… As kerfuffle ensues over the demolition of a kantemba belonging to UPND cadre
By Bennie Mundando
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) students’ wing has vowed to teach ruling Patriotic Front (PF) cadres life lessons for allegedly demolishing a makeshift store (kantemba) belonging to one of its sympathiser in Woodlands.
But the PF media team has rubbished claims by the UPND that Lusaka Central Member of Parliament Margarete Mwanakatwe has been threatening to kill the UPND cadre, Mercy Changwe, who has allegedly been trading illegally and has gone further to unearth information that the said woman is a certified mental patient.
UPND national student command chairperson, Edward Sichali says this will be the last time that his party will tolerate the PF cadres’ behaviour as it is fed up with this scot-free behavior of the “young self-proclaimed PF savages.
“It has come to the full and adequate attention of the UPND national student command that the PF cadres need to be taught life lessons. The PF cadres who have declared themselves as kings of violence need to be lectured that Zambia as an oasis of peace will never be oppressed by cadres from one political party in the name of being in ruling.
“We are willing to offer life lessons to all non-students of peace in PF. We are willing to show the PF that the cost of peace is less than that of violence.
“Furthermore, we want to believe that Zambia has necessary state institutions in charge of maintaining peace and harmony in the country and therefore we challenge the Zambian police service to investigate the case of the UPND woman in woodlands whose katemba was demolished by suspected PF cadres,” Mr. Sichali said.
He has further given the police a 96-hour ultimatum to give a report over the issue failure to which the UPND we shall institute an investigation and punish perpetrators ourselves.
But the PF media team says Ms. Changwe has been illegally trading from an area that is not designated by the Lusaka City Council (LCC) in Woodlands area of Lusaka but that Ms. Mwanakatwe has no authority to stop anyone from trading on any place in her constituency as such power solemnly lies with the LCC and to some degree, the police.
“On the contrary, the MP seeks to serve all the people in her constituency including those who disagree with her politically. In this regard, if anyone or indeed Ms. Changwe needs any help in respect to a trading place from her constituency, they are free to visit her office. She would be most glad to engage LCC and other authorities to secure trading places for people in her constituency.
“Lies that Honourable Mwanakatwe has anything to do with alleged demolition of Ms. Changwe’s makeshift stall must be treated with the utmost contempt it deserves. The MP is busy attending to needs of the people in her constituency and has no time whatsoever to be engaging in activities that do not add value to the welfare of the people,” reads the statement in part.
The PF says according to records obtained from the Courts, this Mercy Changwe is a mental patient and that on 25 March 2019, she was certified as a mental patient whose Mental Disorder Case Number is MD/14/2019.
“Anyone is free to visit the Ndola Subordinate Court to validate this. Honourable Mwanakatwe has a mandate to look into the affairs and wellbeing of over half a million people in her constituency.
“Issues pertaining to one individual cannot be her preoccupation. It must be pointed out that, the Lusaka Central MP is busy working for the people. Her life revolves around serving the people in her constituency,” reads the statement.
