THE United Party for National Development (UPND) says it has no involvement in the recent violent attack that occurred at the Patriotic Front (PF) secretariat in Lusaka, according to Information and Media minister Cornelius Mweetwa.
Speaking when he appeared on Diamond TV last night, Mweetwa said the UPND would continue to uphold integrity, peace and the rule of law.
He urged the police to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice regardless of political affiliation.
However, Mweetwa dismissed the fears that caderism was back saying: “In all honesty, the Zambian people are fully aware that violent caderism has not returned.”
He added that the few individuals seen in party regalia displaying unruly behavior were acting outside the party’s policy.
He challenged those making allegations to present solid evidence of violent caderism perpetrated by UPND supporters.
“Are you able to bring out videos of people who have been harassed by anyone in party regalia?” Mweetwa asked.
He stressed that the circulating videos do not reflect the true situation across the country.
Mweetwa further stated that President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership would not tolerate a return to the days of political violence or intimidation of innocent citizens.
“There shall be no return of political violence in our nation because we do not want to go back to the days when civil servants were questioned about which party they belonged to based on the colours of their clothes,” he said.
Responding to claims that the alleged violent behavior by some UPND supporters is driven by frustration, Mweetwa said supporting a political party only becomes problematic when violence is involved.
“Caderism, in the sense of offering support to political parties, is acceptable. But when it involves acts of violence, it cannot be tolerated,” he emphasised.
By Dorica Kapwaya
Kalemba, November 17, 2025
