UPND, PF Cadres Clash Outside Court

United Party for National Development (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) cadres yesterday almost clashed outside the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court after principal resident magistrate Aridah Chulu adjourned a case in which UPND president Hakainde Hichilema is charged with publication of false news with intent to alarm the nation.

The cadres, who accompanied Hichilema to court, accosted PF supporters as party secretary-general Wynter Kabimba was leaving the courtroom and hurled a tirade of unprintables at them.
The PF cadres were escorting Mr Kabimba, who was summoned to testify in the case, to his car when the UPND sympathisers attempted to intercept them.
“You can’t defeat us. We can beat you right here if you don’t know us,” one cadre was heard shouting at the PF supporters.
“We can produce our machetes and guns. If you want you can also produce yours. You are too weak,” another cadre said.
This infuriated one PF supporter who charged at the group of UPND cadres, which also advanced but quick action by senior party officials separated the two factions.
“Just ignore them, they are frustrated people,” a senior PF member was heard saying while she restrained members.
Earlier, Magistrate Chulu adjourned the case after Hichilema’s lawyers applied for an adjournment on grounds that police officers had allegedly mistreated them while they were entering the court premises.
In her ruling, Mrs Chulu said she had taken the concerns of the defence lawyers and State prosecutor into consideration and she had no option but to adjourn the matter.
“I have given the defence team a benefit of doubt about their concerns. I, therefore, adjourn the matter to May 15 and May 16, 2014 for commencement of trial. I am sorry for the inconvenience caused,” she said.
It is alleged that on June 11, 2012 Hichilema uttered false news with intent to cause fear that the PF had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Sudanese government to train PF youths in militia tactics.
In her application for an adjournment, defence lawyer Martha Mushipe said the defence team was not ready to proceed with the matter because of the conduct of the police officers.
She said police officers brutalised her and her colleagues, including Mr Hichilema’s supporters, as they entered the court premises.
“We had to wait for 30 minutes before we could be allowed to come into the court premises. This trend has been going on whenever this matter comes up.
“We are deeply concerned, as defence lawyers, with the conduct of police officers deployed to this place,” Ms Mushipe said.
Ms Mushipe said the accused person has a right to a free trial and that conduct of the police officers was unacceptable.
“We are not in the right frame of mind to proceed. The State should put its house in order,” Ms Mushipe said.
Another defence lawyer, Sakwiba Sikota, said it is the first time he is seeing such police harassment in his 31 years of practising law.
“As lawyers, we need a free state of mind when representing our clients. We need free access to the courts,” Mr Sikota said.
Another lawyer, Jack Mwiimbu, said he was not prepared to proceed with the case following the happenings at the court premises.
But a state prosecutor said there was no need to adjourn the matter because the concerns raised by the defence team were not brought to the prosecution’s attention.
“We have not been given a chance to verify the conduct of police officers. We are ready to proceed with this matter in the interest of the public and that of the accused. We object to the application for adjournment,” she said.

Posted by Admin on May 6, 2014. Filed under BREAKING NEWS, POLITICS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

9 Responses to UPND, PF Cadres Clash Outside Court

REAL HH

May 6, 2014 at 3:18 pm

HH should not be hiding in adjourning the case.He must face the consequeses of careless mouth. I used to support him but dissapointed in the manner he comes out, full of hate messages and inciting the public. He thinks Zambia will be another Ukraine or Egypt or even Rwanda,never. We are united family. Long live Zambia.
buster

May 6, 2014 at 4:41 pm

that article z frm post headline.and da headline yaba tumfweko say ‘clashed’while inside the news it says ‘almost’duplicate reporting
Denkete

May 6, 2014 at 5:51 pm

@Buster I m equaly both perplexed and flabahusted
wisdom

May 6, 2014 at 7:22 pm

we are planting a bad seed of hatret which will be diffikot to up root. Zambia is bigger than HH and kabimba. lets say no to violence and treat each other as brothers and sisters. God bless Zambia and our president
chisha kambole

May 6, 2014 at 9:05 pm

The so called real hh does know who the real careless u know why sata is called cobra? It is his ability to spit lies and pedalling falsehood about others that earned him that name. That is the real careless mouth not hakainde. He has told lies from colonial times and he has a lot of disciples surprisingly. That is why the country is in this shape. When mwanawasa was president sata trumpeted a lot about mwanawasa’s illness. What has happened now? Chaona munzako chapita mailo chili pa iwe. Do unto others as u wud like them do unto u.
- dull as usual
  
  May 7, 2014 at 5:55 pm
  
  Just yapping..you also!
Mike Mubanga

May 6, 2014 at 10:51 pm

Leaders must learn to preach peace in their camps and this will earn them a lot of respect from us on the terraces.ama vote tayesa isa isa fye iyoo.What happened prior to 2011 elections is gone and if any party thinks using the same 2011 dirty tricks will earn them votes,they are cheating themselves.We expect issue based politics this time around.Not lies and cheap lies for that matter.
Zambians are a mile ahead now that they understand politicians very well.
Respect for the rule of law is very cardinal.any one disregarding this must not even be voted into office.
congo durst

May 7, 2014 at 11:41 am

our leaders can u sit down n iron out differences? ths z nt th zambia i knew. lets adopt th culture of ones,peace,love. thez western countries r funding to divide u. the time u realise it wil be anatha Rwanda. “one zambia, one people one nation”
lulu

July 23, 2014 at 12:39 pm

HH be matured we treasure and always loved by us. Life is not the same always,, today u re laughing tomorrow it ll b u in his condition. always loved. change