NAREP is deeply troubled by
the events that occurred yesterday involving MMD president Dr. Nevers Mumba and
Bowman Lusambo. The assault on Mr. Lusambo by PF cadres must be condemned in
the strongest possible terms by the PF leadership and all right thinking
Zambians. Silence on the part of the PF will confirm the widely held suspicion
that this violence is being conducted with the full blessing of the senior-most
leadership of the ruling Party. We cannot have a situation in which such levels
of political intolerance are accepted by those who have been tasked to offer
leadership to this nation.
NAREP condemns the violence
meted out by the PF cadres on Dr. Nevers Mumba and particularly on Mr. Bowman
Lusambo whose money, phones and other personal effects were stolen during the
assault. We demand that the full measure of the law is applied in order to
restore order and sanity to our badly deteriorating political environment. Dr.
Mumba, Mr. Lusambo or any person for that matter have the freedom to board any
bus of their choice to any destination of their choice. We cannot allow a
situation to prevail where fundamental freedoms are being violated on a daily
basis.
If Dr. Mumba and Mr.
Lusambo had a mission to bring confusion in Kanyama, the restraints and arrests
should have been effected by the Police who are the rightful authority to
enforce the Law. No cadre should take the law into their own hands as this will
bring about anarchy and the kind of violence the nation witnessed during the
third-term debate.
The actions of the PF
cadres are a sad and unacceptable reminder of the notorious Vigilantes of the
UNIP era and will only serve to fan the flames of the confrontational approach
to politics that Zambia needs to move away from. We are asking ourselves
whether we have returned to the days of restricted and monitored movements.All
internet activity is currently being monitored by the PF government and personal
movements are being tracked. Do we have to start moving with NRCs in our own
country in order to prove that we are Zambians?
The PF should understand
that popular as Mr. Sata was in 2011, he received less than 50 per cent of the
votes and less than half of all parliamentary seats. More than 58 percent of
the people did not vote for the PF so they should understand that Zambia is for
everyone and the peace we have fought so hard to enshrine in our land must be
protected. When a president is elected in a democracy, he becomes a president
of all and not only those that voted him or her into power.
In the midst of Political
tension due to the misapplication of the Public Order Act and the growing
tension due to the untimely removal of subsidies coupled with unnecessary
expenditure on a bloated Cabinet, unnecessary by-elections and unbudgeted
creation of new districts, the government must show leadership and engage all
stakeholders on how best we can resolve this situation than try to intimidate
the opposition.
Let Mr. Winter Kabimba who
is the Secretary General of PF and Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu take the
necessary steps to refrain their cadres from taking the Law into their own
hands and refrain them from creating anarchy in our nation. This country is not
for PF alone but for all Zambians. PF must wake up and realize that the people
of Zambia are not happy with the prevailing situation in Zambia.
We appeal to the PF
government to investigate this sad development and bring to book the people
alleged to have abducted and assaulted Mr. Lusambo. Furthermore, we appeal to
the people of Zambia to stand up for their rights and get involved now in
creating a better Zambia.
By Rev. Jevan Kamanga
National Secretary
NAREP
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