The United Party for National Development (UPND) has condemned the attack on former Patriotic Front (PF) secretary-general Mr Davies Mwila at the Supreme Court in the strongest terms. The party has warned that any of its members involved will face the law alone, with no protection and no legal representation.
In the same briefing, the ruling party rejected claims attributed to Mr Mwila that it was responsible for the death of former minister Honourable Mutotwe Kafwaya and of a youth killed in a township while playing music. It described the claims as preposterous and highly mischievous, and challenged him to produce evidence.
Former Home Affairs Minister Mr Jack Mwiimbu, who chairs the UPND Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, delivered the party’s position at a media briefing in Lusaka. He said the incident at the country’s highest court was unfortunate and that the party did not condone any act of lawlessness.
“We, as UPND, would like to state categorically that we condemn in the strongest terms possible the action of individuals who harassed and assaulted the former Secretary-General of the Patriotic Front at the Supreme Court grounds,” Mr Mwiimbu said.
He said the attack should be condemned by every right-thinking Zambian, regardless of political affiliation.
Mr Mwiimbu reminded party members of a warning President Hakainde Hichilema has repeated on several occasions. The UPND, the Head of State has said, will not support lawlessness of any kind, and members who break the law will not be shielded by the party.
“If any of our members are involved in lawlessness, they are on their own,” Mr Mwiimbu said.
He called on the security wings of the State to identify everyone involved and bring them to book, insisting that political connections would count for nothing.
“There are no sacred cows,” Mr Mwiimbu said. “We have stated on several occasions, through ourselves as officers of the UPND and the President of the Republic of Zambia, that there is no one who is above the law, and we have endeavoured to ensure that the rule of law is observed. There is no exception to ensuring that the law is implemented.”
The former minister said the party expected the police to act quickly and without fear or favour.
“We hope and believe that the law enforcement agencies will rise above board and ensure that those who are responsible for that act are brought to book immediately,” he said.
He also appealed to the public, including UPND members, to respect the laws of the country and the rights of individuals at all times. That, he said, was the party’s plea to all Zambians, its own supporters included.
Mr Mwiimbu said the location of the attack made it particularly grave, since the Supreme Court and the other courts of Zambia are institutions every citizen is expected to respect.
“The courts of law are supposed to be held in highest esteem and be accorded the decorum and respect that they deserve,” he said.
The attack, he said, exposed a dangerous belief among some people that they could act without consequence.
“What happened shows that other members have impunity, thinking that they can do anything and get away with it. We will not allow, as a party, for such things to happen in this country,” Mr Mwiimbu said.
Having condemned the assault, the UPND turned its attention to Mr Mwila himself. Mr Mwiimbu said the party took great exception to statements attributed to the former PF secretary-general in a newspaper published on the same day, in which he allegedly blamed the UPND for deaths in the country.
The first was the death of Honourable Mutotwe Kafwaya. Mr Mwiimbu said Zambians were aware that the circumstances surrounding the former minister’s death were under investigation. Government had made various statements on the matter, he said, and the facts would be brought to light very soon.
“It is therefore irresponsible for Mr Mwila to allege that the UPND is responsible,” Mr Mwiimbu said.
The second claim related to a youth who was killed in a township while playing music. Mr Mwiimbu said Mr Mwila had attributed that death to the ruling party, a claim he called preposterous and highly mischievous.
“In the same light, it is irresponsible for Honourable Mwila to state that the UPND killed a youth who was playing music in the township,” he said.
The former minister challenged Mr Mwila to back both claims with proof.
“Let him lay evidence on the table to show that it is the UPND who are responsible. The UPND as a party has never killed anybody. We are on record condemning violence in this country,” Mr Mwiimbu said.
To make his case, he pointed to the UPND’s own dead. The party was a victim of political violence before the 2021 general election, he said. During the most recent polls, it lost one of its members in Kaputa.
Even then, Mr Mwiimbu said, the UPND did not attribute the Kaputa death to any specific political party. It left the matter to law enforcement agencies to investigate and bring the culprits to court, and he said Mr Mwila should have shown the same restraint over the deaths of Honourable Kafwaya and the township youth.
“It is therefore unacceptable for a senior citizen to make such allegations against the UPND,” he said.
Mr Mwiimbu closed the briefing by returning to the party’s own members. He said the UPND had at all times instructed its members not to take part in such activities, and he repeated the President’s warning.
“I would like to repeat the words of the President, that if any one of our members is involved in criminal activities, they are on their own. We will not be there to defend them,” Mr Mwiimbu said.
As chairperson of the legal committee, he made clear that the party’s lawyers would not step in. The committee would not offer legal services to anyone involved in such activity.
The briefing marks a sharper position than the earlier statement from the UPND Media Team. That statement condemned the attack but devoted much of its attention to PF-Pamodzi Alliance National Youth IPS Mr Given Gift Chibale, who had linked the incident to suspected UPND cadres. It challenged him to take any evidence to the police and said the party would report the matter under the cybercrime laws.
The attack happened shortly after the Lima Constituency election petition was adjourned. In that case, UPND candidate Mr Lee Mukupa is challenging the election of National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) candidate Mr Kelvin Kaunda, who won the seat with 22,760 votes against Mr Mukupa’s 8,041. Mr Mwila had attended the hearing in solidarity with Mr Kaunda.
UPND members were at the scene. Former PF Kabwata parliamentary aspirant Mr Clement Tembo, who joined the ruling party earlier this year, said Mr Mwila had insulted him and other UPND members by calling them poverty-stricken. He also said Mr Mwila boasted that he had enough wealth to benefit even Mr Tembo’s next generation. Mr Mwila is also alleged to have mocked the “salt sana” slogan.
“He is misbehaving and insulting as if he is not an elderly person,” Mr Tembo said.
Mr Tembo and a group of supporters followed Mr Mwila into the building, where the former minister ended up on the floor of the reception area. Court officials, onlookers, security personnel and police officers intervened as one man tried to keep beating him.
Chief Justice Mumba Malila condemned the incident as flagrant lawlessness and an assault on the administration of justice. He said law enforcement agencies were investigating and that those responsible would face the full force of the law.
“Unruly conduct and violence will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” Dr Malila said.
Security has since been tightened at the courts, and the Lima hearing resumed later that day before High Court Judge Derrick Mulenga with police reinforcement.
The ruling party has now said publicly that it will neither defend nor represent anyone involved, and the matter rests with the police. No arrests have been announced.
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