WILLIAM Banda thrives on acrimony because that is part of his DNA.
He believes in the kind of politics in which you annihilate your opponent from the political scene.
That is the message that Mr Banda, who is part of the UPND management committee has sent out to the public.
Mr Banda, is the party’s chairman for special duties and through his statement has shared with the public what his portfolio entails.
In his message that has gone viral, Mr Banda has threatened to crush the Patriotic Front in the forthcoming Kabwata by-elections if they so much as make a sound.
In short, the PF must not even campaign in the constituency because they will face the wrath of the UPND.
One would have expected Mr Banda to have learnt from history – personal – that such tactics do not work, they actually boomerang.
Mr Banda should be one of those politicians espousing the advantages of a multi-party democracy instead of trying to crush opponents.
For the uninitiated, Mr Banda was Lusaka Province chairman for the former ruling MMD during the 2011 elections which pitted Mr Rupiah Banda against Mr Michael Sata.
His office was in the Kamwala trading area and every building and tree was adorned in blue. MMD cadres roamed the area and woe to any one who crossed their path.
When Mr Sata won the presidency, Mr William Banda’s residency and guesthouse in Bauleni was ransacked, and he himself went into hiding.
Along the way, he resurfaced and found himself in the UPND. He now feels he is fully rehabilitated by virtue of being in the ruling party.
Before the MMD, he was a staunch member of UNIP, the party that spearheaded the country’s independence.
He was always in the midst of political violence and that was why people questioned the UPND leadership for accepting such a person with a blemished political background.
This should now explain why the UPND has changed over the years, that it even has militias armed with all manner of weapons in its ranks.
And what is surprising is that none of the UPND top leadership has distanced themselves from the violent threats made by Mr Banda.
PF National Chairperson Davis Chama said that Mr Banda was working against President Hakainde Hichilema who made pronouncements that were contrary to what he was saying.
Mr Hichilema is on record as saying that with the UPND in office, political campaigns would be free of intimidation and that all political players won’t be restricted.
It is these discrepancies that are causing concern in the nation, where the President says something else and the foot soldiers do otherwise.
This also might explain the lawlessness that has plagued the UPND with cadres breaking the law with impunity, attacking police stations and going scot-free.
What would one expect if the puppet master happens to be Mr Banda?
Mr Banda would do well to heed advice from Mr Chama who said: “At the pace at which he is moving, he will again be running to the borders even before 2026 because he is making serious blunders.”
The adage “Once bitten, twice shy” should be one that should guide him in the political realm.
