By GIDEON NYENDWA
The bloody skirmishes between two factions of the governing United Party for National Development (UPND) in Kafue have culminated into the suspension of the entire Kafue District Council, while its chairperson, Dr Buumba Malambo has been sent on sabbatical leave.
And yesterday, Police reined in on the rowdy UPND cadres who on Thursday violently clashed in a free for all fight, leaving several blooded.
The UPND intraparty skirmishes in Kafue have left Garry Nkombo, the Local Government and Rural Development Minister with no option but to ban the entire council for 90 days for indiscipline and violent conduct.
Mr Mwiimbu, the Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister announced in Parliament yesterday that the violent cadres from the two factions of the governing party had been arrested declaring that there shall be no scared cows in the fight against political violence and extremism.
On Thursday, Kafue was turned into a bloody battlefield with two factions of the governing party, the UPND clashing over the positioning for the 2026 general elections, leaving several of their members with bloodied noses.
Mr Nkombo at a media briefing yesterday announced that the Kafue District Council was being suspended for being disorderly and has since appointed Mr Abel Siwakwi as the Administrator for the council until the lapse of the 90-day suspension.
Mr Nkombo stated that Ms Malambo, the Kaufue Town Council Chairperson had been sent on sabbatical leave while the entire council would have to serve the 90 day suspension.
“The reasons why the council has been suspended is due to the misunderstandings and disorderly behaviour that led to violence in the district,” said Mr Nkombo
Mr Nkombo said the move was also a way to tone down the conduct of the councillors serving in Kafue who had exhibited insolence and total disregard of the local government governance rules.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwiimbu has warned that the UPND shall not shield any of its cadres that would engage in lawlessness and political hooliganism and that all those found culpable would face the wrath of the law. Mr Mwiimbu, who was responding to a question from Shiwang’andu Member of Parliament Stephen Kampyongo who wanted to know what actions had been taken on the fracas that happened in Kafue, said that he was aware of the violent clashes between the two UPND factions in Kafue on Thursday that left a number of people injured.
Mr Kampyongo said only last week there was recorded violence in Mkushi, which he noted was showing a worrying trend of violence in the nation.
He said images of injured cadres doing rounds on social media were a source of concern and wanted to know what the minister planned to do about this resurgence of violence because people were positioning themselves for the 2026 elections.
