POLICE are pursuing suspected Patriotic Front (PF)/United Party for National Development (UPND) pact cadres for allegedly brandishing unknown types of firearms and firing in the air during the on-going Milanzi parliamentary by-election campaigns.
Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani and police spokesperson Bonny Kapeso confirmed in separate interviews the incident which happened on Monday night.
According to Mr Mangani, the cadres fired in the air several times before they took off in an unregistered motor vehicle.
In the ensuing confusion, one of them dropped a cap with a PF symbol on it, which has given the police a lead.
Mr Mangani said in an interview in Milanzi yesterday that the incident happened around 19:00 hours.
He said police had barricaded the constituency and more officers deployed to ensure the violence did not continue.
Mr Mangani said there was no loss of life or injury but the firing caused fear among the residents.
He said firing in the air to scare innocent people was an offence under the laws of Zambia.
“We have assured the voters that nothing will happen. The whole constituency has been zoned. They are all under the district officer-in-charge who is operating as a central commander,” Mr Mangani said.
He said the Government would ensure that every citizen was protected from attackers so that they did not use insecurity as an excuse for losing the by-election.
And Mr Kapeso said the police would remain vigilant and that the suspects were being pursued.
[ Times of Zambia ]
BREAING NEWS!
Paratropers and Commandoes moves in Milazi to track and gun down PACT insurgents using a getaway car scaring citizens with gun shots.While Mufumbwe takes in Kamfinsa paramilitary in enforcement of law and order.
so when the police fire in the air, will it become an offense if they are scaring would be rioters? “He said firing in the air to scare innocent people was an offence under the laws of Zambia.” Mangani i think napena
these are cheap politics, surely one report says its the police who fired the shots, then this one says its the pact. when the other story came out, it said no one was identified and there was no confusion. so picking up a cap does not become a very good intelligent lead as such are planted items to fool the would be chaser. ba mangani, ukupwalala. we dont want such smoke screens. its long gone since such tactics were used to silence your political opponents. there are so many mozambicans who came to this area with fire arms. have a police clean up like we used to have in KK’s time. round up illegal immigrants and u will see how many arms are in eastern province
I ve stopped taking Mangani 4 a serious man, all he does is joke around, MMD Caders beat up UPND members in full view of the Police and he didnt say anything, Everyday we hear threats from MMD Youth Chairmen that they will sort out Chite na chite infact the police also partake in beating PF/UPND members and he has never said anything.
what cheap crap!!! picking up a cap with PF symbol on it? who saw the cap dropping from the vehicle? I hear it was at night! simple analysis of Mangani ‘s statement reveals myriad of inconsistences.
Sounds like a movie… MMD fire guns and drop PF cap to dupe people into thinking it is PACT members!! So cheap!!
Who can buy these useless jokes from Mangani and Kapeso? They are so ashamed such that they have resorted to lying. They only pesue the opposition and MMD. MMD cadres in the presence of IG kapeso ran amock and never did they pessue them. But now it is deemed fit to pessue shadows of Opposition. What dull creatures we have as IG and Home affairs Minister. BE REMINDED THAT 2011 ALL WILL HAVE GUNS if you continue your foolishness. You only pessue the opposition but MMD cadres you dont. SHAME ON YOU ALL.. F.O.O.L.S!!!
pure stupidity. an obvious set-up
#4 Kashman; Better take that man seriously. He is dead serious in his quest to suppress any views that are contrary to those of the establishment, and to oppress all free-thinking citizens, using the state police. Remember what he did with the people’s attempt to protest by honking? The fellow is a danger to freedom and peace.
Mangani is pushing the opposition too far, say something about Mfumbwe IG him self run to take cover from MMD thugs we have not head of any arrests. Cheap Politics Movement for Multi Dogs, someone was called a Dog that’s not an insult but if it was the opposition awe why why where are heading too. 2011 I can see it will be the Police, MMD carders VS Opposition mark my words
kABONDE HAS FAILED SO CITIZENS HAVE TAKEN UP THE ROLE OF DISPERSING UNRULY CADRES
Blooggers, if it is true that the people who shot those shots are PF, what then. Why is this cadre mentality taking over the education and powers of reason of all you bloggers. Instead of first condemning, you rush to cast a story aside as propaganda. What are you waiting for, haven’t you all noticed how post is silent on this issue, remember how silent they were on Mahtani, and guess what that story turned out to be true. So throw your cadre mentality aside, and see the eminent danger before you, people are beginning to shoot at each other, shouldn’t that even move your ichibumba like mind.
#5 Give that evidence in court when you deny the charge. For now what is important is that the police have a lead.
the police should just shut up because thre havent sayed anything bout the UPND person that was beaten by the MMD.
Sounds like a movie this. However, we chewas are not scared of guns like the ones being discussed here.We grew up in tough times with cross boarder skirmishes with the Renamo guys on the border with Mozambique being the order of the day. In Chieftainess Nyanje’s area in the 70s we had all these bombardments. We are still here unscathed, so those guns wont scare us. Tomorrow my relatives will go to the polls and hope they vote wisely! May the party with good policies win!
Katie Good says:
April 28, 2010 at 11:50 am
#5 Give that evidence in court when you deny the charge. For now what is important is that the police have a lead.
Miss your views are warped as you cant see that the evidence has probably been tainted by police who have tried the cap on and taken photos of themselves looking all gangstar ish.
There is no DNA testing in Zambia so there is no hope of using any cap found on the ground as evidence in court.
Too many lies in the story to get a conviction.
#12 Tembo, incase u didnt notice this story was picked from times of zambia and we all know there way of reporting its all pro MMD, RB and his minios, if its the Police instead of maitaining law and order i wont be suprised to hear that they were telling pipo to put an X on the cadidate they dont like..
respect katie good, i like your new ways of looking and considering issues. Leave the sinking ship, you are an intelligent person.nice one
beg your pardon, the last comment was for Mr good, not katie good
Mangani dont be quick to issue statements…let the cops do a professional job by gettin the bullet catridges from the scene and tracking them to the gun-owners.Then you can say the belonged to such and such.not just u pik a kasote from the scene and conclude its PF cadres….wat a joke!it was at night and pipo were scampering in fear,one of the bystanders could have dropt that kandazo.
Buju Buju is barking again!
MMD is sinking even lower than one can imagine. So, they think we don’t this tactic? This is the same tactic that was being used by White Mercenaries in South Africa to fuel anger between the ANC and the Inkhata. They would pay some folks to pretend to be what they are not and go in ANC areas wearing Inkhata knit caps or vise versa. The evidence here is so sketch to an extent any sane person would know that this is OP or William Banda thugs behind it. Has anyone heard of the police looking for the Panga/Machete boys in Mufumbwe?