Peeved UPND rubbishes chief

Sun, 10 Dec 2017 11:28:21 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

UPND has nothing to do with the petrol bombing of Chief Mweemba’s palace because the party is eying the Presidency, not a mere chiefdom, says party spokesperson Charles Kakoma.

Chief Mweemba, whose palace was petrol bombed two weeks ago leading to the death of his 19-year-old nephew, Mundia Mubita while he was left with severe burns, told Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale when he visited him in hospital that UPND members were plotting to kill him.

But Mr Kakoma said that UPND members had nothing to do with the attacks on the traditional leader as they were focused on the Presidency.

He challenged Chief Mweemba to report to the police if he knew that the people who petrol bombed his palace were UPND members.

He said that even the arrest of UPND Sinazongwe district chairperson,    Alick Muleya  …was illegal as the police had not charged him but were unlawfully keeping him in police custody.

Mr Kakoma told the Daily Nation that there was no way UPND could send its members to attack a traditional leader on the pretext that they were close to the ruling party.

He reiterated that UPND was eying the Republican Presidency not a mere chiefdom for them to attack a traditional leader.

Mr Kakoma said that traditional leaders were free to support whichever political party they felt like supporting without fear of being attacked.

“Why would we attack a traditional leader? We are eying the Presidency not a chiefdom. Chief Mweemba should report to the police if he knows the people who attacked him. Not what they are doing, holding an innocent man without even charging him. five days in cells but not charging him,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Kakoma said that UPND had respect for all traditional leaders and that there was no way a member would attack a traditional leader.