By ROGERS KALERO and KALOBWE BWALYA
UPND cadres in Chililabombwe have defied a court order restraining them from stopping perceived PF syphatisers from trading in mealie meal in Konkola township.
The cadres have vowed not to allow PF supporters to participate in the trade, saying that it was now their time to enjoy. On Monday, the Chililabombwe Magistrate Court granted an injunction to16 mealie meal traders to restrain the ruling UPND cadres from stopping them or interfering with their business in Konkola Township.
The UPND cadres have however allegedly continued to stop other people from conducting their businesses in Konkola Township despite a court injunction restraining them from interfering with their businesses in the township.
The traders, led by Mr Lazarous Kamukwamba said they were concerned that the cadres had ignored the injunction and had continued to stop them from conducting their businesses despite the court order.
Mr Kamukwamba said following the decision by the UPND cadres to ignore the injunction, they decided to seek audience with the District Administrative Officer (DAO), Mr Chipawa Chipawa, who allegedly said he had no power to stop the cadres from their activities.
He said they decided to seek the audience of Mr Chipawa because whenever they went to sell the commodity in Konkola Township, the security officers at the check point were telling them to go and see him so that he could write a letter to allow them to start selling the commodity.
“According to our information, Mr Chipawa allegedly wrote a letter to the security wings at the check point which allowed the UPND cadres to continue selling the commodity sidelining the 16 traders after he received a letter which was written by Mr Timothy Musonda, the UPND district chairman for Chililabombwe,” Mr Kamukwamba said But, when contacted for a comment, Mr Chipawa accused the Daily Nation of trying to alarm the nation through issues of mealie meal trading in Konkola township before saying he had nothing to say on the matter since the matter was in court.
And Mr Musonda said the injunction was a waste of time and money because he was not responsible for the authorisation of trading in mealie meal in Chililabombwe, saying there was a task force headed by the DAO.
