UPND TOASTS ARRESTS – RULING PARTY EXCITED WITH ARRESTS OF PF OFFICIALS

UPND TOASTS ARRESTS – RULING PARTY EXCITED WITH ARRESTS OF PF OFFICIALS

By ANDREW MUKOMA

UPND is delighted that finally the wheels of justice have been set in motion to begin to bring to book perpetrators of political violence in the country, UPND spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa has said.

Mr Mweetwa is also Southern Province Minister however said UPND had nothing to do with what the Zambia Police was doing in investigating old cases that might have occurred between 2015 and 2021 general elections involving political violence.

“As a party, we are delighted that finally the wheels of justice have been set out in motion to begin to bring to book perpetrators of political violence and murder that occurred during the leadership of the Patriotic Front where many people were maimed, beaten, killed without police taking any action,” he said.

Mr Mweetwa said that the wheels of justice have begun to ensure that justice is dispensed so that the bereaved families of those who lost beloved ones due to murders occasioned at the behest of political violence can also now have some peace now that justice can be done.

“As it is said that “mulandu siuola’, the long arm of the law finally does catch up with all perpetrators of violence. Now, as a party, we are not involved in any way in what the police are doing and we shall stay away from those proceedings so that the law can take its course,” Mr Mweetwa said.

He told a media briefing in Livingstone that the UPND espouses governance based on the rule of law. 

“So, we expect that these shall be proceedings based on the law….that is what we stand for. We do hope that this should be a lesson to UPND supporters and all cadres belonging to the ruling party that when you’re in government do not involve yourselves in acts of violating the law, ‘boma ni boma’, there is nothing like that,” Mr Mweetwa said.

“There comes a time when the law catches up with each one of us because the law is supreme and we are all equal before the law. So, we should not begin to laugh at those who maybe nabbed but should take time as UPND members to learn valuable lesson that if you violate the law, you’re next to face the law,” he said.

“On the case of Chishimba Kambwili, well as a party, we cannot comment again and we are constrained to make comments because this is the law at play. We are just wondering as a party why these sentiments that he is being now called for to appear at court, why he was not followed by the police during the general election campaigns of August 2021. He made so many statements on the border lines of what he said during the just ended Kaunbwe by-election and the police did not take up that. 

“We understand however that it was not police’s fault but it was political interference in the operations of the police. When you leave the police to operate professionally, they do get to each and every individual who is standing at variance with the law,” Mr Mweetwa said.

“We are very expectant as a party that all investigations end, subsequent proceedings or prosecutions that might arise should be guided strictly within the confines of the law,” he emphasised.

Mr Mweetwa that is the only way all those who are involved in politics and those outside will learn the meaning of supremacy of the law. 

He said that the law is blind regardless of social economic status to political status, whether one is a minister or a former minister, a president or a former president.

“….only the president enjoys immunity from prosecution but even that immunity is temporarily because once you leave office, parliament can lift that immunity for you to face the law. So, every Zambian is amenable to the law,” he said.

“As a party, we want to appeal to citizens that no one should see this as a political prosecution crusade. We are not involved in anyway, we did not send any of those people to commit the crimes they committed so that they stand at variance with the law and now that police must move in. 

“We have nothing to do with it. We are law abiding citizens and where we are today, we are proud that His excellency, the President has walked the talk in so far as bringing to an end political violence, political cadrerism and has begun to gravitate the country towards unity. 

He said no political violence can end through signing of peace accords.