BAN VIOLENT PARTIES, ECZ TOLD

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Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and the Registrar of Societies must take appropriate action against parties involved in electoral violence or else they will be blamed if deaths continue, a former freedom fighter has said.

Mr Timothy Walamba said he was worried that Zambians were “slaughtering” each other during campaigns instead of articulating issues.

In an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Mr Walamba said ECZ should be strengthened so that it was able to suspend or ban political parties involved in violence.

"As a freedom fighter, I feel so much concerned with this situation. I think the ECZ and Registrar of Societies must take appropriate action against parties involved in electoral violence or else they will be blamed if Zambians continue slaughtering each other,'' Mr Walamba said.

Mr Walamba said appropriate action must be taken against cadres involved in political violence regardless of which political party they represented.

He said political leaders from the opposition and ruling party should genuinely denounce political violence so that they could send a warning signal to their followers.

He said political leaders who were advocating for revenge were hard-hearted people who did not deserve to be in leadership.

"We are a Christian nation and we should live by the teachings of Christ our saviour. We are faced with the emerging ugly trend of political violence where political leaders should provide leadership.

"Those who call themselves leaders should provide leadership by promoting mutual respect, understanding, maturity and objectivity. It is difficult, but leaders must make difficult decisions,'' he said.