Political Violence in Zambia
...No one should be licensed to kill another Zambian
ZAMBIA has been known to be a peaceful country from the time that she obtained independence from the British on October 24, 1964. But the question I am asking today is: Can there be peace where there is no justice? Peace is defined as the “freedom from disturbance or tranquility,” and the second definition of peace is “a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended.”
This was the Zambia we knew and the Zambia Information Services produced a beautiful public relations brochure titled “Zambia – An Oasis of Tranquility.”
I have an argument, and I beg to be corrected if I am wrong; Zambia is no longer a peaceful country because we are not free from disturbance. Power politics have created a state of war in the country.
I also argue that there is no peace because there is no more justice in the country. How can anyone shoot somebody dead and get away without being arrested? Who has licensed political party cadres to shoot and kill other people at will? Licence or no licence, the big worry on every peace-loving Zambian’s mind is the failure by the police or let me say authorities to control the political violence that is quickly become a norm at all elections and any other public functions including funerals.
The warnings that perpetually come for the Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja are not what Zambians expect from the police service. The Zambians would like to see arrests and convictions of violent political cadres and politicians. Zambians are now asking if we indeed do have security wings in our government. If indeed we have a functioning security system, how are police failing to arrest people with unlicensed guns?
The law in this country requires all gun owners to be licensed. The possession of a gun without a license is considered to be a very serious offence; and yet party cadres move around with illegal weapons without any fear of arrest. Zambians are also asking another very important question: ‘Who supplies the illegal guns that the cadres are using to cause harm to innocent people.
Whoever is arming the cadres has got very nefarious motives. The government must take this situation very seriously and act before our only motherland blows up into flames. Leaders who resort to violence always have wicked agendas. Some like Charles Taylor and the likes of General Nkunda and Pierre Biemba were eyeing their countries’ diamonds, gold and cottarn.
In our country, it is evident that some politicians are in it to get power at all costs so that they come and abuse state organs to launder their past crimes. With such a preoccupation, someone will do anything including killing perceived opponents to get into power.
I think the blame should equally go on the shoulders of the UPND leadership. To start with, “Gaddafi” was a Lusaka resident, who funded his travel to Kaoma? Secondly, the UPND cadres are also armed with offensive weapons which include guns. This is a confirmation that the UPND leadership condones and encourages violence. At any rate, the party that introduced violence in the multi-party era was UPND with its Mapatizya formula.
If the UPND were to denounce violence today, the whole nation will praise them. As the situation stands today, they are equally to blame.
President Edgar Lungu must also send a clear message to his party cadres to stop violence of any kind. In doing so, he must make a distinction between party politics and the need to govern firmly and fairly. Party politics should not lead to the negligence of law and order in the country.
It is a serious injustice to peaceful Zambians to let violence cause pain and disturbance in our communities. No person is licensed to kill any Zambian.