By CHARITY MOONGA –
GOVERNMENT has condemned the incidents of violence reported in some parts of the country in the ongoing campaigns for the January 20 presidential election.
Chief Government spokesperson Joseph Katema said it was unfortunate, and unacceptable, that violence wanted to rear its ugly face in Zambia’s peaceful and democratic country in which everyone had
a right to associate with a party of their choice.
. Katema
Dr Katema, who is also Information and Broadcasting Minister, said Government did not condone acts of criminality under the guise of campaigning.
Perpetrators of violence would face the wrath of the law.
“I wish to stress that violence has no place in Zambia’s flourishing democracy which provides for diversity in views and political persuasions,” he said.
The ongoing campaigns should be about ideas on how each political party wishes to improve people’s lives and not physical confrontation, devoid of logic and tolerance.
Dr Katema urged all political cadres to be law abiding and avoid acts of provocation against each other in the ongoing campaigns.
Government reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the forthcoming presidential election was held in a peaceful environment devoid of any acts of violence.
In the recent past, there have been reports of electoral violence in selected parts of the country.
