Sun, 09 Jul 2017 11:25:40 +0000
By NATIONAL REPORTER
FORMER United Party for National Development Namwala Member of Parliament Robbie Chizyuka yesterday said Zambia was at the verge of steeping into a state of chaos and a scary zone if President Lungu had delayed to invoke Article 31 to restore normalcy.
At a media briefing held at his residence in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Chizyuka said critics attacking President Lungu over the decision should be reminded that France was currently in a state of emergency.
Major Chizyuka said he had decided to support the decision because he hailed from Namwala where the state of emergency was necessary when people were displaced, their houses torched and literally declared internally displaced refugees.
Maj Chizyuka said former United States President George W. Bush declared a state of emergency in the states of Mississipi and Louisiana as part of efforts to address the effects of hurricane Katrina when he was in power.
“In Europe, France is still in a state of emergency today which was effected after the truck attack in Nice killed 84 people,” Maj. Chizyuka said.
Maj. Chizyuka said there had been exaggerated patience on the part of President Lungu in the name of respect for democracy by delaying the action considering the unprecedented levels of violence that rocked Namwala, Mazabuka and Itezhi-Tezhi in Southern Province.
He said even though the state of emergency had not been reached, justification for the action was long overdue and wondered why the country is being greeted by more critics on the decision than supporters in the interest of peace.
Maj. Chizyuka said the fact that President Lungu had taken the matter to Parliament for further debate shows that he was a very democratic Head of State.
He revealed that 54 houses in Maala were torched by suspected United Party for National Development cadres while 37 were burnt to ashes in Chikwato fishing camp and yet no state of emergency was declared.
He said 2016 FDD parliamentary candidate for Namwala Ms Charity Kabongomana had her arm broken during the severe attacks at the hands of UPND cadres after their party lost elections.
Maj. Chizyuka said there had been uncontrollable destruction to property such as electricity systems in both Ndola and Kafue, burning of public and private buildings and wondered what else could, the President have done.
