PF officials, 22 others arrested in Kitwe riots
Police in Kitwe on Monday arrested 22 people, including party officials from the opposition Patriotic Front (PF), following riotous protests by people angered when police arrived at the Kitwe Magistrates Court to control the crowd.
The crowd gathered at the venue in support of a court appearance of Roman Catholic priest Father Frank Bwalya who was arrested over the weekend for protesting against alleged corruption and other issues in the country.
Bwalya was arrested and detained for three days for distributing red cards to members of the public as part of a Red Card Campaign launched by civil society groups over two weeks ago.
The campaign, which is synonymous with a red card given to football players for flouting the game’s rules, is meant to show displeasure with government’s handling of corruption and what the civil society say is poor governance by President Rupiah Banda’s government.
Bwalya is facing one count of conduct likely to cause breach of peace for which he could land him a jail sentence or a fine. After appearing before the Kitwe Magistrate’s Court on Monday for commencement of tria, he was granted bail.
However, outside the court premises trouble began when police attempted to “control” the crowd which reacted violently to its presence, resulting in the arrests.
Loading ...
Alistoto
You are so immature.I wonder how you have managed to escape jail all this time. No one except you is condoning the violence or the wrong direction that this Father Bwalya is taking. It is easy to read your bitterness.
You can’t expect all sensible people to see things the way you seem to prefer to see them. Violence is wrong. How on eaerth can a Priest champion violence? I can’t just make sense. But because you are a bitter person you see sense in what This reckless Father is advocating for.
If you don’t mind go throw yourself in the river. Excuse we who love peace.
I have heard on a number of occations MMD and the like advising people with dessenting views to form or join political parties, why? must I not talk about what is affecting me, my family and neighbour just because you have the instruments to intimidate me? No. You are my servant, I employed you to be a custodian of the law, to look after my welfare and excute your duties faithfully, proffessionally and deligently. Whether I belong to a party or not is immaterial, its non of your business. If you dont like the way I talk, resign, tomorrow we gonna have another minister. The prerequisite to correct any situation has nothing to do with forming or joining a political party, but its how conversant, knowledgeable, exposed one is.
We only become PF/UPND members at the time of voting. After that we are not members. Get this in your thick head.
Father time waste. He better try flirting with married women or molesting alter boys …..We wont allow him to KUSEBELA NA BOMA. This boy better change and good luck Frank
Father Bwalya is championing lawlessness. What a preist!
goodwell
If Father Bwalya’s call is genuine why does he not then form his own party? What rights is on about when elections have been held every fives years? Of course he is supporting Sata, but what about Sata’s record? Third term, Chawama hackings, infidelity and so on and so forth. What alternative is he talking about which people are not seeing? Certainly, Sata is not that alternative. In my parish, almost everyone is agreed that Sata cant make a good President.
So which rights is he fighting for when the person he supports has a worse human rights record?
mu red card emondi naine. Frank bwalya are the likes of Daniel who cud tell
dictators like nebuchadnezzar,(NO), that is clericarism tekufwila mukati like masupa, why dont u condemn pastors who go 4 money like masupa, Pule and others
but you want to demonize the one who is fighting 4yo rights. lets go bwalya, me am behind you. RED CARD- RB and Ronnie.GO Bwalya and the cards.
Do not demonise Father Bwalya, if he has a case to answer the law will take its course. Remember, if it hadnt been for Mwamba Luchembe, RB wouldnt have been the president. RB and William Banda were busy protecting KKs policies when were called political hyenas and demagogs, brutallised by William Banda and his vigilantes, we havent forgotten.
Despite what we went through we never gave up. The more we were butchered by KK, RB and Wlliliam Banda, the more we shouted on top of our voices that we needed change for the better. Can you imagine what would have happened if we had given up? FTJ, LPM and RB wouldnt have enjoyed our sweat.
If you were not part of us who fought fearlessly for the freedom, do not talk about democracy, because you know how it comes about.
Leave Father Bwalya alone you coward, let the law take its course.
can the police arrest this genocide bwalya 4 the rest of his stupid sinful life.we cant allow this to continue.pipo will lose lives over this bwalya ,mpundu thugs.govt shld come down hard on these dogs
Salem wat about other protestant pastors who have done the same. why single out the catholics. Look at the issue at hand this is not about religion.
Father Bwalyas’ policy is that the end justifies the means. How wicked can he be, a priest. He does not ,ind if blood is shed!
The evil that fills this Father Bwalya knows no bound. Faithful Christians are on their kneels praying for him to come to his senses. That he may see his sins and repent.
He is being used by the devil for his schemes.
When he finds true repentence, he will see that he has been an instrument of the devil.
Millions of Children are abused by these so called Fathers. Just now, stories of scandals in Ireland and Germany are filling the headlines in Europe. Priests have caused so much pain worldwide. Rwanda just nearby where Catholic priests committed henious deeds.
Why does not Bwalya fight for the abused children in the world than try to ferment confusion in Zambia?
Informed,Verteran,
We shall vote for Micheal Sata whether you like it or not.Only you very few corrupt selfish individuals can demonise SATA.So no amount of propaganda will stop us and if you block him as you intend,we shall fight to the last drop of our bloo.VIVA 2011 Change,Viva PACT.Abash criminals,abash the corrupt.Abash those who stop the appeal!
Informed does Kadobi belong to the pf. just the other day two females were beaten by mmd cadres,why didnt you condemn them? dont be a hypocrite like the small reverends and pastors. please tell me what Sata has to do with this.
If Bwalya was a true shepard, would he not have cried over the confusion and loss of property he has caused?
LEITINOS is written on the face and hand of this so called Father Bwalya. The bitterness in his so is an offspring of that which possess him – SATAN. Without doubt, his activities are void of true Christianity but are clearly motivated in what fills his bitter soul. His name is LEITINOS and by his his fruit his heart inclination is laid bare. He is indeed a wolf in sheep skin.
Trying to fathom the Red Card campaign, fast becoming a tool for peaceful dissent, is a daunting task for the novice.
I am pretty sure that Father Bwalya is satisfied with his achievement so far. How is that a priest has the support of thugs? A religious person who instead of praying for peace and prosperity has decided to take the opposite direction to cause havoc.
There catholics within his parish who are members of MMD, PF, UNIP and so many other Political parties. Would he have all his church members become PF? Is he not concerned that he is bringing division within the catholic church? Surely not all Catholic members are happy with his stance yet are faithful church members.
Why doesn’t he form his own political party instead of bringing division within the church? Father Bwalya must spend more time to reflect upon the motive of his campaign than hide behind his title.
How would Jesus react to his actions. How is it that stone throwers have his backing if he is truly serving Jesus?
I think Sata and his PF kaponyas including the disgruntled Priest need to know that the era of stone throwing is long gone.Sata the ex convict has a track record of grooming thugs.I recall when he was MMD secretary how he used to give matchets and pistols to Kadobi.Zambians who are with me in the diaspora, we really need to tell our friends and families back in ZED about the evils of the serpent lest they end up making some wrong choices. Any way nature through death has a way of helping people to chose the right person lead them if they fail to use their brains.May nature do its part..
In 2000, I was at Gaberon station, Botswana, enroute to Serowe, when I met a mugoregore woman speaking in chibemba, she told me she grew up in Mufulira, Kamuchanga, married to a Tanzanian, later devorced. She had been on the copperbelt for over thirty years. Her accent was pure Zambian but she was Zimbwabwean residing in Botswana, communicating in fluent bemba. People on the copperbelt are intergrated into one tribe, one Zambia which is one nation.
So Veteran, like racism, take your triblisim to hell, we dont want to smell it, it stinks.
This is what happens when a head of state directs the police to make an arrest in the absence of any justifiable case. RB hasn’t learnt from Kabwela saga and he prefers to continue embarrassing himself. The comedy of errors has taken its root in our myopic leader.
INFORMED? Or misinformed? You see how your thinking is distorted? You do not want me to talk about you in the guise of Veteran but you attack me instead of discussing the topic??? I said it and I can repeat; there’s no issue of tribalism just tell your masters to be accountable to the people who voted for them. Yet again this maybe difficult if faul play was used which I doubt since Zambia is a corruption free state. I rest my case.
Informed,
The message is not for you, you are still being fed by your parents who are my best friends and agemates, you dont know what paying tax is, so keep your beak shut.
We are discussing what transpired in Kitwe. That policeman, together with his boss, that caused confusion should be descipline. Secondly, dont make Father Bwalya a big issue, he is not a threat, ask Americans, the CIA they will advice you that he is not a threat, he is like a defenceless drunken soldier. Simple logic, do I need to lend you my brains?
Informed can you also comment on the article at hand rather than attacking your friends. If they are fools let them continue being fools and you the sane one continue doing your thing. You are condeming your friends about them attacking Vetran but you are are also calling them names. do i see double standards?????
How dare you talk about tribalism in this era! In 2003 I was in Mongu village, 10 km east of the Litunga palace, a very old Lozi woman asked me to communicate to her in Bemba, I was amazed and excited at the same time. This woman was brought up on the copperbelt where there is no room for tribalism. Even the english accent is one. Its difficult to tell whether one is Lozi, Tonga or Kachokwe when one is speaking english. Thats the Zambia we live in, mordern Zambia.
Veteran is still embrassing tribalism, shame to you. You mind is still in the jungle. Your mind is dirty and terrible.
Veteran, talk about who was arrested, that is Father Bwalya and the sympathisers, PF member, and ofcourse the police, dont include catholics who are not even connected to the issue.
Alistoto and Chungu you are big fools who are so obssesed with the Sata thing…I wonder how old you two are.Why not just put your comments on the article rather than attacking the comments of the innocent Veteran.Mulifipuba
Zambia is a product of the calibre of its citizens. We are docile! Reason – we are a country of refugees who fled from down South (during shaka’s brutal wars) and from the North (congo). Thats why people are arrested on flumsy ground and the country remians queit like nothing is wrong.
Churchless Reverands appear daily on National TV supporting a directionless goverment and condeming a few patriotic Zambians who are standing up to this heartless goverment. Viva Catholic Church for defending our interests as a people. we are fed up with the muppet show the goverment is puting up. we want change for heaven’s sake!
Very sad that PF officials and cadres were seen rioting for a Mr Frank Bwalya. How I hope GRZ would just leave that Mr Frank Bwalya cadre to do whatever he can.
Have a blessed day all.
_
Matt 6:33
This Veteran thing, in my own observation is not a humanbeing because it doesnt think, it is a robot. It is just fed with information to reproduce on the websites, this and LT. This robot is controlled by BK in Washington DC.
Veteran, another thing; Chiluba prefered Mwanawasa to Sata, then Sata to Mwanawasa, and now RB to Sata. Do you need a degree to understand what is at play here? Those speaking about tribal issues are trying to draw the attention from the real issues of corruption and you, Veteran, are one of them but we are cleverer than you will ever be, so please shut your foul mouth and let those who care about mother Zambia control the situation before this country rolls back to 1990.
Veteran, you have nothing between your ears. You are am attention seeker and a very insecure person. What are you scared of? Tell us what tribe are you since you are so obsessed with tribal issues? Sit back and think for a while if your head can afford to do that without overheating. The police were at fault. Leave Bwalya alone and the interest will wane slowly. But I guess someone cannot do that because maybe what Bwalya is talking about is true and may just gain momentum. Got it or need I translate?
I’ve no sympathy with people who engage themselves in riotous behavior. Lock them up at Kamfinsa and then charge their pockets for what they’ve destroyed. Show no mercy to these cadre fools
The sad and regretable thing is the violence by those picked up by Police, which; and unfortunately, the lack of professionalism of Police in Kitwe is responsible for this violence too.
The over-zealous officers must be brought to book too.
Could it be that the floggers of Tribalism are the tribalists themselves? Surprisingly, they fail to see the underlying causes of concern because they are so taken up with tribalism.
One wonders why people cannot just talk about Frank Bwalya and the campaign he has embarked on instead of drawing in the Roman Catholic Church in Zambia.
Just because both the Roman Catholic Church and Frank Bwalya (as separate entities) are speaking against the same vices does not mean that they are both speaking as the Roman Catholic Church. What of all the other voices who are not satisfied with the way the Government is running the country? are they all Bembas and Roman Catholics?
Let us not pretend, things could be better with a little effort and transparency on the part of Government; but what is happening now is that the Government is now fire-fighting instead of Governing.
By comparison, Zambian Governance is now worse than it has ever been before, only comparable, perhaps to the last year or two of UNIP in Government.
So don’t talk tribalism or religion here. Let objectivity guide us.
Dear Editor,
It is a pity that the manner in which the Catholic Church appears to support a tribal party in Zambia. Centiments and activities being perpetrated by such Clergy as Mpundu, Mwewa and their trouble instigator Bwalya may plunge the this Church into a major rift. These Priests are merely revealing that to be a true Catholic, one must be a Bemba. This is a Church that has enjoyed masses of worshipers from all provinces of Zambia. It puzzling that the apparent dessent is only being articulated by the clique of Bemba priests. We wonder where the interests of the white priests (Miha and Duffy) lie in this peaceful country! Are priests that hail from other tribes considered incalpable of articulating intelligent pronouncements. In this regard non-Bembas are only considered good boys if they can used as horses to ride on. Should such “horses” come to discover the truth, then Zambia may be engulfed into a Rwanda-style genocide of the innocent people of God. Why is the Vatican failing to supervise its Clergy in Zambia? Puzzling indeed! The recent outbursts against the integrity of the Late President Mwanawasa is even more chilling. What does Mr Mpombo and his clique feel about Sata’s satanic insults on the noble gestures of Patrick Mwanawasa. Interesting development. Many observers may go along with the floating theory (asseertion) that satanic spirits have invaded the Catholic leadership in Zambia. God forbid!
Koma achimwene nditu chikadakhala kuti omwe achita mulandu ndi okha a chipani chomwe tonse tidziwa bwino, sankada wagwira ayi. Komatu nzeru zimenezi zopatulula sizifunika ayi, popeza tonse ndife amodzitu, indetu achimwene
The tribal reasoning here is to draw attention away from the Serpant and his marriage scandals and anti Mwanawasa sentiments to himself.See thru this mafia arrangement .Its the mafia in the name of brotherhood at it again.Lets get hold of the situation and prevent genocide.The rule of law has to be respected.Who said Zambia is for bembas
This is a tribal crusade of loonies vainly belaboring to turn it in a religious war that would engulf the country.Its not not surprising that in their lamentable failure to plant this on Zambians, they have drawing the big catholic churach in the sins of eucharist, adultery, bastards, criminal records and lunancy of Frank Bwalya but to no avail. MMD has more sober devoted catholics. they have further go to fight the protestants, Anglicans and independent evangelicals but in vain.
Their tribal war covered in their religious counterfeit imagined community is not national, intertribal or a preponderant power hegemonic theatre on young zambia. Its a fanatical act of a crique of tribal loonies frustrated with own sense of dejection and sin.
But be rest assured that they are heading nowhere. Zambia is bigger than any looney that they are.Their fragrance for the Rwanda experience has no platform in Zambia. They can even go to hell but Zambia behind them will hold strong and prove a promising better place for the law abiding citizens.
Telephore Mpundu, Mwewa, Simon Kabanda and this looney Frank Bwalya have the right to form political parties and put themeselves up as Presidential candidates.Let them test their national ballot box popularity in a democracy and prove that that their dream of the haiti style of Jean-Bertrand Aristide rule is attainable in Zambia.
Talema nawo a Father Bwalya manje.
Veteran,
The real lossers are MMD when the will of the Zambian people will triump over this minotity governemt
A FAILED TRIBAL COURSE
No one is above the law to freely stir anarchy with impunity or run a subversive crusade against a democratically elected constitutional government. Frank Bwalya and Telephore Mpundu in the gamble are playing with fire in this errand of forcing Zambians into turmoil. Zambians are always intolerant of anarchists. Whatever these nihilists are doing, they should realize that the state may not always be there to protect them when loose individual ultranationalists on the opposite side of their insanity counter them.
The danger is that they ultranationalist could assassinate these chaps in cold blood. This has happened from time in memorial from Israel, Zambia, South Africa, Angola, Nigeria, Mozambique, Egypt, Kenya, Russia, present day Uganda and Italy to the USA since the days of Hover against the fifth column. History is riddled with the over reactive extreme nationalism hand.
And these PF councilors, leaders and cadres should stop to think their fantasy can overwhelm Zambia as a country, her law enforcement institutions, the democratic Governing establishment and peaceful citizenry. Even in a scenario where pockets of their localities reign in anarchy or are subdued with strong hand of law and order, when the vast Zambia is functional, a week of such will leave those people losers. They will lose jobs, tuntemba, man hours, life, properties, and their children school hours leaving themselves sinking deep in worse of poverty when others are pulling out.
The sad thing is that though elections are hotly on course, these thugs not only remain apathetic to the voting process, but are failing to guide Zambians on the alternative to MMD and why. Change of Government in a constitutional democracy is through the ballot and ballot alone. Zambia is already in the election mode and get your act in place. Look at MMD Lusaka district just this week end it raised ZK 1.3 billion in contributions and pledges. That is the preparation of a serious party. Stoning and apathy are no game changers but a loser vents to nowhere.
Here are these thugs in,how do they mobilize or prepare their party for Decisoon 2011? Their families have no food some for missing work, they will come out only to find they have lost jobs, small businesses or even evicted from their rented houses. some of these will lose their pending empowerment project mining houses they are yet to pay for.Who is the loser in this scenario?