POLITICAL SAVAGERY

THE attack on Shiwanga’ndu District Council Chairperson of the Patriotic Front is a damning indictment on the country’s failure to promote unity in diversity.

It brings to the fore the failure of the country’s political leaders, particularly those at national level to sensitise their members at the lower organs to respect their rivals.

We find it unacceptable that suspected cadres from the United Party for National Development attacked and assaulted Mr Sampa Bwali for simply being in possession of PF regalia that he was transporting.

The UPND cadres ambushed Mr Bwali from Mandevu in Lusaka where they took turns at assaulting him before they could take him to Mandevu police where he is being held.

We find it strange that the cadres even had the courage to take their victim to the Mandevu police station and were able to convince the police officers to lock up with Mr Bwali.

Just who is the “big fish” who was behind the whole charade that would compel the police to lock up Mr Bwali

If anything, it would be interesting to know the alleged offence that Mr Bwali committed to warrant being locked up by the police.

But from a video that has gone viral, Mr Bwali’s crime was that he was carrying PF regalia in his vehicle.

The cadres who can be heard in this video saying they did not want to see anyone wearing or possessing PF regalia, because according to them it was not campaign time.

The UPND cadres have vowed to continue beating up PF members wearing PF regalia, declaring that they would only allow such in 2026 campaigns.

This approach is not only retrogressive but goes against the country’s constitution that guarantees Zambians freedom of association and speech.

There is no law that says it is an offence to wear the regalia of any party other than that in government at any time.

The behaviour of the UPND cadres actually goes against the promises that President Hakainde Hichilema made during his first media briefing after scooping the August 12. 2021 tripartite elections.

Mr Hichilema promised that no Zambian would be victimised for wearing any political regalia of their party which was common during the PF’s stay in government.

He particularly said a new dawn had arrived in the country as political victimisation would not be allowed.

The attack on Mr Bwali is nothing more than political hooliganism of the worst order that must not be allowed.

If anything, the police cannot lock up the victim of that barbaric attack and let the perpetrators go scot-free if they want to retain public confidence that they are a professional unit.

The message that they have sent out is that they are still intimidated by cadres belonging to the ruling party and will not let their professional judgement guide their operations.

From experience, the UPND top leadership would distance itself from the savagery attack and claim the assailants were not its members.

But at the end of the day, someone must be held accountable. The nation needs answers from the police command what actually transpired.

There must be a report on who took Mr Bwali to the police station and the alleged offence he could have committed.

Political savagery must not be the norm.