CYNICAL POLITICS

IT not mere coincidence that several civic leaders, all belonging to the Patriotic Front were arrested and locked up on the Copperbelt on the eve of elections for deputy mayors.

As a result of their predicament, the three all missed the elections and could not vote.

It was typical “mingalato” politics at play in which the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) applied the knockout punch with help from the Zambia Police.

The facts speak for themselves that the whole episode was planned to the minute detail to ensure that the objectives of the ruling party were achieved.

Ndola Mayor Jones Kalyati and two Kitwe Patriotic Front councillors were yesterday arrested after police raided their homes in a bid to prevent them from participating in the deputy Mayoral elections which the UPND has since won.

In both cities in which the political stakes are high, both presided by mayors from the PF, elections were being held for the positions of deputy mayor.

In Kitwe, Police in the early hours of yesterday raided the homes of five PF councillors with the intention of detaining them so that they could not participate in the election of the Deputy Mayor.

With this orchestrated move, the UPND retained the Deputy Mayoral seat after its candidate, Mr Alexander Mundanshi Mwango polled 16 votes against the PF candidate, Mr Charles Bwembya who polled 14 votes.

In the Ndola saga, Mr Kalyati, according to PF secretary general Raphael Nakacinda, was arrested on an alleged assault case involving his wife which happened three months ago.

Mr Nakacinda said the couple had resolved the matter and the wife decided to withdraw the matter but the police had rejected that the case should be withdrawn and had to arrest the mayor on the day of the deputy mayoral election.

Mr Nakacinda said it was unfortunate that the matter could be raised on the day Mr Kalyati was supposed to preside over the deputy mayoral elections.

According to Mr Nakacinda the two Kitwe councillors were picked between 02:00 and 03:00 hours without any charge.

One councillor was detained at Nkana East police station and other one was abducted and taken to an undisclosed.

We agree with Mr Nakacinda that the arrest of Mr Kalyati and the two councillors was an attempt to deplete the number of PF councillors in the chamber so that the UPND candidate could win the seat.

“For Ndola because they had difficulties to manipulate the councillors they decided to arrest the mayor over the matter involving his own wife who has been attempting to withdraw the matter.

“But we are shocked that they law enforcement agencies have refused and are insisting this couple must proceed to prosecute each other,” Mr Nakacinda said.

It is clear that the UPND are using the power of incumbency to abuse the law, what with a compromised police service as well as other governance institutions.

In their desperation to “kill off” the PF, Miles Sampa, the expelled Matero Member of Parliament with tacit backing of the government machinery was able to organise a party retreat last October 24 which in reality was a bogus convention at which he crowned himself as PF president.

Among the victims caught in the cross-fire was the Registrar of Societies who was removed from office for refusing to alter the register of the PF leadership on orders from above.

Ironically, amidst all this debauchery, there is talk from government leaders of wanting to work with the opposition.