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SELF-PROCLAIMED PF die-hard cadre Maxwell Chongu says Friday’s riots in Kanyama were sparked by frustrated ruling party cadres who feel left out, abandoned and treated as outcasts.
Home affairs minister Stephen Kampyongo on Friday afternoon blamed the UPND for the riot
Chongu, in a statement that represented his personal views and not those of the party, stated that mostly those in PF but fell out of favour with the party hierarchy knowingly or unknowingly were the ones that ignited the riots that saw the arrest of 55 people, among them seven Congolese.
In a lengthy statement, he stated that rioting was one way that the youths of Kanyama considered in expressing their views.
“The youths thought of expressing themselves in the most rebellious way to send a signal that they were not happy, something that if not well handled well might be a recipe for a revolution yet to come…Fellow compatriots, truthfully speaking, I learnt something political from the riots in Kanyama that led to loss of life to our comrade, brother and friend (MHSRIEP),” Chongu stated.
“Yesterday’s (Friday’s) riots were not as a result of the curfew slapped on the people of Kanyama or how our gallant men and women in uniform are carrying out their duties but it had everything to do with politics. One thing I learned after touring Kanyama this morning incognito I discovered that it’s about the wrath of the grassroots that feel left out, abandoned and treated as outcasts mostly those that where in PF and fell out of favour with the party hierarchy knowingly or unknowingly,” Chongu stated. “ The riot was one way the youths in Kanyama thought of expressing their views in the most rebellious way to send a signal that they are not happy, something that if not well handled might be the recipe for the yet to come revolution.”
He stated that after his incognito tour of Kanyama and interviews with various youths, he concluded that the ruling party was in fact shooting itself in the foot owing to unnecessary divisions and political infighting.
Chongu explained that a number of youths confided in him saying the PF was at the verge of losing touch with the grassroot membership to the opposition.
He therefore called for speedy action to save the ruling party.
“After talking to several youths in Kanyama today, I came to conclude that we as a party, PF, we are actually shooting ourselves in the foot in terms of grassroots with unnecessary divisions and political in fights hence the need to act fast. There are so many things that youths in Kanyama told me today and I will definitely seek audience with relevant offices to move in and solve this political impasse before we completely lose the ground to the opposition in Lusaka in terms of the grassroots,” Chongu stated.
He urged PF national youth chairman Stephen Kampyongo and various youth chairpersons in the party organs in Lusaka Province to address issues affecting the youths.
Chongu further suggested that party youths who where chased or suspended, driven away from stations, markets, town center and other trading places be given an open door of reconciliation.
He urged his party members to be ready to embrace the lost members to achieve unity of purpose for the ruling party.
“My immediate advice is for the National Youth Chairman Honourable Steven Kampyongo to urgently call for a meeting with all youth chairpersons on the following party organs in Lusaka province to address issues affecting the youths: The Provincial youth chairman, district youth chairman, All constituency youth chairpersons, all ward youth chairpersons. My area of emphasis will be forgiving those who offended us and were subsequently chased or suspended from the party PF, stations, markets, town center and other trading places, open doors of reconciliation and be ready to embrace them to achieve unity of purpose for the party PF, PF government, the President Edgar Chagwa Lungu above all this great nation Zambia,” Chongu stated.
ZNBC
