THE Tonse Alliance has vowed that it shall form now on defend itself from the violence allegedly being perpetrated by the United Party for National Development.
This follows the political violence that erupted in Kawambwa, in which the UPND and its deputy national youth chairman were accused of causing terror, after they allegedly went on an indiscriminate spree of beating and hacking the Tonse Alliance members, their supports and electoral agents.
The Tonse Alliance has complained that the Zambia Police has abdicated its mandate of fairly policing the country, especially in times of elections, during which cadres of the ruling party get rogue and run rampage harassing, beating and intimidating voters.
Sean Tembo, the Alliance spokesperson and Peter Chanda, the president of the National Congress Party (NCP) were on voting day attacked by suspected UPND cadres in two separate incidences.
Mr Tembo was pursued to a police station in Kawambwa and when ge sought the protection of the police, he was instead thrown back to his assailants, with Mwala Yuyi, the Luapula Province Police Commissioner telling him he deserved even severe assaulting for being too loud.
It is from this background that the Tonse Allaince have announced that it shall defend itself because the police were in most cases behaving as bystanders and onlookers while the UPND cadres were unleashing violence.
But Rae Hamoonga, the Police Public Relations Officer has issued a strong warning to the effect that a Tonse Alliance members should desist from violence, stating that inciting violence and disrupt public order was against the law.
Mr Hamoonga says maintaining law and order is the sole responsibility of the Zambia Police Service, warning that any individual or group attempting to take the law into their own hands would face legal consequences.
“No individual or group is above the law. The Zambia Police Service will not tolerate any actions that breach public peace or undermine the rule of law,” Mr Hamoonga said.
But Celestine Mukandila, the Lusaka lawyer says the opposition has no intention of causing violence or havoc but that it has the right to defend themselves if the police decide to become bystanders and onlookers in face of violent UPND cadres.
Mr Mukandila says the police are in possession of well-documented reports and evidence of violence from the Kawambwa by-election that they have failed to act professionally deal with because those involved were UPND cadres.
Political tension has been heightened in the country largely because the Zambia police Service have often times acted and behaved like political party cadres.
To the Zambia Police, it has always been the opposition that have been violent even when there had been clear evidence that the zealots of the ruling party were in fact involved.
Unless, the Zambia Police service change their partisan conduct and begin policing events fairly and without bias, there is a real danger that the violence the country is witnessing could escalate.
Political emotions and heat are getting higher as the country gets towards the 2026 general election and the Zambia police should endeavor at serving the nation rather than a political party in power.
Governments come and go but institutions remain and often, those who refuse to be professional get into trouble when things change.
We shall defend ou
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