… as calm returns to Lumezi one of the restful districts of Eastern Province with police saying only one arrested.
WHILE calm has returned to Lumezi following violent clashes between cadres from the governing UPND and those aligned to the Tonse Alliance, sources say victims of the UPND violence are the ones who have been arrested.
A source who cannot be named but witnessed the violence said it was suspected UPND thugs who waylaid and attacked members of the Tonse Alliance.
“It is the victims who were arrested. I witnessed the whole fracas. It is the UPND who provoked their friends. They waylaid them and started pelting them with stones but now it is calm and peaceful,” the source said.
Eastern Province Police Commissioner Robertson Mweemba confirmed that order had been restored after officers were forced to fire warning shots and tear gas to disperse the rival political groups, which engaged in running battles over the weekend.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, Mr Mweemba said only one person had been arrested in connection with the violence. The suspect was part of a group that allegedly stoned a vehicle belonging to the local council.
“The area is now very quiet. We are currently preparing for a meeting with political leaders to emphasise that peace must prevail. We only have one country and one Lumezi. If we destroy it, we all become victims,” Mr Mweemba said.
The violence occurred ahead of a parliamentary by-election scheduled for June 26, following the incarceration of Munir Zulu, the former Independent Member of Parliament, who was convicted of defamation.
Meanwhile, Patriotic Front (PF) Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa, a senior official in the Tonse Alliance, also confirmed that the situation had stabilised.
“As of today, Lumezi is peaceful. The thugs that were brought in from Lusaka and Kitwe by UPND have since left,” Mr Sampa said.
“We are now heading into a meeting with the police commanding officer and other stakeholders to ensure there is no repeat of the violence before or after election day,” Mr Sampa said.
Mr Sampa said Lumezi, as of yesterday, was peaceful and very calm.
Authorities and political leaders have reiterated calls for peace as preparations for the by-election continue.
