Arrest all Pe Lampi sloganeers, orders Matambo

By BARNABAS ZULU THE Zambia Police Service should move and immediately identify and bring to book all Nkana Football Club supporters who were chanting the ‘Pe Lampi’ slogan during a Zambia Premier League match against Makeni All Stars, Elisha Matambo has ordered. Mr Matambo, the UPND Copperbelt Province chairman has directed that the police, Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) and stadium management should identify all individuals involved in chanting political slogans and displaying political symbols at sporting venues. In a statement titled “Keep Politics Out of Our Stadiums. This Is Your Final Warning,” Mr Matambo said the conduct witnessed at Nkana Stadium was unacceptable and should not be repeated. “What we witnessed at Nkana Stadium was disgraceful. Individuals with a political agenda turned a football match into a rally, chanting political slogans and flashing political symbols while families, children and genuine supporters came only to watch the game,” he said. Mr Matambo described the chanting of Pe Lampi slogan as hooliganism dressed in political colours and warned that the UPND on the Copperbelt would not tolerate similar incidents at Nkana Stadium, Levy Mwanawasa Stadium or any other sporting venue in the province. He said sporting venues should remain places where football fans could enjoy matches without political interference. Mr Matambo further called on the police and other security agencies to identify those allegedly organising, financing or encouraging the chanting of political slogans at sporting events. “Where laws have been broken, they must face the full consequences. Government has both the authority and the mandate to maintain public order, and it will use the necessary force, within the law, to stop those who disturb the peace at public events,” he said. He also urged UPND members and supporters to report individuals they suspected of disrupting sporting events, including recording incidents and submitting the information to police and security personnel. Mr Matambo said supporters attending the national women’s team match scheduled for Tuesday should concentrate on supporting the team rather than engaging in political activities. He said President Hakainde Hichilema had been given a mandate by the electorate and that the country should now focus on development under the Government’s Grow Zambia agenda. He warned those intending to use sporting events for political expression to desist, adding that all stakeholders should work together to preserve peace and order at stadiums.

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