Zambian President Banda warned of imminent ‘war’


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Zambian president Rupiah Banda has been accused of “driving the country to the brink of civil war” as he is allegedly allowing policeman to abuse his office.

In the past two weeks, political violence has been on the rise in Zambia due to campaigns for parliamentary by-elections.

Campaigns ahead of Zambian parliamentary by-elections have been marked by rising political violence and intimidation, in the past two weeks.

Home affairs minister Lameck Mangani is quoted saying the clashes between supporters of the ruling MMD party and the opposition is the worst violence in an election season since Zambia’s independence from Britain in 1964.

“Now we are reaching a level where truly if the President does not take action not only against the perpetrator in the police service he is driving this country to a brink of civil war,” alleged Edith Nawakwi, the president of opposition FFD party.

Francis Kabonde, an inspector general of police, is fingered as the problem cop.

Added Nawakwi, “Only President Rupiah Banda will be answerable to the
people of Zambia and God for this blood that is starting to drip. It does not take an outsider, it shouldn’t take the international community to come to Zambia and tell us that peace and tranquility is as valuable as air” she is extensively quoted in Zambia media today.

“Mr President Rupiah, you and I are citizens of this country… you and I
have children who are under the age of 10. Any blood is entirely on his feet because he has allowed a cop to misbehave, to abuse his office. When we had serious cops, do you think you could behave like that?” Nawakwi asked.

Nawakwi is quoted saying the violence had not started overnight because President Banda had it coming. She said the violence had been verbal, consistent and the President just watched it.

“We could not have reached to this level if as head of state when the cadres were threatening to assault me he had taken decisive action.”

Nawakwi was last week threatened with gang rape following her criticism of President Banda’s style of governance.

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