Violence affected Mwanza East ward Local Government Elections to go ahead.

Monze District Electoral Officer Frank Kalenga has claims circulating on social media that the Mwanza East ward Local Government Elections have been postponed in the District.

Mr. Kalenga says this is because his office has not received any official correspondence from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

He said that the Conflict Management Committee comprising of all political parties taking part in the polls set for 24th April yesterday infact unanimously agreed that the elections go ahead.

In an interview with ZANIS today, Mr. Kalenga said as far he was concerned the elections would go ahead as all the parties participating in the poll recommended that it takes place adding that there was no official correspondence from the election body to postpone the election following electoral violence which occurred last week.

On Friday, some suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres harassed and beat up Patriotic Front Provincial Secretary (PF) Brenda Munashabantu and the candidate Bornface Chaambwa’s wife Mary.

The duo ended up been admitted at Monze Mission Hospital with the former referred to the University Teaching Hospital for advanced Medical Attention.

“ As far am concerned the elections will go ahead because we have not received any official communications from ECZ to postpone the elections. Moreover, the conflict management committee comprising of all political parties that are participating in the polls yesterday appended their signatures and unanimously agreed that the elections should go ahead,” said Mr. Kalenga.

Mr. Kalenga also said the campaigns were now peaceful and urged all political players to strictly adhere to the code of conduct and avoid any form of electoral violence that would jeopardize the polls.

Yesterday PF Secretary General Davies Mwila issued a statement in the Times of Zambia Newspaper that the ruling party had written to ECZ to postpone the elections in Monze citing to electoral violence.

The Mwanza East fell vacant after the death of UPND councilor Ms Bridget Matobo and is being contested by UPND’s Abel Haachabwa, PFs’ Chaambwa, and Rainbow Party’s Mukupa Mapulanga.