IF we are not careful, Zambia will soon degenerate into a lawless society, where the law of the jungle will be the order of the day.
We are not being alarmist since we have noted that “The law of the jungle”, an expression that means “every man for himself,” “anything goes,” “survival of the strongest,” ‘’survival of the fittest’’,”kill or be killed,” “dog eat dog” and “eat or be eaten” is calcifying before our eyes.
We say this after observing that the country is sleepwalking into anarchy, since some people are disregarding authority which they are daring with impunity.
How can one explain what happened on Monday when a group of unruly United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres armed with stones and catapults blocked the junction between Lusaka’s Makishi and Broads roads, which leads to their party secretariat, leaving motorists stranded?
The UPND cadres clad in party regalia (which has been banned) blocked the road with stones while rudely instructing motorists and pedestrians to use alternative routes.
The rowdy cadres also threatened to damage vehicles for motorists who resisted using alternative routes.
What is doubly surprising is the defence of the unruly behaviour from the UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma who was quoted saying the boisterous cadres were protecting the party secretariat from PF cadres.
However, there is no evidence that PF cadres were anywhere near the scene of confusion, leaving only one explanation that the UPND cadres have chosen to use violence in order to dare authorities.
In another earlier incident, UPND cadres vandalised and ransacked the PF Matero constituency office on Sunday.
We thus agree with the Southern African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) which has expressed concern that some politicians seem not have taken anything from the peace indaba which was organised by the Catholic Bishops to promote co-existence among political parties.
SACCORD executive director Boniface Cheembe said it was saddening that despite the peace indaba the country continues to see violent communication among political leaders when they are supposed to be in the forefront of promoting peace.
The peace indaba that was massively supported by President Edgar Lungu who has lived up to its resolutions is being lampooned by UPND whose leader recently said he cannot allow the incumbent to remain in power because the serving president is a drunkard.
If these unpalatable words were coming from the foul mouthed UPND vice president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba aka GBM, at least we would understand since the man is known for mouthing vulgarities.
Note that they were coming from the party president himself, who has highly masked his own penchant for foul language.
As some leaders are busy abrogating the resolutions of the peace indaba, their members are out doing each other in daring authorities.
We thus agree with the PF deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya who has rightly noted that it has become clear that the UPND is not upholding the resolutions of the peace indaba that was called by the three church mother bodies.
On March, 29, 2016, the three church mother bodies, namely Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia, Council of Churches in Zambia and Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), convened a peace indaba, which resolved that political parties should put in place measures to stem political violence.
At the indaba, political leaders resolved to refrain from the use of hate speech and offensive language, especially against one another to avoid political violence, among other resolutions.
Mr Bwalya said the violence and insults allegedly perpetrated by the UPND lately are unfortunate despite the peace indaba resolution on the need for politicians to stop using insulting language against one another.
So far, our good gentleman, Mr Hakainde Hichilema has abrogated the resolutions by calling the incumbent a drunkard.
His members have also abrogated the resolutions by taking the law into their own hands.
We are calling on the authorities to curb this behaviour before it becomes part of the political process.
Zambia is not only for UPND or Patriotic Front (PF) cadres since it includes other apolitical and law abiding citizens who want to vote in peace on August 11.
On the other hand, Zambians should realise that what is happening now has happened before when the Bemba-dominated United National Independence Party (UNIP) was pitted against the Tonga-dominated Africa National Congress (ANC), a confrontation that mocked the newly-acquired independence.
The party leaders Kenneth Kaunda of UNIP and Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula of ANC agreed to sign the Choma Declaration in 1973 leading to the One Party state that criminalised plural politics that was hinged on tribal politics.
Unlike the peace indaba, the two politicians honoured their pledge.
Now it is only President Lungu who has honoured his pledge since our good man in the UPND seems to have some unresolved issues going by his language and the behaviour of his party members.