. We are concerned in the sense that we feel that PF is acting irresponsibly as a government. They are duping the traders in Chisokone Market; they duped them that they would keep them there when they get into power in 2016. But today, they don’t need them, today they feel they are not necessary because there is nothing they can do. So as UPND, we want to urge the PF not to sell that Chisokone Market to the Chinese because of corruption against the will of more than 20,000 traders who are there and earning a living. They have been there in the time of Kaunda, in the times of Chiluba, Mwanawasa, Sata and even now they should remain there. We don’t want them to move out of there,” appealed Mwamba

“What has the PF government done? Have they created jobs for those people? They haven’t. So, where are those people going to go? I want to urge the people of Copperbelt once again just like what we said that they are going to dump you when you need them. Now, they’ve been dumped, they’ve seen it for themselves. What we said has become a reality now. Zambians, I am sure you have learnt a lesson, but let’s not cry over spilled milk. Your only hope now is in UPND under the leadership of Hakainde Hichilema because PF has failed you. And the beauty about this is that even the so-called PF ‘strong men and women’ are also suffering. We are urging Edgar Lungu and his government not to remove those traders out of Chisokone Market because they will have nowhere to go to. That is our demand and directive to Edgar, he shouldn’t move those people, they must stay in that market.”