PF Cadre Arrested For Threatening Civil Servant

Police in Lusaka have arrested a member of the Patriotic Front (PF), Charles Kakula, for harassing and threatening a civil servant at the Ministry of Works and Supply because he believed her to be a supporter of the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Mr Kakula was arrested on Wednesday after a video of the incident, in which he and several other PF cadres mobbed the civil servant, went viral on social media. 

The incident occurred at around 12 o’clock on Tuesday. According to police, investigations are still ongoing. 

On Thursday,  Inspector General of the Zambia Police Service Kakoma Kanganja strongly condemned the actions of the PF cadres, calling them unlawful and uncalled for.

“It is with great dismay that police have noticed high level of hooliganism being exhibited by some political cadres under the pretext of politicking,” he said in a statement to the media.

The inspector general urged political cadres to direct their grievances through the proper channels, rather than resorting to violence.

“As much as we may all be aware that this is an election year, the Zambia Police shall not tolerate any provocative behaviour with the potential to cause mayhem or bring about public disorder,” he concluded. 

The incident marks the latest in a long trend of PF violence against supposed UPND supporters. 

In February, members of the ruling party attacked a female UPND supporter at her roadside stall in Woodlands for the third time in less than a year.

The ‘horde’ of attackers left their victim, Mercy Changwe, 51, with a broken ankle, bleeding ears and fractured arms. Her crime: selling UPND merchandise by the side of the road.