Stop slaughtering each other – Chitimukulu
By AARON CHIYANZO in Kasama
LET us maintain peace and stop slaughtering one another just because of elections, Paramount Chief Chitimukulu has said.
Chitimukulu said it was regrettable that the country was witnessing inhumane acts as elections drew near.
The traditional leader said this during a meeting with President Edgar Lungu in Kasama yesterday.
He said the violence risked getting worse around the polling day if it was not curtailed now. Chitimukulu said it was worrying that violence was escalating despite political parties participating in the upcoming election signing peace accords. He called for a stop to the violence and the slaughtering of innocent people.
“Let’s maintain our peace, why should we kill our brothers just because of an election?” he said. And President Lungu warned against daring the soldiers who have been deployed to help the police maintain law and order, saying the response might be disastrous.
President Lungu said soldiers act with reasonable force to subdue whoever poses danger to the peace citizens were enjoying.
He said UPND cadres who were planning to take on the PF or ordinary citizens should not dare to do that because they would be met with maximum force.
President Lungu expressed confidence that with the involvement of the military in maintaining law and order, violence would come to a stop.
President Lungu urged politicians to be peaceful.
“I like the message from Archbishop Alick Banda where he urged everyone to find peace within themselves. Let’s find peace within ourselves and with God,” he said.
President Lungu said the opposition, who were behaving like people who have gone mad should be exposed for what they really were. He said people should not just condemn violence roundly but “name and shame” perpetrators.
President Lungu said UPND must be told directly to stop the violence rather than generalising the condemnation when the architects of violence were known.
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