Mon, 10 Oct 2016 09:40:13 +0000
FOUR UPND women cadres were recently arrested in Luanshya for booing police officers.
Copperbelt police commissioner Charity Katanga has warned that her office would not tolerate indisciplined party cadres.
Ms. Katanga named three of them as Sara Ngulube, 47, of house number no. 4033, Chimwemwe, Kitwe; Agness Chilunda, 42, of house no.11, Mukuba Road, Miseshi in Mindolo, Kitwe; and Barbra Mushabati, 44, of house no. NN12, New Cha Cha, Kitwe.
Ms.Katanga said that the trio was arrested on Thursday afternoon in the Luanshya central business district (CBD) by police on patrol.
“The four cadres wore UPND party regalia and when they saw a police patrol vehicle, they began to boo my officers.
Let me warn political cadres that I will not tolerate any indisciplined party cadres or allow my office to be undermined.
“Party cadres need to adhere to the law and respect my officers because they are on duty to secure their safety and peace,” she said.
Ms.Katanga said Zambia was not short of laws to punish law breakers.
She disclosed that the accused persons had since been released from custody upon paying of admission penalty fee.
And 61 suspected UPND cadres were arrested in Luanshya recently. Four of them were jointly charged with one count of malicious damage to property and three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, while 58 stood charged with conduct likely to cause breach of peace before Luanshya Magistrates Court.
Appearing before magistrate Kalungu Chitundu were Clive Matebe ,19, of Mikomfwa, Luanshya; Brain Chileshe, 25, from Kabwe; Kasabwe Katunga, 20, of 910 Zambia Railways, Luanshya; and Pearson Kalabi, 32, of Kabwe.
In the first count, it is alleged while acting together, the four are alleged to have damaged one windscreen and one side mirror worthy K35,000 property of Jack Kalemba.
And in the second, third and fourth counts the four are alleged to have assaulted Sylvester Kaunda, Joe Chungu and Mumba Lungu.
The four denied the charges and the matter was adjourned to today for mention and were ordered to remain in police custody.
And the 57 suspected UPND cadres who stood charged with conduct likely to cause breach of peace were represented by UPND lawyers Tom Shamakamba and Chimuka Maggubwi.
They pleaded guilty to the charge when they appeared before Luanshya Resident Magistrate Dominic Makalicha.
When asked by court why they had conducted themselves in such a manner, all the 57 accused said they were doing it for the love of the party leadership.
Magistrate Makalicha convicted and sentenced the group to a fine of K12 respectively, the fee which was settled by the accused counsel and were later released.
The case which started around 17.00 hours was only disposed of by 21:32 hours.
