UPDATES ON SESHEKE PARLIAMENTARY AND MKOMBA WARD BY-ELECTIONS.
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Governance, Elections, Advocacy, Research Services (GEARS) Initiative would like to express its grave disappointment at the failure by political parties participating in the forthcoming by-elections to practice politics of issue based and idea boxing.

We want to further express our deepest concern at the continued reports of violent electoral campaigns that have characterised Mkomba ward in Lundazi District and Sesheke Central parliamentary in Sesheke District by-elections respectively.

GEARS Initiative monitors in Sesheke reports that suspected PF cadres attacked the upnd rally meeting held on 26th January, 2019 at Maondo grounds in Maondo ward and left one person seriously injured.

The injured was an old woman in her late 70s who was hammered with a club and she was rushed to Yeta District Hospital where she was admitted.

GEARS Initiative is in possession of the injured woman was admitted in the Yeta District Hospital in Sesheke.

Surprisingly, the police have not arrested the suspected attackers to date.

Disturbingly, when these suspected PF cadres came back from attacking the upnd supporters at their rally in Maondo, they went to and into the local Catholic Church in Sesheke and beat up the priest who had instructed the Catholic youths to remove the PF posters that were pasted on the Church wall fence.

The priest’ s contention was that the church was a neutral place which did not allow the pasting of political propaganda posters or any political campaign materials.

The priest reported the incident and his attackers to Sesheke Police Station but no arrests have been affected to date.

Another illegal practice being committed by ruling PF campaign team in Sesheke is their attempt to force the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to issue driving licenses to 50 youths without undergoing routine driving tests as required by law.

This is done to entice these youths so that they may vote for the ruling PF candidate on 12 February, 2019 by-election.

Unfortunately, those involved in this illegal act is one of the named civil servant working in the Sesheke District Commissioner’ s Office which is not only contrary to the electoral code of Conduct by the provisions of the Constitution that do not allow civil servants to engage in active partisan politics.

These youths are allegedly been issued with medical reports by the local hospital staff who are said to be forced to sign these forms for these youth who have not undergone any medical tests contrary to the RTSA provisions.

GEARS initiative condemns strongly the attack on the catholic priest, the hacking of the old lady, the abuse of the office of the DC and the attempt to abuse RTSA for political advantage.

We commend RTSA for sticking to its professional practices as it will help stop the issuance of driving licences to undeserved individuals that may have contributed to increased road carnage.

We want to appeal to Police to play their role of policing the electoral process in a non biased manner so that all players are operating within the precinct of the electoral code of conduct.

GEARS initiative continues to closely monitor the electoral developments in Sesheke and Mkomba through its monitors on the ground and will continue to update the nation.

McDonald Chipenzi
Executive Director
GEARS Initiative Zambia

29/01/2019