An unspecified number of people have been reported injured following a clash between supporters of Zambia’s ruling party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), and main opposition party, the Patriotic Front (PF), during a court session at the Lusaka High Court on Wednesday.
Reports say the protest was sparked following a petition filed by a Lusaka-based youth activist, Michelo Chizombe, who urged the Constitutional Court to declare former President Edgar Lungu ineligible for future elections.
It was gathered that during the court proceedings, a group of protesters suspected to be University of Zambia students, arrived the premises of High Court wearing black T-shirts and chanting ‘No third term! No to corruption!’
Tension reportedly arose when a popular PF member, Peter Kashala, also known as Peter ‘ma chain’, was detained by police for allegedly assaulting a female individual who claimed to be a student, which elicited anger among other students present.
One Titus Musonda Chisha, said to be a student at UNZA, who spoke with journalists, cautioned that political cadres should refrain from involvement in matters of sensitive national importance.
“For me, the scenario that has evolved here is that issues that concern national interest, like this one, I do not expect cadres to be here fighting students.
“We are coming from a university where as students, we are concerned with such issues and we do not expect cadres to come to a place like this without any understanding.
“They are fighting students because they do not understand what is happening here, that is why they are causing commotion. I can confirm that one of our students was beaten by cadres.
“What we are doing is sending a message to politicians that when we are having such cases, please do not bring cadres here, bring people that understand such issues,” Chisha said.