PF and UPND cadres have clashed in Kasama’s TAZARA area, Northern Province Police Commissioner Richard Mweene has confirmed.

In an interview with News Diggers, Mweene said the police are still investigating the reasons.

But UPND Northern Province chairperson Nathan Illunga told News Diggers it was in fact PF cadres sent by former UPND vice president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba who invaded the UPND offices in TAZARA area and attacked party officials who were having a meeting at the premise.

“I wish to confirm that suspected UPND and suspected PF cadres clashed at TAZARA area of Kasama. We moved in quickly as police to quench off the scuffle. As Police we are quite firm, we are on the ground, what we are saying is that we are not going to condone violence in any quarters. There is no need for people to fight. If there is a problem, people can either report to the police or go to court. Fighting in this era is barbaric. People should be civilized enough to use civilized channels to solve problems,” Mweene said.

“As police we are not going to allow that, and even the people here are saying they are not interested in violence, they are interested in development. So anybody coming from anywhere to come and bring violence in the province is not welcome and as police we will rise to the occasion to quail any violence whatsoever.”
He said all those involved would be arrested.

“We are currently on the ground investigating, whoever is involved will have to be taken to court. We don’t know yet what led to the clash but it could just be that there could be two or three people who have quarreled and they want to use people to fight battles they don’t know. Whoever is involved will be taken to court,” said commissioner Mweene.

But Illunga blamed the clash on GBM’s thugs who attacked UPND members.

“Actually it was not a clash, a clash is where you meet maybe on a neutral ground but what happened was that UPND members were meeting at our offices in TAZARA; the police are aware of our offices and they approved these establishments and we meet there for any meeting. So as our officials were meeting, a group of thugs from GBM’s group, went to attack them; in a wall fence. They found themselves there and attacked our members. So it was GBM’s thugs who went to attack our members,” said Illunga.