ZMP cautions UPND over cadres’ violence

THE escalation in political violence in the country being perpetuated by UPND cadres must be addressed immediately, Zambia Must Prosper vice president Milner Joseph Katolo has said.

Mr Katolo said the ball is squarely in President Hakainde Hichilema’s court.

He has advised President Hichilema to deal with the violence by his cadres or it will one day come to haunt him and the entire UPND. “We are witnessing a worrying trend in which political violence by the UPND cadres directed at their opponents and amongst themselves is increasing at an alarming rate,” Mr Katolo said.

“Some UPND leaders are treating the matter with kid gloves by issuing rhetoric and unenforced warnings to the cadres to desist and so the problem is growing before everyone’s eyes as we saw from the just ended by-elections,” he said. “In the Petauke attack which happened on Friday, suspected UPND cadres stormed PASME radio and interrupted a live broadcast programme that was discussing farmers’ preparedness for the 2022/23 farming season,” Mr Katolo observed.

“In the process the cadres beat up Lovemore Phiri, who is a reporter and presenter at the radio station and damaged some studio equipment, resulting in the radio station going off-air,” he said.

Mr Katolo, in a statement issued by ZMP spokesperson Trymore Mwenda, said Zambians clearly remember how President Hichilema constantly reminded and warned his predecessor, President Edgar Lungu to stop the alleged violence of PF cadres while in opposition.

“This is an assault on media freedom in the country and we do not need to remind President Hichilema of his promise to the media fraternity when it comes to their operations,” he said