UPND, POLICE AT DAGGERS DRAWN

Sun, 02 Apr 2017 09:43:11 +0000

By OSCAR MALIPENGA

POLICE and the United Party for National Development (UPND) members might clash this afternoon as the UPND have vowed to go ahead with their planned political rally at Twashuka grounds in Kanyama constituency without a police permit.

The UPND had initially applied for a police permit but Lusaka police commissioner Nelson Phiri advised the party not to go ahead with their planned rally at Twashuka grounds because of security concerns.

The Commissioner further advised the UPND to appeal to the minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo as provided for under the law if they were not satisfied with the advice given. But Mr. Kampyongo and the Inspector General of police Mr. Kakoma Kanganja also advised the UPND to adhere to the earlier advice given by the Lusaka police command not to go ahead with their rally.

And when contacted for a comment yesterday secretary general Stephen Katuka referred all the questions to the UPND Lusaka youths spokesperson, adding that the youths in Lusaka were the ones organizing today’s rally.

Mr. Katuka said he was not in Lusaka as of yesterday and referred all the questions concerning the rally to the youth spokesperson.

Mr. Gilbert Liswaniso, who is Lusaka province UPND youths spokesperson, told Sunday Nation yesterday that the rally was taking place this afternoon and would be addressed by party leader Hakainde Hichilema and vice-president for administration Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba commonly known as GBM.

“We are on today. The police refused to give us a permit but we are on. Our reason for going ahead is very simple, the police got instructions from Kennedy Kamba.

“If they had made their own independent mind, we would have adhered to their advice but they have decided to take a political stance,” Mr Liswaniso said.

He told Sunday Nation that the rally, scheduled to take place at Twashuka grounds in Kanyama constituency would be addressed by party leader Hakainde Hichilema and vice-president for administration Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba among other senior invited guests.

Mr. Liswaniso complained that the police refused to give them a permit because Patriotic Front (PF) Lusaka province youth chairman Mr. Kennedy Kamba ordered them not to allow the UPND to hold their rally anywhere in Lusaka because they had refused to recognise President Edgar Lungu as duly elected Head of State.