HOUSE OF CHIEFS CONDEMNS UPND CADRES OVER ECL HARASSMENT  

By NATION REPORTER

THE House of Chiefs has condemned in the strongest terms the inhuman attack and abuse former President Edgar Lungu suffered and endured at the hands of the UPND cadres and is urging the ruling party to tame its cadres whose behaviour has become unbecoming.

Chief Chisunka, the chairman of the House of Chiefs says he is disappointed and unhappy with the conduct of the UPND who showed total disrespect against former President Lungu and the traditional leadership in Malambo and the entire Eastern Province.

Chief Chisunka said he was enraged that he had travelled from Lauapula to Mambwe only to witness the UPND cadres in conjunction with some government officials attack and abuse former President Lungu and the traditional leadership.

He said Mr Lungu deserved to be respected not only as former head of State but as a citizen who had the right to be invited or attend any public function without any restriction from anyone.

“Traditional ceremonies are about unity, peace and tourism. I was not happy and I am upset that the UPND cadres were brought in the arena at the Malaila Traditional Ceremony to attack and abuse our former President Dr Edgar Lungu. I am deeply saddened and disappointed at the lack of respect for the traditional leadership by the UPND cadres, particularly the unruly behaviour and harassment directed towards former President Lungu. The UPND cadres were brought in the arena and started abusing former President Lungu and as chairperson of the House of Chiefs, I am upset, Chief Chisunka said.   He said instead of the youths forming cooperatives and working on accessing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to empower themselves, they were spending their time engaging in what he termed rubbish activities without any economic benefits.

On Saturday, confusion reigned at the Malaila Traditional ceremony in Mambwe after disruptive UPND cadres got helter-skelter, harassing Zambia’s six Mr Lungu, broke chairs, tables and harangued the police in an attempt to block him from attending the ceremony. Like phantoms, the UPND cadres emerged from the shadows at the Mfuwe Airport in Mambwe soon after the former President arrived in the district and ordered the Zambia Police officers to block him from proceeding to the palace for a courtesy call on Senior Chief Nsefu of the Kunda people. But Chief Chisunka said Zambians were a family regardless of their political affiliations and that traditional ceremonies, unlike political events were open to all citizens including people of diverse political and religious backgrounds.

He said traditional leaders were non-partisan and that traditional ceremonies were not political gatherings but celebrations of the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage.

“I firmly urge political party leaders to play their part in educating their cadres about the dangers of such behaviour. The harmony of our nation, which stands as a beacon of peace within the region and the continent should not be destroyed by unruly actions of few individuals. As a representative of all the chiefs in our nation and as Chairperson of the House of Chiefs, I was greatly disappointed to witness such disorder within our own tent,” Chief Chisunka said.

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