The Electoral Commission of Zambia has said it is monitoring the developments on the ground in Sesheke District, following the reported incidents of electoral violence.
In a statement released to the media by Ms. Margaret Chimanse, Public Relations Manager, the commission urged all political parties to comply with campaign timetables to avoid possible clashes.
The Commission further urged Zambia Police to remain professional and ensure that agreed campaign schedules are adhered to, and are conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.
The Commission further reminded political parties and their candidates that it will not hesitate to disqualify any offenders who may contravene the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016, if the situation degenerates any further.
The Commission also appealed to the media, particularly social media, on the need to report accurately in order to avoid alarming the general public.
Meanwhile, Zambia Police Service has said that it will institute an inquiry into the perpetuated violence in Sesheke district.
Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja also said that no live ammunition was fired by the officers to disperse the unruly crowd in Sesheke.
Mr. Kanganja has since warned that the police will not tolerate people perpetrating violence and that they will be sternly dealt with.
And Mr. Kanganja has disclosed that the Police has since reinforced officers on the ground to deal with any further disturbances in the area.
He has also called on all officers to ensure they use proportionate force to bring violence to a stop.
Mr. Kanganja has further appealed to the electorate of Sesheke and all political parties participating in the parliamentary by-election to exercise restraint and tolerance as required in a civilized democratic society during and after the elections.
Yesterday, President Edgar Lungu urged political cadres in Sesheke to desist from engaging in acts of violence.
President Lungu said that there was no need for political cadres to engage in acts of violence when their leaders were not fighting, adding that it was high time cadres took stock of their actions and realized that violence does not yield anything.
The President said this in Sesheke district at a political rally where he was drumming support for the PF parliamentary candidate Dean Masule.
And four houses belonging to PF supporters are said to have been burnt in Maondo area in Sesheke district.
PF Sesheke Campaign Manager, Kebby Mbewe and PF Southern Province Chairperson, Lawrence Evans, called on the Police to bring the culprits to book.
The duo said the party is tired of seeing its members beaten without any serious action being taken by the Police.
What is this picture about? Is this place a warzone?
Disqualify the waring parties.
I think we can do better.
Looks like Mapatizya Fornula applied here.
Sesheke PF violence coordinator calls for reinforcements
4 February 2019
In this audio, PF violence coordinator in the Sesheke parliamentary by election only identified as Mwanza is heard calling for 70 + 70 reinforcement from Kanyama and Lusaka’ Intercity bus station.
Mwanza is calling for more funding and thugs to go and beat up Sesheke residents whom he refers to as ‘ba fontinyu’ (uncivilized, dirty and dull people). See video on zambiawatchdog
Pharaoh Front is so susceptible to Pestilences, army worms,lightening,bee aattack,…
ECZ is useless. They can’t be impartial because they depend on the president to appoint them. How can they jeopardise their jobs by disqualifying the ruling party? We have all seen the pictures of PF cardres brandishing guns but the ECZ will do nothing. We can conclude that they are working with the PF to rig elections.
This is how bad things can start if not controlled. Let’s call a spade a spade here this violence is being committed by UPND who are resorting to all manner of thuggery in order to scope this by election out of desperation having lost previous by elections.
Why burning your rivals homes? This is uncalled for! HH should categorically condemn such acts even as we all condemn harsh reactions from the Police and advise them never to use live bullets in such matters as two wrongs can never make a right!
Looks like UPNDEAD doesn’t want to lose this one.
It would be embarrassing.
“The commission urged all political parties to comply with campaign timetables to avoid possible clashes.”
That is a very important statement. It tells me that their is a direction, an instruction on when a party should go to compaign. Facts are plain here. Deal with the uncomplying violegasms. Perpetrators of xenophobia. We know ’em arsonists. The armageddonists.
better to say that ECZ plan to disqualify UPND
Namibia is about to close the border with Zambia due to the escalating violence in Sesheke.
All trucks from both sides of the border have already been parked.
Katima Mulilo border in Sesheke is one of the busiest frontiers as that is the route to the Sea port in Walvis Bay. Most copper from Zambia passes through Katima Mulilo.
Apparently Sesheke residents are now fighting back.
If the reports coming from there are true, then i for one would suggest to ECZ to barn all political parties from campaigning forthwith. No life is worth losing just for some selfish individuals to continue their agenda. Let the people go to vote peacefully. They way i know our people from the village, they co-exist and as such, those perpetrating violence have just been exported that side. EZC, don’t wait until a calamity for you to act.
PF thug armed with gun abducting UPND supporter
9 February 2019
As you can see this thug can’t be a police officer. Look at the face I have circled and the pistol I have circled.
And this is the party member I doubt he is alive because at the time this thug pulled towards his fellows and isolated him completely and then they charged towards me when they saw the camera.
UPND member in Sesheke
Margarate Chimanse disqualify PF if you have guts to do so. IG refutes claims that his corps fired live, was he there? Kanganja makes PF thugs to become even more notorious because they control him and he follows what they dictate. Toothless IG.
When has this toothless organisation disqualified a Ruling party …I mean they handpick Directors of ECZ..we need to follow Kenya on governance issues/polices in regards to ECZ.
Its simple and straight forward. Just disqualify UPND and PF. These are fighting for recognition in the area. Lets see if these good for nothing chaps have the courage and can do their job with no interference.
What a disaster!!!!!
HH and his political party needs tooth for tooth,eye for an eye. What kind of a party is UPND?
For them BITTERNESS of 2016 has breed grand scale violence in their GENOMICS.Last month people were complaining about HH’s wicked SCHEMES on his interventions for national dialogue. He made the church mother bodies look like crooks and useless.
Sesheke campaigns trends, violence after violence which is flagged by UPND stooges . Witchcraft has been involved. Burning of houses has been involved too.When we say that HH and his political party are rebels, Lusaka times you block us.
Violent UPND cadres are the ones who blocked the Sesheke main road today to prevent people from going to attend PF’s rally.HH also rejected an advice from the police and ECZ not to go to Sesheke yesterday since president Edgar Lungu was campaigning there for one day.But since HH is a SYMPATHY SEEKER,he went ahead to Sesheke then cried the loudest that ZP shot at him…..kkkkkkkkk….HOPING THAT ZAMBIANS WILL SYMPATHYSE WITH HIM,BUT KAINDE GOT ZERO SYMPATHY…KKKKKK.ZP must up their game and treat HH as a criminal because the several elections he has lost since 2006 have turned him into a POLITICAL REBEL!!HH IS A MODERN ZAMBIA’S MUSHALA!!
Iwe chimbwi @njimbu the law allows political parties to campaign un hindered until the campaign period is over.
PF thugs caused violence because Sesheke voters did not want to attend Lungu s rally only attended by imported thugs from Lusaka. Lungu was embarrassed by the low turn out. But when HH entered the crowds grew to Lungu s surprise. Lungu is always drunk and lies on lies being fed to him by tukandilemo like you njimbu.
How stupi1d can a police thug minister issue statements to stop HH from campaigning? That was unlawful..
People are being bitten by PF thugs in sesheke and sustaining deep cuts in their heads for refusing to attend Lungu s rallies and you 1diot are here showing your stupi1dity.
Rwanda saga might be the only way to remove Lungu and his thugs from…
Sehseke has been peaceful all along until outsiders from Lusaka came to disturb and threaten local residents. Take away the PF cadres from Lusaka masquerading as police officers, Sesheke will return to a peaceful town.
If the ECZ had an ounce of moral fibre, they could have all resigned. Just know that no matter how long it takes, time for reckoning will come.
ECZ what do you want to happen more in Shesheke? You know it is the PF yet you are afraid to act may the innocent blood spilled there be on your hands.
For once I applaud Mr lungu for telling his followers up detest from violence, however if he was serious he could do more.
He could instruct the PIG to be neutral and deal with all perpertratores regardless of party.
We all saw imiges of caders wilding firearms beating opposition….
To the opposition , well done for using photographic evidence…..that is the only way you will show who are the violent thugs…….
We, the innocent sesheke residents are happy with the police. The reports from watchdog and muvi tv are misleading. Hh and his blind followers are very arrogant and hence having problems with police. Its upnd to blame not pf. Pf members are leaving in fear. Upnd does not want other parties to campaign in their strongholds. Disqualify upnd. Iam in sesheke.
@munune you shut the flipping up iwe chimbwi kandilemo.
Most people you see in uniform in Sesheke are not police officers but PF thugs brought into Sesheke and given police uniforms and guns to force people to toll PF s line.
Vides and pictures show Sesheke residents being bitten by police in their own homes for refusing to attend Lungu s rally and say you are happy. You an 1diot.
ECZ. I saw their schedule. They can even develop a standard format for political parties to use. Who heads that organisation? He or she is surely incompetent. Check the schedule. It shows both parties planned rallies in the same area on the same afternoon. Its this kind of gross incompetence thats ruining Zambia.
This was deliberate to cause confusion so that UPND can be blamed when people shun Lungu s rally.
They did that because they knew that only UPND rallies will be well attended if the seduces did not clash.
Easy said than done.