By OLIVER SAMBOKO
Protesting UPND members yesterday escaped lynching when guards at opposition Hakainde Hichilema’s house descended on them forcing everyone to scamper.
Scores of aggrieved opposition UPND members stormed party leader Hakainde Hichilema’s resident in new Kasama in protest against corruption marred adoptions but were rebuffed by his heavily muscled security personnel who descended on them.
The protestors who scampered in different direction where demanding audience with Mr Hichilema to air their grievances over the adoption of unpopular candidates for the August 12 general election.
The UPND adoptions have been marred in rampant corruption and violence with the last incident being the abduction scandal in Mazabuka where a UNPD youth is said to have been tortured and kidnapped by a rival group for campaigning for a different aspiring candidate.
Even after choosing a few representative to talk to the security to allow them access to Mr Hichilema, the protestors were told to leave the premises and go to the party secretariat because Mr Hichilema’s residence was not a party property.
One of Mr Hichilema’s security personnel warned the protestors that whatever was going to happen to them, should not blame it on anybody because according to him, they were sent by the ruling party to dent the image of the UPND and Mr Hichilema.
“Continue sitting here but what I can assure you is that whatever will happen to you, don’t blame it on Mr Hichilema because you have been warned,” he said.
The protestors who complained against the continued dictatorship in the opposition party said they are tired of being used as rubber stamps in the decisions being made by a few individuals in the National Management Committee (NMC).
