Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:36:47 +0000
UPND youths in Western Province have appealed to President Michael Sata to ensure that PF cadres were disciplined in order to avoid their unruly behaviour that have characterised state funerals and other national gatherings.
Meanwhile FODEP executive director MacDonald Chipenzi has also condemned the unruly conduct of party cadres during funerals and any solemn gatherings.
Chipenzi noted with great concern that it was becoming a trend for political cadres to turn the gatherings into divergence and fighting grounds.
He reminded Zambian people to respect the cultural background during funeral gatherings, saying people no longer showed maturity when paying their last respect.
“It is our culture in Zambia that people should mourn with dignity and respect for the deceased. Each and every country has its own culture and we cannot run away from that,” he said.
He said that political parties have been advised to tolerate one another, which he said was not a case at the moment.
Provincial youth chairperson Shadreck Mungomba has also said that PF cadres should not take the law in their hands adding that PF cadres will not stop exhibiting intolerable behaviours at rallies and funerals unless president Sata instructed them to change.
Mr Mungomba said the violence that characterized the requiem mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka for the late Betty Kaunda and the attack on opposition leaders was uncalled for hence the need for the PF leadership to discipline its members.
He said it was sad that the ruling party had forgotten Zambian morals on how to conduct themselves at funerals and other State functions.
He condemned the PF leadership for the behaviour that was being exhibited by the cadres and accused them of trying to change the culture of funerals in the country.
“As youths we condemn the behaviour being exhibited by the ruling party cadres. For the past 47 years Zambia has been known to be a haven of peace, but with the kind of leadership that we have and the police officers in charge, it seems we will slowly lose the peace that we have been enjoying” he said.
Mr Mungomba noted with sadness that the lack of action by police to discipline the cadres was questionable and that Zambians were worried about the operations of the police under the PF government.
He said this behaviour makes one wonder if the country has been turned into a police State and if so government must come out and “tell all Zambians that we are under police control and not police protection”.
Mr Mungomba has since asked the Inspector General of police to monitor how police officers conduct themselves during political and funeral gatherings.
