YET again the issue of political violence is making headlines in the media to the extent that the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) are now being branded as ‘rival camps’.
The events that transpired at the UPND secretariat in Kitwe last week are nothing to write home about and regardless of who the aggressors were, these acts must be brought to a stop once and for all.
Police have been doing their work to quell such acts of violence but I think it must now come down to political party leaders at all levels to censure their members against the evils of perpetrating political violence.
What transpired in Kitwe last week is nothing to write home about and one wonders where this culture of entertaining violence even outside the election period has come from.
Zambia has been a beacon of peace for 51 years, a status quo other countries envy and would like to share since peace and harmony has become our trademark.
To think that this reputation is being thrown down the drain by unruly political party cadres before our eyes has prompted me yet again to ring the bell on the call on the need to promote peace even outside the election period.
Electorates have adopted the same spirit of co-existence exhibited during elections but why can’t political cadres strive to promote the peace that their leaders enjoy?
Even Members of Parliament (MP’s) have tea from the same restaurant at Parliament Buildings week in week out so why are cadres hurting themselves for?
We have to move away from such primitive practices and make the political playing field level if we are to promote peace and tranquility.
President Edgar Lungu had declared a day of prayer and reconciliation which unfortunately some opposition political parties and their leaders chose to stay away from.
Ultimately, I expected to see opposition political party leaders join the President on that podium on October 18 and in unison denounce all forms of violence in the political arena.
A red card alert should be issued against any political party cadre fueling violence because that is not the way to go when people want to air their grievances on matters of governance.
Government also needs to continue equipping the Police Service to be strengthened further in the area of dealing with political violence by cordoning potential threats ahead of time.
Some eyebrows however have been raised over the conduct of Police in dealing with cases of political violence.
My call is that the law enforcement agency should be impartial as cadres who are involved in such acts need to be reformed in order to become better political players.
Next year’s general election is drawing near and with the intolerance exhibited outside the polls, much needs to be done now.
Stakeholders including political leaders, the Church, NGOs, individuals must hold an indaba to unanimously abash political violence in 2016.
It is in this regard that political activists in the country should collaborate and stand as one voice in the cause to eliminate inter-party violence.
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