Following the violence that characterised the run-up to the postponed Livingstone by-elections, some Zambians fear the situation could degenerate into a bloodbath when the country holds the general elections in 2016.
Electoral violence in Livingstone led to the death of a Patriotic Front official Harrison Chanda leading to the subsequent arrest of United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema and more than 30 of his officials.
There were riots after Hichilema, his two lawmakers Garry Nkombo and Request Muntanga and over 30 others were arrested prompting Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson Irene Mambilima to cancel the poll but allowed the by-election in Mpongwe to go ahead.
During a Face the Media programme on Radio Phoenix on Thursday, callers feared the situation could be worse if the country goes to the general elections because the levels of intolerance were frightening.
A Ndola-based caller who identified himself as Mizhu said President Michael Sata must take the blame for the violence in Livingstone.
Mizhu said the PF leader had made provocative statements against opposition leaders and his supporters were following that trend by touting their opponents.
He called on President Sata to initiate a process of dialogue so as to quell the rising tension in the country.
“If this tension will continue up to 2016, we are going to have a bloody [general] election. President Sata must start the process of dialogue with the opposition,” Mizhu said.
Another caller who identified himself as Cephas said dialogue was very important reminding politicians that the repercussions of violence greatly affected ordinary citizens more than politicians
“It’s us as citizens who will suffer if violence is not addressed. We have children and families to look after. We have nowhere to run to,” Cephas also of Ndola said.
A Lusaka-based caller identifying himself as Proud accused the Zambia Police of being unprofessional citing a situation where PF cadres invaded a venue for a UPND rally but no arrest was effected
“We saw the violence in Kabwata, it was by PF cadres who blocked UPND from organizing the rally. One MP had his vehicle smashed but no one is arrested. The police are PF cadres,” he charged.
Proud, however, condemned the death of the PF official in Livingstone advising political parties to be tolerant and desist from provocative campaigns.
A Chingola-based caller identified as Situmbeko said the biggest culprits in the electoral violence were police cadres like Inspector General Stella Libongani, her deputy Solomon Jere and Southern province commissioner Charity Katanga.
Situmbeko said the same police officers that were arresting UPND officials for violence in Livingstone had done nothing on PF cadres who attacked Mpongwe aspiring MP Rabson Chilufya whose parent’s house was torched.
Discussants on the programme anchored by Mumbuna Kufekisa were clergyman Dr Joshua Banda, SACCORD information officer Obby Chibuluma and Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) spokesperson Antonia Mwanza.
Mwanza, a former University of Zambia union leader, said the only guarantee a leader gets to remain in power is by fulfilling campaign promises.
He quoted renowned American activist Malcom X; “It is not violence when used in self defence, it is actually intelligence.”
Mwanza said no amount of police brutality can stop a leader from being removed from office.
“My fear, if we can’t have a simple by-election [in Livingstone] how about general election? We may have a [Laurent] Gbagbo situation where someone illegally stays in power for five years claiming situation is not conducive,” he said.
SACCORD’s Chibuluma said civil society was compiling details of leaders perpetrating violence and will not hesitate forwarding their names to the International Criminal Court.
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