LONDON CALLING THE POLITICS OF VIOLENCE ZED-STYLE

Austin Kaluba
So Rupiah Bwezani Banda has allocated more vehicles to the Zambia Police Service (Remember it used to be called Zambia Police Force) then policemen were unofficially allowed to beat suspects with sjamkoks. Then they were called by derogatory names like buju, pombozi or Kokoshi.
W

MMD supporters

hen the Police changed to a service, our uniformed friends have become tame and rarely use force when apprehending a suspect. They usually talk to suspects the way you talk to a woman you are proposing love to her. This is progressive considering how their unruly behaviour in the UNIP days. Their behaviour is now similar to that of the Police in civilised countries like England where Police say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ even when they are taking you to the Police station.
The Zambian Police now cajoles a suspect with Liyayi force lingua of uzakamba ku sogolo-You will explain at the Police station. This is another plus in a country and continent where state-sponsored violence is common.
However, old habits die hard. State-sponsored violence is back again. This has been confirmed by Banda with his occasional pronouncements of Boma ni Boma-the government is all powerful and his over-dependence on security men to rule. Banda has from time to time chillily mouthed this phrase each time the MMD government uses underhand methods to suppress dissent. It seems the former diplomat, ex-governor and farmer is taking us back to the days of ‘by air.’
Did I hear cries of alarmist from the browsers? I think the writing is on the wall that the MMD government is incubating something rotten as we get closer to the elections date. Apart from allocating more vehicles to the Police, the government has also brought extra security personnel from neighbouring Zimbabwe.
I mean the same Zimbabwe where state-sponsored violence is the norm. Rupiah Banda and some of his attack dogs are silently telling us that our Lilayi boys are too tame to handle the violence that might flare if the ruling party wins either by rigging or genuine victory. The opposition party like the Patriotic Front (PF) which also has violent cadres is usually on the receiving end. Much of the violence that is reported occasionally in the Press is largely initiated by the MMD.

The government is telling us that the country needs violence-tasted Zimbabwean security men who still have fresh blood of white farmers on their hands. These men of tested criminality from Zimbabwe might include the Korean-trained ex-soldiers who participated in the infamous Gukurahundi genocide in Matebeleland.
They might also include  men who were allegedly involving in the mysterious death of the former army general Solomon Mujuru whose body was set on fire. These are not ordinary clean-shaven Mazezulus or Korekores tinsmith who sell their wares on credits in Zambian urban townships.
The Zambia Army commander Wisdom Lopa recently issued a statement in the government and state controlled vuvuzelas (Times of Zambia and the Zambia Daily Mail) that the army is impartial. Every idiot who has attended social studies classes knows this. By making such obvious comments, he is sub textually saying he is an MMD cadre who carries a party card under his voluminous military uniform.
Mr Lopa (Iam being deliberately insolent by not addressing him by his martial title) is no different from William Banda, the political thug who should be given the highest order in violence and use of primitive methods in sorting out political opponents.
However, having said this, I feel it is not fair to criticise Banda singly since he is being used by the ruling party to organise other thugs who are sending messages of violence to their perceived political opponents. Unlike other dead criminals like Never Spoiler Kapenda, Roy Mudenda, Uncle Barry, and the serial killer Sipalo who engaged in criminal acts without being forced, Banda is acting on instructions with the full support and consent of politicians in the ruling party.
Zambians should remember that Banda, who shares a name with his master President Banda was deported to Malawi. He was however recalled by the MMD government to render his noble services to the Party and Its Government (PIG). He has never failed it.
The ex-communicated Catholic archbishop Emmanuel Milingo who is in the country has likened the political violence in the country to revival of ritual murders in traditional Africa when dead chiefs were buried with living sacrificial victims. This is an acute observation from the clergyman. Zambians politicians are an arrogant lot who want to drag the all nation in their selfish agendum presented as concern for the masses. If politicians are fighting then other innocent Zambians should pay be sacrificed.  Some hapless cadres even Zambians who are apolitical have paid the ultimate price-death.
Zambian politicians are reviving a custom that made white missionaries and other early European explorers rightly call Africa a dark continent. Both men Banda and Sata have not condemned the violence being perpetuated by some of their supporters. To borrow words from a popular Kaponya political song short what the two noble gentlemen are telling us is that if Banda or Sata are not around bonse aba niba ngwele-if Banda or Sata are not around everybody else is a bum.
Considering the volatile situation in the country the some churches will soon be organising national prayers for peaceful elections. As a Christian I welcome this concern. On the other hand I also know that God is not in the habit of intervening especially when idiots are fighting./End..

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