NO MORE THUGGERY, SAYS GARY NKOMBO – as he says hacking went with PF and Nakacinda calls him a ‘hypocrite’ 

By SIMON MUNTEMBA

THE thuggery and violent activities that characterised the country during elections in recent years were sponsored by the Patriotic Front and now that the party is no longer in power, no one will go home with blood after a political gathering, UPND Chairman for Elections, Gary Nkombo has said.

But PF Chairperson for Information and Publicity, Raphael Nakacinda said it was hypocritical for Mr Nkombo to accuse his party of being violent when it was on record that UPND had gone on rampage, burning vehicles, beating and even killing PF members using its Mapatizya formula.

Mr Nakacinda in an interview said to the contrary, PF was actually a victim of the UPND reign of terror and violence.

Mr Nkombo said the PF regime was violent to an extent of using the police against opposition members and innocent citizens.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Lewanika ward of Mongu Central constituency yesterday, Mr Nkombo who is also Minister of Local Government and Rural Development said the PF leadership was behind the spate of political violence.

He said during the PF regime, there was no political meeting where people would go home without blood after being hacked. 

“Every time people gathered, whether they were five or 10, it is either the Police beat them up in the name of Public Order Act, or the Ministry of Health stopped them because they said there was Covid-19. Now, God up in heaven answered our prayers, PF is no more. 

“I would not be wrong to say it here because I said it before, and I am going to say it again that the violence you saw was sponsored by the PF. There is no doubt in what I am saying, and if anyone wants to take me to court, I will say it again that the violence was sponsored by the PF government,” Mr Nkombo said.

He assured the people that during the UPND administration, no one would be hacked regardless of their political affiliation.

But Mr Nakacinda took a swipe at Mr Nkombo calling him a hypocrite who had decided to turn a blind eye to the acts of violence that was perpetrated by UPND.

He also accused the UPND of having adopted the Mapatizya Formula to mercilessly inflict injuries on innocent people and PF members.

“The level of hypocrisy in the UPND is in their DNA, they operate in deceit and lies. When you look at the pattern of violence when the PF was in government, it was exhibited in UPND strongholds such as Southern, Western and North-Western Province where our provincial chairperson was killed. That violence could not have happened if the UPND was clean like Gary Nkombo is claiming,” Mr Nakacinda said.

Mr Nakacinda also said it was on record that when UPND was not satisfied with the 2016 general and Presidential elections results, some markets, electricity pylons and other public places were torched.