‘De-register violent political parties’

By CHILA NAMAIKO –
SOME displaced people in Namwala District have urged the Registrar of Societies to consider penalising all violent political parties in the country by de-registering them in future.
About 143 families have had their homes and property burnt by suspected cadres from a named opposition political party after the announcement of presidential elections in which President Edgar Lungu emerged victorious.
The victims, among them teachers and Patriotic Front (PF) members, were not happy with the violence they had suffered which left them homeless, forcing them to lodge at Namwala Secondary School.
Speaking when a team of PF parliamentarians donated assorted foodstuff, among other items worth more than K105,000 last Friday, Obert Shamayuwa, who spoke on behalf of other victims, condemned the destruction of their homes and property.
Mr Shamayuwa, a PF polling agent whose house, six shops and a motorbike were burnt after being attacked, urged the Registrar of Societies to monitor the conduct of cadres from all political parties to help safeguard peace and unity in the country.
He said the Registrar of Societies, being an institution that registers societies and associations, should penalise those that engaged in violence.
“It pains me to lose my property because of political violence from cadres within our community. I am urging the Registrar of Societies to penalise violent parties by way of de-registering them to teach a lesson to the cadres so that they refrain from violence,” Mr Shamayuwa said.
He said all citizens in Zambia, being a democratic nation, should have the liberty to support political parties and presidential candidates of their choice.
Another victim, Fidelis Kasena of Chief Mungaila’s area appealed to all the citizens to respect divergent political views and embrace peace and unity.
PF Kabushi parliamentarian Bowman Lusambo assured the victims that the ruling party would consider building them modern houses because the PF was founded on pro-poor policies.
District Red Cross president Patrick Kalaluka said the organisation was concerned with the sanitary conditions at the school owing to the large number of victims at the learning institution.