Zambia’s fragile pre-election peace

Zambia has a long-held reputation as a peaceful country. Elections come and go, presidents are chosen, and the country chugs along. Sometimes, a president dies in office, more elections are called and the nation moves on. However, in the build-up to the general election scheduled for 11 August, there have been sporadic incidents of violence and death, putting Zambia under pressure to live up to its reputation.

To prevent the deterioration of the situation, the Electoral Commission of Zambia, civil society, churches and political parties have come up with various interventions, including a peace accord, conflict prevention and management workshops, a peace march, and a national day of prayer.

“Critics point to a biased application of the Public Order Act (POA), brutality and the unwarranted arrest of opposition activists.”

The 90-day campaign period, which ends on 10 August, has been marred by incidents of violence between the two main contenders, the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and the main opposition, the United Party for National Development (UPND). Many cases are under investigation but no arrests have been made.

Allegations against the police

UPND members have also alleged brutality at the hands of police, and a UPND supporter, Mapenzi Chibulo, a 22-year-old woman, was shot and killed and several others injured when police fired live bullets at a crowd of UPND supporters to disperse them. Chibulo was shot in the head and stomach and died of her injuries. The shooting happened near the Downtown Shopping Mall in Lusaka’s Central Business District, when party supporters were walking to a rally that eventually did not take place because police denied the party a permit.

File picture shows Zambians waiting to cast their votes at a polling station in Lusaka, Zambia, 20 January 2015. Photo: ANP/EPA/Jacoline Schoonees / GCIS / Handout

This case lends credence to the suspicion that the police service is being used by the government to suppress UPND campaigns. Critics point to a biased application of the Public Order Act (POA), brutality and the unwarranted arrest of opposition activists. Naturally, the shooting incident sparked a public outcry and some stakeholders, including the Law Association of Zambia, have demanded a private investigation.

Suspension of campaigning

A day after the shooting, the Electoral Commission of Zambia imposed an immediate 10-day suspension of election campaigns in the Lusaka and Namwala districts, from 9 to 18 July, citing a rise in political violence. During the suspension, public rallies, processions, door-to-door engagements and the use of campaign-branded vehicles were banned.

The Commission further met with presidential candidates and sought their commitment to peace for the remainder of the campaign period, through a Pledge for Peace.

At the end of the 10-day suspension this week, the ECZ announced that a series of conflict prevention and management workshops for political party leaders at provincial and district level would be held as a further intervention.

“The National House of Prayer has set 24 July as the day for national prayers for peaceful elections, a gesture reminiscent of last year’s national day of prayer for the troubled local currency.”

The workshops, which the Commission will conduct in partnership with the Dag Hammarskjold Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, will focus on Lusaka and the Western, Southern, Copper Belt and Central provinces. These have been identified as the most conflict-prone provinces as they have already experienced or are likely to experience some form of political violence. The workshops will also have representation from the other five provinces.

Worrying developments

In a development suggesting that the 10-day ban did not solve the problem of violence, an incident was reported in Lusaka immediately after the lifting of the suspension. Charlotte Scott, a UPND parliamentary candidate and wife of former vice-president Guy Scott, was attacked by alleged PF cadres in the Lusaka city centre. Scott said the attackers used catapults, screwdrivers and stones to force her team out of the market where they were campaigning. No injuries were sustained but her motorcar was extensively damaged.

The Law Association of Zambia has said that the levels of political intolerance and violence in the country are threatening Zambia’s global image as a safe haven. Photo: 5fm.co.zm

The Law Association of Zambia has said that the levels of political intolerance and violence in the country are threatening Zambia’s global image as a safe haven. The association’s president, Linda Kasonde, said this when hundreds of residents participated in a peace march in Lusaka. The march had been organised by the Law Association in partnership with church associations and other civil society players. It started at Embassy Park, the presidential burial site, and ended at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. The march was attended by people from all walks of life, including lawyers, the clergy, students and political leaders, among them UPND president Hakainde Hichilema.

On this occasion, the Law Association accused the police of being used by the government as a tool of oppression against those with divergent views, and it urged professionalism in the execution of their duties.

At the same event, the chairperson of the Non-Governmental Organisations Co-ordinating Council (NGOCC), Sara Longwe, said that if left unchecked, political violence could undermine the credibility and legitimacy of next month’s general elections. She warned that violence created apathy because people stayed away from politics in an effort to protect themselves. She appealed to the police to remain professional and impartial in their enforcement of the Public Order Act. Longwe also said it was unfortunate that a young woman had lost her life at the hands of police, who were supposed to protect her.

National day of prayer called

The National House of Prayer has set 24 July as the day for national prayer for peaceful elections. This is in response to President Edgar Lungu’s request to the church to organise a national day of prayers for peace ahead of the elections, a gesture reminiscent of last year’s national prayer day to pray for the troubled local currency. President Lungu said the country needed God’s intervention to stem the political violence that has characterised the campaigns. The event is scheduled for Sunday in the Lusaka Showgrounds and political party leaders and their aspiring candidates have been invited.

But opposition UPND say they will not participate in the day of prayer because it is not accompanied by practical steps to curb electoral violence. Party spokesman Charles Kakoma alleged that President Lungu had not responded to the party’s concerns and the prayers were therefore just a strategy to waste people’s time instead of action being taken to curb the violence. He alleged that ruling party cadres were the ones inciting violence, saying that the UPND had written to president Lungu but he had not responded.

All eyes are on Zambia as election day draws nearer.