CHISHALA MUSONDA, Luanshya
A WITNESS has told the Luanshya Magistrate’s Court that she heard United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema utter provocative language to a crowd in Mpongwe where the opposition party’s leaders made a stop-over on their way to Kitwe.
Judith Kalunga, 39, a peasant farmer of Mpongwe, was testifying during the trial of Mr Hichilama and his vice-president for administration Geoffrey Mwamba, who are separately charged with seditious practices and jointly indicted with unlawful assembly.
Ms Kalunga was giving evidence before Ndola principal resident magistrate John Mbuzi.
“I heard him say ‘ati nga tabamufumishe ulubuli epo lwalatampila [if he will not be released, that’s when the fight will start]’,” she said, referring to the UPND president’s remarks during a gathering at the Mpongwe turn-off on September 16 last year.
But the defence team led by Jack Mwiimbu asked Ms Kalunga whether she understood the context under which the statement was made.
And when further asked what other words he heard at the gathering, she said she did not spend too much time because some supporters wearing UPND regalia threatened to damage her vehicle.
She was the second witness.
The first and third witnesses were George Kalumba and chief inspector Joseph Mtonga, respectively.
Testifying took over seven hours – from 09:00 hours to 16:30 hours – before Mr Mbuzi adjourned the trial to June 8 and 9, 2017.
Particulars in the first count are that on September 26 last year in Mpongwe, Hichilema allegedly conspired with other unknown people to bring into hatred, incite violence, resistance and disobedience to the administration of the elected government of Zambia.
In the second count, Mwamba on the same date in Mpongwe, is alleged to have conspired with other unknown people to bring into hatred, incite violence, resistance and disobedience to the administration of the elected government of Zambia by uttering seditious words.
In the third count, it is alleged that the two, in Mpongwe in a public place, jointly and with other unknown people, convened an assembly unlawfully with intent to carry out some common purpose without notifying the regulating officer.