President Hichilema: Patriotic Front Violence Won’t Win

President Hakainde Hichilema has revealed that the Patriotic Front, the party of former president Edgar Lungu, has begun a disinformation campaign and other schemes to divide the UPND party in an attempt to regain power.

During a UPND party conference on Monday in Kitwe, President Hichilema branded the PF’s attempts to return to power through violence and lies as “ukutumpa”, or “stupidity”.

Minutes before the beginning of the Kitwe meeting, which was held to celebrate Youth Day, violence against youth members of the UPND who had convened in Wusakile. A number of people were injured in the clash.

In his speech, Mr. Hichilema acknowledged the violence, saying “Now we come for a peaceful Youth Day, people start their old habits, they start ulubuli [violence].” He rightly pointed out that this was the first official celebration in the Copperbelt region – “We have a Youth Day in Kitwe on the Copperbelt, it has never happened before where a President comes to lay a wreath and show the people of Zambia that Zambia is not Lusaka alone”.                                               

Mr. Hichilema told those present that the UPND would continue to pursue a peaceful policy towards movements and protests, and paid his respects to fallen colleague Lawrence Banda, who was shot in Kaoma during its by-election.

Mr. Hichilema vowed to tackle criminal behaviour in the country as part of UPND efforts to improve the standard of living in Zambia. “No normal Zambian will allow the violence we saw under the seven years of [the PF and Lungu]. We will not be intimated. We will fight corruption. If you stole public money the system will follow. That is the law.”

The President dismissed rumours that had appeared on social media designed to divide the UPND. “PF are posting lies on social media and people are believing that things are bad in Zambia. They are planting information and stories so that we start fighting among ourselves […] My message is that nothing will divide us. We must not follow all those stories they throw on social media.”