By 
President Hakainde Hichilema has warned that anyone planning or engaging in election-related violence will be arrested, saying the law will take its course regardless of political affiliation.
Speaking in a special interview on ZNBC on Wednesday ahead of tomorrow’s general elections, President Hichilema said security agencies were aware of individuals allegedly plotting to disrupt the electoral process and urged them to abandon their plans.
“If you plan violence or engage in violence, you are on your own. You will be arrested. Once you commit crimes, you are on your own,” he said.
The President said no one should disrupt polling stations or interfere with voting, stressing that elections must be conducted peacefully.
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“Don’t sit there planning violence. Don’t disrupt polling stations. Don’t disrupt voting. I’m the Chief. I know what is happening,” he said.
Hichilema further alleged that some individuals had been sent outside the country to receive military training with the intention of disrupting the elections, warning that such acts would not go unpunished.
“You can’t send people to a foreign country to learn military skills, come back and disrupt elections in this country and expect not to be arrested. You will be arrested,” he warned.
The Head of State also appeared to respond to remarks by Nkana Member of Parliament, Binwell Mpundu, who recently declared in a video that he was prepared “to kill and be killed” because of the elections.
“An opposition leader says he is prepared to kill and be killed. Nobody wants to kill him. Now he says he is willing to kill. Who is he going to kill, and for what?” President Hichilema questioned.
Hichilema recalled that after the 2021 elections he appealed to UPND supporters not to retaliate despite the violence many had allegedly suffered before the party formed government.
He said several party members had been beaten, imprisoned, shot and even killed, but urged them at the time to reject revenge in the interest of national unity and peace.
“I know you were brutalised. I know you were beaten. I know some of you still have bullets in your bodies. I know people were killed. But when we won the election, I said let us end that cycle,” he said.
The President urged Zambians to maintain peace before, during and after voting, saying no political contest was worth the loss of life.
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