Violence rips through UPND over nominations
By Thandizo Banda and George Zulu
FISTS flew, karate kicks landed on human legs and stomachs and insults were exchanged in Chavuma District in North-western Province as violence erupted among United Party for National Development (UPND) members across the country during nominations for the august general elections yesterday.
Violence and protests characterised the nominations across the country.
Commenting on the confusion that has left the ruling party imploding, former UPND vice president Bob Sichinga described the party as tribal, intolerant and violent.
Sichinga said the UPND was an unrepentant party whose character shifted soon after the death of founding leader Anderson Mazoka in 2006.
“This is a tribal party, intolerant and a violent one. The intolerance has grown to frightening levels,” he said.
Sichinga said he left the party after being viciously attacked and battered by party cadres in 2005.
He said he was assaulted on instructions from fellow senior leaders after he was suspected of harbouring presidential ambitions.
“We were attacked and beaten by UPND cadres with Mr Sakwiba Sikota because some senior party members felt we could not aspire for the UPND presidency because we were not Tonga,” Sichinga said.
He said the attack and violence on former minister of local government Gary Nkombo was not shocking.
Sichinga said the incident made it untenable for him to remain in the party, which had shown intolerance against other tribes.
He accused President Hakainde Hichilema of turning a blind eye to the violence perpetrated by UPND cadres while publicly condemning it.
Sichinga said the President was pretending to act against the violence, arguing that little had been done to hold perpetrators accountable.
“Mere words of condemning violence without action will not change the status of violence, which we fear will heighten in the run-up to the general elections,” he said.
Sichinga strongly condemned yesterday’s attack on Nkombo, saying he deserved respect for having served the party with loyalty and dignity.
“But like I’ve said earlier, this violence by UPND is not new at all. It is their way of doing politics,” he said.
Yesterday Nkombo had to fight his way to file nomination papers after he was blocked by unruly UPND cadres led by a thug with links with government at the highest level.
The cadres gathered opposite the Mazabuka Civic Centre where the nominations were taking place as early as 07:30 hours.
Nkombo, in the company of his supporters, arrived at the centre around 08:10 hours as an independent candidate ahead of the August 13 general elections but was blocked by the violent cadres who tore his shirt during the scuffle, leaving his wife in distress.
In Choma, a fight erupted at the Choma Municipal Council after unruly UPND cadres blocked Choma Central Constituency independent aspiring candidate Baker Chakwana.
Chakwana was the popular candidate before the party’s National Management Committee (NMC) settled for embattled former minister Cornelius Mweetwa.
In Bwana Mkubwa tension was red-high after divisions emerged within the UPND over the adoption of former independent MP Warren Mwambazi as the party’s candidate.
The party’s preferred candidate was Copperbelt provincial youth chairman Warren Hinyama.
In Mumbwa, two UPND candidates were issued with adoption certificates, forcing the ECZ officials to halt verification and nomination as they waited for the party’s secretariat to clear one.
In Chavuma, chaos erupted as UPND cadres blocked Kayombo Saviye from filing nominations on the party ticket resulting in a punch-up.
Other areas that reported confusion and violence were Moomba Constituency in Monze District after some UPND cadres blocked the road leading to the nomination centre in an attempt to prevent aspiring independent candidate Luse Kamoko from filing his papers.
