By NATION REPORTER
BOWMAN Lusambo was on Sunday sneaked out of Lubengele St Pius Catholic Church after it was realized that his safety was not guaranteed when it was discovered that some suspected UPND cadres had stationed themselves at the Church with the aim of ambushing the former Lusaka Province Minister.
And a Catholic Priest on the Copperbelt has called on Zambians not to vote for violent political parties, advising that political violence should never be the modus operand of electioneering for votes from the electorates.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Police have been accused of having refused to approve a permit from the Patriotic Front (PF) for its campaigns for the Chitimukulu Ward by-election in Chililabombwe.
But Copperbelt Police Commissioner Peacewel Mwemba when contacted said he was not aware about the incident and that according to him, all political parties were conducting their campaigns without restrictions.
Mr Lusambo was sneaked out of Lubengele St Pius Catholic Church after word went round that cadres from a political party had gathered outside the church with the aim of attacking the former Lusaka Province Minister.
The PF team that attended the church service at the Church included Lusambo, Chishimba Kambwili, Richard Musukwa, Richard Kazala, Kitwe Mayor Mpasa Maya and PF Copperbelt chairperson Nathan Chanda among others.
Mr Isaac Chongo, the PF Chililabombwe district secretary said while the PF campaign team was in Church, it was noticed that some cadres from a known political party were mobilsing and gathered outside church.
Mr Chongo explained that the team was to be informed that the group that had gathered outside were afeter Mr Lusambo, at which point it was advised that the former Kabushi Member of Parliament was not safe and had to be whisked out.
“The police had denied to approve out permit to conduct outdoor rallies in Chililabombwe even after assuring us. They crafted all the delaying tactics just to make sure we did not campaign. So, we decided to conduct door-to-door campaigns in Chitimukulu Ward where there is a by-election.”
“But before then our leaders that included Messrs Lusambo, Chishimba Kambwili, Richard Musukwa, Richard Kazala, Nathan Chanda and our Kitwe Mayor Maya among other decided to attach a Chuech service at St Pius Catholic Churcvh.”
While in church, we were informed that our colleagues from the ruling party were mobilizing and had gathered outside the Church. We then realised Mr Lusambo’s safety was not guaranteed and we had to sneak him out of church,” Mr Chongo said.
And Fr Christopher Chowa, the Parish Priest of Lubengele St Pius Chatholic Church says Zambians should never vote for political organisations perpetrating political violence.
Fr Chowa in his homily on Sunday told the congregants and the people of Chililabombwe that those who were employing violence as a means of ascending to leadership should never be tolerated.
Fr Chowa encouraged Zambians irrespective of their political affiliation to remain united and stay clear of any form of violence because the vice would only know to destroy the harmony and peace Zambia has been enjoying.
Meanwhile Mr Lusambo has claimed that the UPND had become so unpopular that the ruling party was resorting to intimidation and violence to maintain their grip to power.
Mr Lusambo said Zambians on the Copperbelt were not only angry with the UPND and had realized that the ruling party was nothing but failed project which should be changed henceforth.
The former Kabushi lawmaker said it had become clear that the police had become an appendage of the UPND and that it was helping the ruling party to campaign instead of policing campaign activities for all political parties.
“The UPND has become so unpopular on the Coppebelt that they know there is no chance of winning the Chitimukulu Ward by-election. So, the Zambia Police has joined in helping the UPND campaign for how can the police tell us how we should manage our campaigns. They decided to limit the number of people into our zones to three officials only…what kind of democracy is that. They told us that my presence, that of Mr Kambwili, Mr Kazala and Mr Musukwa was going to completely obliterate the UPND and we could therefore not be in one place at the same time,” Mr Lusambo said.
