WHAT Patriotic Front (PF) faction supporters led by former President Edgar Lungu did at Kabwata Police Station in Lusaka yesterday must be condemned by all wellmeaning Zambians in the strongest possible terms.
Even more astounding was the fact that it had to take the whole former President, who by now should be enjoying his retirement as a treasured statesman, to lead political party cadres to a police station.
While at the police station, Mr Lungu, his cohorts, and the unruly party cadres disregarded the advice of police officers, who tried to reason with them on a matter that had already been dealt with.
They were demanding the release of PF faction secretary-general Raphael Nakacinda, who was initially detained in Kabwata before being moved to Chelston for wilfully failing to comply with the lawful summon by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to substantiate his allegations.
Mr Nakacinda, as usual known for daring others, had accused ECZ of having dispatched pre-marked ballot papers to Lusangazi, Mkushi, and Mwense, where there were ward byelections.
As law enforcers, police moved in after Mr Nakacinda failed to avail himself before ECZ, detained him before arresting him and releasing him on bond at Chelston Police Station.
So, what was really baffling was the disruptive conduct of the PF faction cadres and their leaders at Kabwata Police Station because they were demanding for the release of Mr Nakacinda, who had already been let go on police bond.
According to Inspector-General of Police Graphael Musamba, there was no need for PF faction supporters and their leaders to act the way they did because Mr Nakacinda had already been released on bond.
“Their demand has been attended to, that person has been released on bond, and so there is no need for them to behave in the manner they have.
“The message I have for them is that if they choose to be treated in a manner that we treat all offenders, we are going to do that because they are not allowing us to reason with them,” Mr Musamba told us.
Clearly, what Mr Lungu, Emmanuel Mwamba and others did at Kabwata Police Station can best be described as political hooliganism aimed at attracting attention and sympathy.
In any way, who would be attracted by their disorderliness or sympathise with people hell-bent on disregarding the law with impunity?
Their conduct yesterday must be roundly condemned because their aim was to turn a police station into a political battle ground.
Such behaviour is very annoying to the people of Zambia, whose memories of Mr Lungu’s brutal reign are still very fresh.
What they did at the police station was a clear manifestation of how the former President condoned the rowdy conduct of PF cadres, who never respected the police, and sometimes even beat up the officers.
Our advice to Mr Lungu is that it is not too late for him to sit back and reflect on if what he has been doing over the past couple of weeks befits the status of a former head of State.
We urge Mr Lungu and other PF faction leaders to always endeavour to be in the forefront of advising their supporters against engaging in boisterous conduct because the consequences of doing so are grave.
They must take the advice by the Inspector General of Police very seriously for them to avoid getting into conflict with the law.
Stop political hooliganism
WHAT Patriotic Front (PF) faction supporters led by former President Edgar Lungu did at Kabwata Police Station in Lusaka yesterday must be condemned by all wellmeaning Zambians in the strongest possible terms.
Even more astounding was the fact that it had to take the whole former President, who by now should be enjoying his retirement as a treasured statesman, to lead political party cadres to a police station.
While at the police station, Mr Lungu, his cohorts, and the unruly party cadres disregarded the advice of police officers, who tried to reason with them on a matter that had already been dealt with.
They were demanding the release of PF faction secretary-general Raphael Nakacinda, who was initially detained in Kabwata before being moved to Chelston for wilfully failing to comply with the lawful summon by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to substantiate his allegations.
Mr Nakacinda, as usual known for daring others, had accused ECZ of having dispatched pre-marked ballot papers to Lusangazi, Mkushi, and Mwense, where there were ward byelections.
As law enforcers, police moved in after Mr Nakacinda failed to avail himself before ECZ, detained him before arresting him and releasing him on bond at Chelston Police Station.
So, what was really baffling was the disruptive conduct of the PF faction cadres and their leaders at Kabwata Police Station because they were demanding for the release of Mr Nakacinda, who had already been let go on police bond.
According to Inspector-General of Police Graphael Musamba, there was no need for PF faction supporters and their leaders to act the way they did because Mr Nakacinda had already been released on bond.
“Their demand has been attended to, that person has been released on bond, and so there is no need for them to behave in the manner they have.
“The message I have for them is that if they choose to be treated in a manner that we treat all offenders, we are going to do that because they are not allowing us to reason with them,” Mr Musamba told us.
Clearly, what Mr Lungu, Emmanuel Mwamba and others did at Kabwata Police Station can best be described as political hooliganism aimed at attracting attention and sympathy.
In any way, who would be attracted by their disorderliness or sympathise with people hell-bent on disregarding the law with impunity?
Their conduct yesterday must be roundly condemned because their aim was to turn a police station into a political battle ground.
Such behaviour is very annoying to the people of Zambia, whose memories of Mr Lungu’s brutal reign are still very fresh.
What they did at the police station was a clear manifestation of how the former President condoned the rowdy conduct of PF cadres, who never respected the police, and sometimes even beat up the officers.
Our advice to Mr Lungu is that it is not too late for him to sit back and reflect on if what he has been doing over the past couple of weeks befits the status of a former head of State.
We urge Mr Lungu and other PF faction leaders to always endeavour to be in the forefront of advising their supporters against engaging in boisterous conduct because the consequences of doing so are grave.
They must take the advice by the Inspector General of Police very seriously for them to avoid getting into conflict with the law.