. Kapata

By CHILA NAMAIKO in Namwala –
MORE than 140 displaced people of Namwala District, who were attacked by suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres, have received assorted foodstuff worth more than K105,000 from a committee comprising 10 Patriotic Front (PF) members of Parliament.
The parliamentarians, led by PF Mandevu MP Jean Kapata and her Kabushi counterpart Bowman Lusambo, have since challenged Chief Mukuni of the Toka-Leya-speaking people and other local traditional leaders to denounce political violence in Southern Province.
About 143 families have had their homes and property burnt after the announcement of presidential elections in which President-elect Edgar Lungu emerged victorious.
The victims, among them teachers and PF members received, among other items, 200×50 kilogramme bags of mealie-meal, 200 kilogrammes of sugar, 30 boxes of cooking oil, 60 boxes of rice, washing detergents, one bicycle for each family, pairs of shoes and clothes.
Handing over the items at Namwala Secondary School where the victims are lodged, PF mobilising committee chairperson Warren Mwambazi said the ruling party was concerned with hardships the displaced people had encountered after their homes were either destroyed or burnt.
“We are here to bring this small donation because as a party, we are touched by the hardship you are going through after being attacked by your friends, which is inhuman,” he said.
Mr Mwambazi, who is former Bwana Mkubwa losing PF aspiring candidate, said the donation came from some PF MPs and well-wishers to help uplift the livelihood of the victims.
Earlier, Mr Lusambo condemned the violence by UPND cadres and urged the police to ensure perpetrators of the violence were arrested.
He said it was unheard of in Zambia since independence that such an incident could happen where people could attack each other because of supporting different political parties.
“We need to change this culture. This is unheard of and what is worrisome is that these people who attacked you live with you and you are friends but have turned against you,” Mr Lusambo said.
Ms Kapata said President Edgar Lungu was concerned with the political violence in Namwala and some parts of Southern Province and that the PF would not allow a situation where property was being destroyed at the expense of peace and unity.
She said President Lungu was a caring leader of all citizens regardless of political affiliations.
Ms Kapata challenged Chief Mukuni to openly denounce violence going by the statement he allegedly issued recently that there was no violence in the province when scores of people had been attacked and displaced by suspected UPND cadres.
One of the victims, Obert Shamayuwa, a PF polling agent, had his house, six shops and a motorbike burnt after being attacked, and appealed to the Registrar of Societies to consider deregistering violent political parties in the country.
Mr Shamayuwa praised President Lungu for his leadership in which his MPs managed to mobilise resources with other well-wishers to come to the aid of the displaced people.
The PF committee also donated foodstuff to more than 20 families in Choma District who are also victims of political violence, and another 10 families in Chikankanta District.
Chifubu Constituency MP Frank Ng’ambi and his Nkana counterpart Alexander Chitembo were among the MPs that visited and presented donations to the victims.
Others were PF national youth coordinator Prince Robert Mushili and PF Copperbelt provincial coordinator Edward Ndalama.