Sun, 27 Jan 2013 17:54:16 +0000
In spite of threats and intimidation by weapon carrying suspected PF cadres the UPND rally took place yesterday heralding a success of the fight against the public order act.
A number of people were assaulted including two from the US embassy and officers from Office of the President who were whisked into a ZNBC vehicle for safety.
The UPND described the rally as victory for democracy as it had beaten a record and back borne of Sata’s dictatorship.
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema said when he addressed scores of UPND cadres who attended the long awaited opposition rally at KabwataBasicSchool grounds.
Mr Hakainde said it was not surprising that the opposition cadres were beaten as the PF was violent party from way back when President Sata led the Chawama massacre.
He said the government of Zambia was being run by a bunch of hooligans and that was the reason why they couldn’t allow a rally because they were afraid of what the opposition would tell the people.
“We shall not allow one person to destroy the country. We have beaten a record and a back borne of Sata’s dictatorship by having a rally. Anyone who stops development is evil.
“What we gave ourselves in 2011 is go’nga ‘fake’ and we should reclaim our democracy. We are paying a price for putting a wrong people in government as evidenced at the highest referral hospital UTH where there is no Oxygen and one wonders what has happened to the babies in the incubators.
“There is no money for public services because Sata has given money to his wife and himself by jumping the queue and paying himself retirement package. The PF administration is stopping us from holding rallies because they don’t want to remind the people of this country of their promises,” Hichilema said.
The opposition leader also urged other opposition parties and civil society organisations to start holding meetings and rallies as he had finally broken the PF dictatorship of banning rallies.
“I’ve from today signed a warranty allowing you to go ahead and hold your meetings, but make sure you are peaceful.
For me I don’t mind being arrested even two hundred or more times if that’s what it takes to reclaim our freedoms and rights back” he told the crowd.
