UPND abandons jailed members-UNIP

Fri, 23 Dec 2016 08:53:15 +0000

By ANDREA MUKOMA

UNITED National Independence Party (UNIP) in Southern Province has accused the United Party for National Development (UPND) leadership of abandoning its members who are incarcerated in the Livingstone Central Prisons.

Provincial chairman Captain Robert Mukengami said that the UPND has neglected over 45 women, youths and men who were arrested in Namwala during the violence that erupted after the August 11, 2016 general elections.

Mr. Mukengami disclosed that the party’s top leadership has not been visiting its members even after knowing that they were in prison.

“As UNIP, I went to visit my district trustee who is incarcerated in prison but what I discovered was that there are over 45 Namwala residents who were arrested after that violence that was recorded after elections and the UPND leadership has not been visiting them

“It is sad that the UPND is failing to provide care to their cadres who are languishing in the Livingstone central prisons,” Captain Mukengami said.

Captain Mukengami told the Daily Nation in an interview that it was unfortunate that UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his vice-president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba have never visited their supporters who are incarcerated in Namwala.

“They just used those people to get votes and now they do not need them. How can leaders fail to visit their members who are in prison? Those people are coming from Namwala, Monze and Choma and some of them do not have relatives here,” Captain Mukengami said.

“UPND only uses people to get to power and not caring for its people. If they cannot care for the few loyalists, then how can they care for the rest of Zambians,” he wondered.

Mr. Mukengami charged that leaders must not abandon their children when they are in problems.