UPND brutalises, abducts opposition candidates
By George Zulu
THE Leadership Movement (LM) candidate in the Mang’uza Ward local government by-election in Choma District of Southern Province, Trust Matimba, was on Tuesday attacked by United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres on his way to file his nomination.
Machete and iron bar wielding UPND cadres waylaid Matimba on his way to the nomination centre ahead of this month’s local government by-election in the company of party provincial youth chairperson Chrispine Mweembela.
The UPND cadres beat up Matimba while the rest of the team ran away to hide for their safety before they regrouped to search for their candidate, who had been abducted.
When they realised that time was not with them, the Leadership Movement leadership in Choma had to settle for another candidate while the search for Matimba continued.
The attack on Matimba was aimed at propelling UPND’s chances of winning the seat unopposed in the by-election.
“They were going for nominations and on the way our candidate was attacked with his team. He was attacked. Later in the night they followed him at his house. They beat him together with his family, stole goats, pigs and chickens and destroyed his house,” Mweembela said.
He said Matimba was now in hiding fearing for his life.
Mweembela said the UPND and the police were working together in perpetrating electoral malpractices.
“We have reported the matter to the police but nothing is done to address the matter. Our candidate was told to choose between supporting UPND and live or go against the UPND and die. They have told us that Choma and the province is their stronghold and will not allow anyone to destabilise Southern Province politically,” he said.
Early this week, a Socialist Party candidate in North-Western Province was abducted, beaten and made to miss the nomination giving the UPND an upper hand to win the election.
SP North-Western provincial youth chairman Stephen Likuwa said Francis Fungameli disappeared with no trace at the hands of the UPND.
He said the Socialist Party had withdrawn from the contest after its candidate went missing during the filing of nominations.
“We were with him on Monday evening and he requested to go home around 22:00 hours. We started calling him on Tuesday at 06:00 hours, the candidate has been unreachable, failing to pick calls, and his family is equally in the dark about his whereabouts. This has hit us bad. This is a scheme by the UPND targeted at a strong and popular candidate,” he said.
He said with the Sociality Party out of the contest, only two political parties successfully filed their nominations for the Kimasala by-election.
Citizens First (CF) candidate Webster Kyabala was the first to present his credentials at 11:40 hours followed by United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate Philip Tapula around 13:00 hours.
When contacted for a comment, police spokesperson Rea Hamoonga’s phone went unanswered.
