A GROUP of Patriotic Front (PF) cadres yesterday severely beat up two founder members of the party who had called a Press briefing to demand for a convention and changes to the party’s constitution.
The two, Samson Zulu, who called himself an interim chairperson of a pressure group within PF, and Mubanga Chileshe, the chairperson for mobilisation, abruptly stopped their Press briefing when PF cadres pounced on them.
As soon as the two decided to stop answering questions from journalists who had gone late for the briefing, a group of about seven PF cadres stormed the conference hall at Court Yard Hotel and immediately started beating up the duo.
The cadres said Mr Zulu was arrogant and started beating him while dragging him downstairs from the conference hall in full view of journalists who had gone to cover the event.
As Mr Zulu and Mr Mubanga resisted being taken away from the hotel, the beating continued to the surprise of staff and management of the hotel who did not do or say anything about the turn of events.
However, noticing that the PF cadres were more interested in Mr Zulu, Mr Mubanga managed to flee and hid behind the hotel as his colleague was dragged outside the hotel’s premises.
Mr Zulu was dragged across Thabo Mbeki Road to a taxi rank opposite the National Assembly Motel where he was further beaten and bundled into a waiting van which sped off.
The fracas caused commotion with motorists wondering what was happening as Mr Zulu, who was severely bleeding from the mouth, pleaded with onlookers to assist him.
The van that carried Mr Zulu sped away and one police officer who was in the vicinity went to the hotel where he located Mr Mubanga and helped him escape in a private motor vehicle.
Court Yard Hotel management said they did not know what happened except that PF leader Michael Sata had telephoned the hotel to find out if there was any PF Press briefing.
A manager at the hotel, Hari Lavu said after Mr Sata was told that there was a Press briefing, he said he did not know about such an event.
Before the briefing ended, workers saw the two people being beaten and taken away.
Mr Lavu said as far as the hotel was concerned, the people who held the Press briefing had paid for the venue.
However, when reached for a comment, PF Spokesperson Given Lubinda declined to comment on the issue, saying he had received no information about the beating and manhandling of the two PF leaders and their call for a convention.
“What time did it happen? I am not able to comment because I have got no information about the clash,” Mr Lubinda said.
[Times of Zambia]
Ba Zulu have you seen?? You started pleading with people to help you. Siulapwa and group have regreted being used by MMD for 5 years without reward. They new that things have changed in the political relm , but you cant see this. Next time dont be used.
zulu was handled the sata way!
Mr Zulu u will die for nothing ka….i guess you have learnt a lesson of been used by the mmd.
I don’t know ladies n gentlemen, pls help on this, is there freedom of association n speech in the constitution of Zambia? if yes, then culprits must be brought to book bcoz Mr Zulu n Mubanga ve the right to the freedom of association n speech until n unless there’s review of the constitution. DEMOCRACY has its own norms n MCS must respect these norms, sorry i’m not a politician and i belong to no party (am non-aligned) but i must say that i hate MCS’s behavour which seemingly does not change.
I agree with Mr Zulu. Democracy has to prevail. but if Sata and his party are not willing to change, then why not form your own political party? As long as he (Mr Sata) is not breaking the law in any way, then leave him and form another party or join one which is already there. As for those thugs who whacked him, let the law take it`s course.
@ 5, what democracy are you talking about? Only when it fits you lot to in the MMD do you talk about democracy. What happened to Zulu and Mubanga is African democracy at work, right there for you. It seems your intelligence kicks in only when the opposition do just what the MMD does day in day out.
I totally agree with 3RqU and this is what should happen with membership. Political parties are like any other club such that you only join if you agree with the group norms. Otherwise, leave and join another party or form your own. Afterall, there is no limit to the number of parties that can be formed.
The beatings were quite a harsh punishment for Zulu and Mubanga, but what can you do to st***d id**ts sents by the MMD bent on destroying other parties?
Lets hope this is a good lesson for other would-be suboteurs of the opposition political parties.
Muntuza I agree thats African politics you are right. But, ask yourself why this Zulu just didn`t resign from the PF. For nine years PF has been undemocratic, I do not see any signs of that changing. Why not resign? By the way, it`s not nice to start calling your friends names.
What they said of each other long ago is their own undoing. MCS insited since 2001 that UPND was tribal. Actually he is the first living human being to say this of late Andy and UPND. HH believes and has said that MCS is unreliable and dictatorial. That he is too old to understand modern economic dynamics. Zulu, now in hospital, suffered politics according to MCS. More is to come. The people will hold these two men to account. No gymnastics will wipe the slate clean of what they said before. History is also the present and the future. Let all calm down and support rebuild MMD until such time that other parties truely evolved and deserve general respect.
Commander4 #4, Where did Mubanga and Zulu get the Money to pay for venue of their press conference? Do you know how much it cost to have a meeting there for one hour? Freedom of expression? Yes! it must be protected and encouraged. Political prostitution and collecting dirty money from the MMD to discredit your own party, must be discouraged by all means. I personally sympathize with my cousing Zulu and my brother Mubanga but they reaped what they had sown.Let them resign from PF and Join MMd that is “Democratic”.
Iwe ka zulu baka kwipayapofye, use deductive reasoning before you do some of these things. Could some body follow up these PF thugs. If cobra sent them, he deserves no room for the ballot. be smart in your politics young ones,. the guys from the old sch ought not be taken head-on, but side-wards.
PF is hopeless!
PF and Sata are just a bunch of thugs.MMD will continue to dribble them during elections as thugs have very low thinking abilities.
Uncle choncho pls… u must undestand that PF members, just like any other political members of other parties, do think n are not like robbots. i mean, don’t u think that Mr Zulu and Mubanga individually might thought may be that things were not appropriately being in their party? assuming that things were right in their party, then the duo were wrong n only needed advice. It could be very sad if RB would cheapen himself n get into such politics. Yes critical thinking is required but it involves the sixth sense which is a rare sense unfortunately.
Ba Gen, Rev Shikapwasha said that those that are beaten in Zed are ripening what they sow.Ba pressure group did not get clearance from the Head.I think you have now learnt a lesson, just resign from PF,Period
The attitude of on-lookers, including the journalists, and police authority shows how fade up with MMD/UNIP government are. Individuals must be very careful. Don’t get used by a few are feeding properly at state house and ballooning like pigz. Mind you MMD never won the previous elections.
By the way who paid for the press conference? Zulu and your cousin, I think you more than deserved such a lesson-for being used by scared, RB. Good lucky in your political careers.
The attitude towards the panel-beating of the used (used by MMD/UNIP) PF cadres by the general public, the journalists, and the police authority is a clear indication of how fade up the people of Zambia are with the ruling bunch of crooks. For sure, Zulu and his cousin Mubanga should have read the mood of the general public before accepting to be used. Good lucky in your political careers you guys-Zulu and Mubanga.
#14. rb has been cheap right from the KK days. It is not today that he has become cheap. He even emphasised it during the campaigns for the previous elections.
This is antiquated behavior.
Expected behaviour….
THUMBS UP TO THE ON LOOKERS FOR NOT HELPING. THOSE 2 EMBICILES WERE PAID TO TALK NONSENSE AGAINST PF. IF THEY HAVE MONEY TO HIRE THE VENUE WHY NOT HELP PF IN RAISING FUNDS FOR THE CONVENTION. ZULU AND COMPANY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A LEAF FROM SIULAPWA AND CREW. THE MMD WILL USE THEM AND THROW THEM AWAY KWATI NI BUBBLE GUM PA LAST. WHEN MMD CADRES AND SHIKAPWASHA ARE VIOLENT ITS NORMAL BUT IF ITS THE OPPOSITION YOU BRING IN ISSUES OF DEMOCRACY. I STRONGLY CONDEMN VIOLENCE BUT SINCE SHIKAPWASHA PUBLICLY SAID IF YOU SOW VIOLENCE YOU REAP THE SAME AND NO MMD OFFICIAL CONDEMNED HIM THEN I GUESS THAT IS THE NEW FORM OF DEMOCRACY.IF YOU TALK NONSENSE AGAINST A LEADER EXPECT A GOOD TREATMENT FROM HIS FOLLOWERS.THATS THE NEW RULE ENDORSED BY MMD THROUGH THE CHIEF GOVT SPOKESMAN.IMWE, THE CHIEF.
Imagine a party like PF in power. twafwa
Either paid by MMD or not where are the police? this should not be tolerated for imbecile to take matters into ther own hands and PF is a legitimate party and not one of Thiugs the president will come out and codemn this behaviour. This is clear testament that there is no democracy in PF , worst case they shuld have been expelled. This can’t not be going on in Zambia, it sends a very wrong picture to the world. PLEASE POLICE SHOW YOU HAVE TEETH AND ARREST THESE PEOPLE>
SINCE THIS BAD BEHAVIOUR WAS DISPLAYED BY PF CADRES YOU CAN BE SURE OF POLICE ACTION BUT HAD IT BEEN MMD CADRES EVEN SHIKAPWASHA WOULD HAVE SUPPORTED THEM SO EVENN AS WE CALL UPON THE POLICE THEY SHOULD START BY BEING MORE VIGILANT WHEN DEALING WITH MMD CADRES THEN WE WILL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THEM BUT IN SITUATIONS WHERE JOURNALISTS ARE EVEN HARRASSED IN THE PRESENCE OF THE POLICE AND YET NOTHING HAPPENS IT LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED AND MORE TO BE SPECULATED.
How come people are supporting violence? Political prostitution or not there should be no violence. What would PF be like if they ever get into power? Many of you supporting them today will be crying for the return of MMD.
#25, people are just fedup with sponsored dennouncers and their sponsors. If MMD has money to sponsor deffection, why not use the same money to improve social services? The fact that the police were also in full view of the scene is a clear testimony of how fedup everyone is with the govt. If the police argue that they weren’t there (to save their dinner, or is it neck), then the fact that they never monitored the press conference clearly shows that they didn’t care at all-they are fedup.
You all have the MMD’s blessings to slaughter each other. Remember, Shikapwasha said it.
That’s all Zambian police can do is watch!! Sponsored violence, whether by MMD or PF is sponsoered violence, period.
#23 Chintomfwa, what democracy are you talking about? The two guys are political prostitutes sponsored by MMD to play propaganda tactics by trying to weaken and finish PF and Sata. If they are fed up to be part of PF, they are free to join any political party and adhere to rules of that political party full stop. This is not a genuine way of expressing their rights. If the police will arrest PF cadres what about MMD cadres beating up and constant threatening journalists? If the law is not above anyone then first they have to arrest MMD cadres. The money they used to book a motel plus the press is clearly from MMD who have a project to finish Sata by all means. There are many Shushushus inside MMD not happy with the crop of MMD leadership who have resorted to character assassination
U kno pipo the current situation in our country is very very frustrating and doesn’t give us any hope of things ever changing. The rb govnmt is the worst in zambia’s history coz they don’t use their heads to think on how to better the lives of the majory of this country’s population which is living poverty, yet they have money to buy stupid hearses and bribe stupid pipo like zulu & mubanga to disturbilize other pipoz eforts.
#29 – So violence is the answer? Hoow much worse will the lives of the majority of Zambians be if we turn to violence? Surely if these two people are political prostitutes then PF party machinery can show them to be that without resorting to violence? If PF as a party behaves in such a manner and approves of violence whilst in opposition, then surely they will be worse when in govt?
It would be unfair to blame the entire PF for the violence caused by six or so individuals. Those two chaps are the likes of Siulapwas and for angry people like those PF cadre only instance justice works for such kind of behaviour. The two chaps hard not discussed the press briefing with the PF senior member and hence the idea is just to disturbilise the on going activities by PF and UPND by the MMD chaps. I hope Siulapwa and the friend can be taught a lesson in a similar manner!
#31- Why cant people be ‘taught a lesson’ without violence? If such behaviour is anyway acceptable then where does it end? MMD cadres behaving violently is no justification. If the Opp purport to be better than MMD, then why resort to MMD tactics? In this day and age it is easy to highlight govt abuses with such equipment as mobile phones, digicameras and camcorders which you can download onto the internet easily. Sata’s image is already tainted by violence, this is only playing into the hands of MMD.
#32…..you are quick to blame PF. Why cant yo say the same about MMD?. Shikapwasha suctioned violence in Zambia. He was pleaded with by all well meaning Zambians (PF, UPND and civil organisations) to stop the rot of violence by MMD cadres. Did he heed? no instead he encouraged the MMD thugs to do more. Now the opposition also is fighting back. So prepare yourself for more violence in the run up to 2011 ellections. When we tell you that we have no leaders in zambia you think we just joke. Shikapwasha thought MMD thugs have a monopoly of violence. He was mistaken….have you seen what Shikapwasha has caused?? So first start denouncing your MMD Shikapwasha .
It doesn’t matter whether they were paid or not, beating up someone cause you disagree with them is barbaric behaviour. I’m surprised that most bloggers condone this behaviour. If this is the Zambian way of doing things, God help us if the PF comes to power. Remember the machetes that were distributed in Chawama by a certain M. Sata because he disagreed with people who did not want a third term for Fred (Chiluba).
Hitlerjugend also known as the hitler youth started out the same way. These pf cadres are macheting wielding rebels in training . The precedent of violence will only go upwards because attitudes condone such, am surprised people are selectively ignoring the obvious
PF just a party of thugs! Violence is their language. This is so obvious. So much evidence and I wonder why some section of the zambian community dont see this reality.
SATA is wholely inclined to violence because he can hardly manage to use his brain. What may be his achievements are directly linked to his violent nature. Like mother (sata) like daughter (pf). And pf will justify violence, just a simple fact.
When people fail to reason, they turn to violence and emotional outbursts. This is what has been in PF and will always be in PF as long as they do not renounce their violence. Zambia is lucky not to have PF in power. For his mercy, we have been spared from a capable tyranny.
The most annoying thing about it all is that most PF supporters clearly believe that violence and intimidation is what will bring about economic progress in Zambia. This is a failed state of mind. Fortunately, SATA, for the same reasons for his violence cant pull it to state house. The independent thinkers in his party are ever under threat and as such will keep their chances of making it to state house away. The POST of all people support a capable tyranny. Do they suppose that SATA would tolerate their trade if given a chance? This is a glaring reallity which is so plain. But for the wicked appetites of people, they will support the very thing that would cause their demise. Yesterday was anaother day!
Just on this blog, pf people, though exposed to higher democracies will yet justify violence as means to an end! This is insulting to human intelligence.
Acute ignorance is a terrible price!
PF THUGS STOP THE ROT
anonymous…..you a coward . Just rant with your real name so we know who is talking these no sense. You have not yet started crying man. You thought your MMD thugs were more powerfull than others. Remember that its not only PF who will teach MMD a lesson but also UPND. MMD runs away whenever UPND messions the MAPATIZYA FORMUA…..ask your fellow mmd thugs, they will tell you how they were smashed in Maipatzya…….be carefull.
I am not condoning MMD violence. That is why I said that the opposition should highlight it and let the world know what the MMD is like. By engaging in such behaviour themselves then how are they different? Might as well stikc with the devil I know. The rot has to be stopped somewhere and if PF want the moral high ground then dont engage in such behaviour and dont make stupid tribal remarks. Why shoot yourself in the foot? If PF can not see that such behaviour is detrimental to themselves then they dont deserve ever to be in govt.
Yaba – our country will soon be known as Zambalia like Somalia. How childish for people to say it is ok to be violent because MMD is violent. Kwati tuli mu play ground shuwa? Where exactly are we going?
Very sad indeed. Let PF denounce this bad behaviour of PF Thugs beating up people.
___
Prevention is better than cure.
Me am undecided. I don t support any party but this is the kind of behaviour i am scared of if PF come into power. I thnk we need a change but when I see things like this happening I dont think I can vote for PF. It will be like Uganda under Idi Amin in the 1970s. A re we not supposed to be able to discuss things in a peaceful manner. If we disagree then it does not matter.
Well I think these chaps need to form their own party. They want PF behind them and then they want to dictate conventions as well..?
What all you PF supporters should know is that MMD will continue ruling as long as we have such calibre of leaders as SATA in oppotion! I am sure even HH is just trying to show people who have been pressing him to join hands with Sata that ‘look I tried to work with this man but we can’t just work together because he is different from me!’ The pact will not work and they will still split the votes come 2011. It is just unfortunate that HH seems to also fall into Sata’s trap of insults and hooliganismof late. Whether Zulu and Mubanga were bought or not they still have the right to be head. So why beat them?
IT HAS NOW BEEN FOUR DAYS AND LUBINDA STILL HAS NOT RECEIVED INFORMATION ON THE INCIDENT. TRUELY PATHETIC. i WONDER WHETHER hh AND THE upnd WILL ALSO REMAIN QUIET ON THIS.
33. Kampongolo. Do you wonder why I and others want to blog annonomously? It is because of thugs like you and the ones we are reading about who glorify violence. How low can you get?