UPND LOOTING VICTIMS CRY

By SIMON MUNTEMBA & NOEL IYOMBWA VICTIMS of UPND’s recent orgy of violence and looting during a road show in Lusaka’s Mandevu constituency are demanding for justice, reparation and quick prosecution of instigators. The victims have complained of being beaten, women being stripped and mass looting from shops and other makeshift shops. One of the …

UPND LOOTING VICTIMS CRY
By SIMON MUNTEMBA & NOEL IYOMBWA VICTIMS of UPND’s recent orgy of violence and looting during a road show in Lusaka’s Mandevu constituency are demanding for justice, reparation and quick prosecution of instigators. The victims have complained of being beaten, women being stripped and mass looting from shops and other makeshift shops. One of the victims, Musonda Sinkamba said they were  now wallowing in poverty and has appealed for support from those responsible for the violence and the public. Mr Sinkamba said a Toyota Noah, was one of the vehicles set ablaze on June 10 when the UPND looted their shops. One survivor, Steven Simbeye said he ran away when he saw his friends being beaten and went to hide, but that left his shop unguarded and open to looting. When he returned, he found his orders of beers, cigarettes and goat meat all gone.   “They took everything, anything that was in the shop all because I had a PF flag on top of the shop,” Mr  Sinkamba explained. Another victim, Jackson Phiri, a barber told the Daily Nation that despite not belonging to any political party, UPND cadres armed with machetes, knives, screw drivers and pangas attacked him and went away with two shaving machines and six mobile phones. He explained that he did not know what was happening because he just saw the UPND cadres entering his shop and grabbing stuff including personal items from his pockets. Mr Phiri complained that in addition to robbing him of six phones, five of which were for his customers, they also took away K300 and K900 cash from him and his clients. He said after the looting, he reported the matter to police, but up to now nothing had happened. He complained that the owners of the stolen phones are bothering him to return their phones, but he has failed because he is financially grounded. “On June 10, the UPND went away with my two barbing machines worth K1, 900 and six mobile phones I was charging for clients after storming my shop when they were conducting their road show in Mandevu Constituency. “In addition, because they were so brutal, they searched me and my customers and went away with K1, 200 cash. The K300 was the cash money I had in my pocket and my customers were searched K900,” Mr Phiri said. He has since requested the ruling party and government to help him because he had lost his source of income. And Mr Sinkamba said his makeshift shop was looted by the UPND cadres which has now left him a destitute. Mr Sinkamba said the cadres beat him up and went away with items worth over K13, 000. He said he was unable to pay rentals and to look after his family because his only source of income was disturbed. He appealed to well-wishers and the government to help him with capital to get back on his feet. Other victims said they were afraid the cadres would come back and refused to have their pictures taken.