PF resort to violence, attack Sondashi’s team in Chinsali mistaking them to UPND

The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) seem to have now resorted to violence to intimidate oponents as campaigns intensfy ahead of January 20 Presidential elections.

Suspected PF Cadres led by Chinsali District Commissioner (DC) Evelyn Kangwa attacked Dr. Luwig Sondashi’s campaign team in Chinsali Friday afternoon.

Dr. Sondashi who is standing on Forum for Democratic Alliance (FDA) is in Muchinga province campaigning ahead of the poll. But suspected PF Cadres who were with the DC mistook them to Hakainde Hichilema’s supporters and harrassed them. Hichilema is the main challenger to the ruling party’s candidate Edgar Lungu.

Hichilema’s campaign team were attacked in Shiwang’andu earlier in the afternoon when they landed in a helicopter for a campaign rally.

Francis Chipalo Organizing Secretary, Press and Public Relations for FDA said Chinsali District Commissioner (DC) Evelyn Kangwa threatened Dr. Sondashi’s team not to put any poster in the district.

Chipalo said according to FDA head of security Elijah Kamanga, the DC asked the Youths from Chinsali who had surrounded the FDA  saying “Are you not PF youths and what are you doing there with these people?”

And a short moment later, 3 PF branded vehicles came and harassed the FDA team and later drove off saying “You are lucky you are with Dr. Sondashi otherwise you would have been dealt with accordingly if you were UPND because no other party holds rallies in Chinsali apart from the PF”, said the DC who was in a White Isuzu GRZ twin cab.

FDA General Secretary Wesley Miyanda has condemned the harassment of his party officials by the District Commissioner and the PF carders. Mr. Miyanda says Zambia was a democratic nation and that anybody was free to conduct campaigns in any area as long as the Public Order Act was followed.

Mr. Miyanda has asked for total police protection between today up to the day of the rally on Sunday.
Dr. Ludwig Sondashi will be addressing a public rally at President’s Park in Chinsali on Sunday, 4th January at 14hrs.

Meanwhile the intended FDA rally in Isoka which was to be addressed by party leader Dr. Ludwig Sondashi has not gone ahead today as the officer in-charge at Isoka police was reported having gone for a funeral, and that nobody could have issued the party a police permit apart from the in-charge.

But the FDA leader managed to address Isoka residents who thronged Decorland Guest House this morning to greet him.
Addressing the supporters, he says he was very sad that Isoka had not received the development it deserved like other provinces in terms of good road network and infrastructure development.

He has pledged to give Isoka massive development once elected President, adding that that is the major reason why he intends to introduce Federalism of Provinces so that people in a province should run their own affairs as opposed to receiving orders from State House in Lusaka.