18/08/2020
*Contact* : UPND, Lusaka Province Chairperson, Obvious Mwaliteta 0976423380
/0977780397
/0977780397
*Email* : info@upndzambia.org
SUSPENSION OF GUN LICENCING WELCOME!
*…but disarm PF cadres first!*
Lusaka ( 8.08.2020) United Party for National Development-UPND-wishes to cautiously commend the Zambia Police Service for its timely move to suspend the licensing of firearms ahead of the highly anticipated 2021 general elections.
However, the realization of a safer society free of illegal firearms would always remain a pipe dream if the Police do not strive at stamping out the root cause of the widespread gun culture that has taken centre stage in the country, which is PF cadres having access to guns without any restraint, whatsoever.
It is very laughable and regrettable that the Police Deputy Inspector General for Operations, Bonnie Kapeso has continued making rubber-stamping pronouncements that sound too-good-to-be to the citizens’ liking at the expense of taking punitive measures against gun-totting ruling Patriotic Front-PF-cadres.
If Mr Kapeso and his Police Command have failed to apprehend, late alone bring to book criminal elements who have been hiding behind the veil of politics such as Max Chongu who shot at an unharmed UPND youth during the 2016 Presidential Nominations; Emmanuel ‘Jay Jay’ Banda who carried out a movie style attack on Lusaka Central Police Station and Francis Muchemwa, the notorious PF thug alias America 1 who shot at Lawrence Banda in Kaoma a few months ago, how would he manage to control a huge battalion of highly militarized PF cadres when they go on a shooting spree during the 2021 general elections?
Time and again, the UPND has made endless pleas to the relevant authorities particularly the Zambia Police to arrest the unbecoming behaviour of gun culture in the country which has seen a number of PF cadres brandishing guns in public with impunity, howbeit with little or no success at all!
Furthermore, could the police inspectorate make known to the general public how many firearms have been surrendered to the Police during the gun amnesty which is set to expire next month because the UPND has intelligent information that the Police Command has commenced the sale of surrendered firearms back to the communities!
So, if what the overzealous deputy police chief is championing is to be useful and yield the intended results of having violent-free 2021 general elections, the Police must act swiftly and disarm PF cadres who are in possession not only of guns but other offensive weapons such as taser guns, hand made grenades and other offensive weapons.
UPND MEDIA TEAM
