UNIP officials armed with machetes against the anti-Tilyenji cadres

SOME UNIP officials yesterday procured machetes and catapults to arm themselves against the anti- Tilyenji Kaunda cadres that went to protest at the former ruling party’s head office along Sheki Sheki road.
A Sunday Mail crew that went to cover the skirmish witnessed two men alighting from a Toyota Spacio with a consignment of machetes and catapults hidden in plastic bags after the cadres, suspected to have come from Kafue, had left.
Asked about the purpose of the offensive weapons, the man denied ever carrying machetes after hiding them behind an office block.
UNIP national youth coordinator Stephen Kamwengo told the Sunday Mail that the protesting cadres were allegedly sent by a named official who was recently expelled from the party.
He said the named official and her camp earlier wanted to take over UNIP provincial offices at Freedom House before going to the party’s head office.
“I was alerted by our security that there was a bus loaded with cadres who were armed with pangas and all sorts of weapons. They threw stones and bottles at the gate and warned that they will come back.
“They even had placards denouncing our president and his vice president Njekwa Anamela. But so far we have contained the situation,” he said.
He said the anti-Tilyenji camp is demanding his removal on grounds that he has failed to run the party.
“He has not failed and as a person who is in the system, our participation in all by-elections that have taken place countrywide shows that he is doing something,” Mr Kamwengo said.
Efforts to get Mr Kaunda failed as he was reportedly attending a church service while Mr Anamela’s phone went unanswered by press time.

Zambia Daily Mail