United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema says the activities of the Patriotic Front militia was damaging the image of the country.
Featuring on Online Cross Fire Blog radio on Tuesday evening – 24 hours before he was attacked on a scheduled tour in Kasama on the Northern part of Zambia – Hichilema said the Patriotic Front cadres who were demonstrating without any permit at will showed there were two laws in the country.
Hichilema said the PF’s losing four out of five by-elections was a technical knock out.
“The activities of the PF militia cadres is damaging the rule of law in the country. The eternal bleeding of PF has broken down the rule of law in Zambia. PF cadres are above the public order act (POA). They are being encouraged by President Sata,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate. We have been denied to hold public meetings more than 30 times. Unfortuntaley, the police are not capable of doing anything. If the police were professional, what PF militia have been doing would never have happened.”
HIchilema said the opposition were brutalized each time they tried to air their grievances through peaceful demonstrations.
“When we demonstrated like this, they brutalized us and our cadres are in court today. No PF cadre is in court for abusing the POA in the definition of PF. What is going on is total animal farm. This is real animal farm.”
He said the intelligence system was a public instiitution that should not be abused to victimize private citizens.
“The intelligence are members of the public service. No one is in doubt that PF in government is a failed project. Except for those that are accessing crams. President response [to comments on infiltration of the intelligence system] is like a child, he has to save face.”
Hichilema said President Sata’s statement that the UPND was fanning discontent in the Copperblet province was an act of intimidation.
“I take it that he has no real issues after looking at the statement. None of what we are doing on the CB is illegal. It is his party acting illegally, abusing the public order act,” he said.
“I think what Mr Sata is trying to do is intimidate us, pour cold water on me.”
Hichilema dispelled assertions that the UPND was a regional party as they had spread their parliamentary representation to the Copperbelt Province.
“This issue of saying UPND is a regional party, not anymore. We would never have won in Copperbelt, Solwezi East or Lukulu East,” he said.
He castigated PF for spending over K40 million on by-elections while only K4 million had been budgetted for.
“To date, PF had over spent K40 million on election. It was K4 million in the budget,” he said.
Hichilema also said the PF had tried hard to suffocate his economic empire but had failed as he was a clean businessman.
“The President is trying to decapitate me. In the last 1 year and months he is trying to sort me out and confisicate my assets. Those are misplaced threats. I have always challenged the president, if Hakainde has committed a crime why not prosecute me,” he said.
“All he is trying to is threaten individuals but there is nothing to fear. He has an obligation to allow citizens to operate freely. We have a dictator before us. My personal security is something am aware is at risk.”
He wondered why the PF was trying hard to curtail online media when they had pledged to liberalize the media in their campaign messages.
“The PF is restricting online media. This is another display of dictatorship. I never thought after UNIP I will live to see another dictatorship,” he said.
“He made promises to liberlise the media but today they are clamping down on online media. What are they scared of.”
Following the radio interview, Hichilema embarked on a visit of the respected paramount chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people where he was physically abused by PF cadres who were hired and ferried in busloads.
The post PF Militia Damaging Zambia, Says Hichilema appeared first on Zambia Reports.