UPND Youths To Guard HH Until He Files Nomination Papers

Youth members of the United Party for National Development (UPND) have been instructed to help guard and protect their party president, Hakainde Hichilema, until he files his nomination papers for the presidential election between 17th – 20th May.  

The party’s Northwestern Youth Chairman, Bruce Kanema, said he gave the order because of legitimate concerns that the governing Patriotic Front (PF) may use the police to arrest Mr Hichilema in order to prevent him from running in August’s elections.

He said he was commanding “all of you youths in wards, districts, constituencies and the province to stand by until nomination day to protect President Hakainde”.

The statement echoes concerns voiced by Senior Chief Mukuni of the Leya people that the PF is planning to poison the opposition leader. The PF has flatly denied these accusations, accusing Chief Mukuni of politicking.

HH was of course arrested by police back in 2017 for allegedly refusing to give way to President Lungu’s motorcade. He was imprisoned for nearly five months, including eight days in solitary confinement without food, water, light or visitation. His arrest was condemned by the United States, the European Union and the Africa Liberal Network.

More recently police harassed the family of Mr Hichilema’s wife, Mutinta, by storming a village in Shibuyunji District on the suspicion that Mrs Hichilema’s cousin was harbouring weapons.

Heavily armed officers ransacked the village but found no such weapons, leading HH to dismiss their behaviour as “dictatorial” and a “waste of government resources”.