Sata urges calm amid by-election bloodshed
2013-02-27 16:42
Lusaka - Zambian President Michael Sata on Wednesday pleaded
with the country's citizens to stop killing each other in the bloody run-up to
parliamentary by-elections.
Ahead of elections in two parliamentary constituencies on Thursday,
campaigns have been marred by violence that has included the killing of
Harrison Chanda, an official from the ruling party.
"Why are you fighting? Stop fighting and stop killing
each other, your blood is the same. The blood that you kill does not show that
this is Tonga, Lozi or Bemba [local language groups]," Sata said.
"We are the same people and so you should stop killing
each other."
Chanda, a party youth secretary, was attacked by a group of
people in Livingstone on Monday night and hit on the head with an axe, police
said.
Zambia's leader of the second largest opposition party
Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) has been
arrested in connection with the killing of Chanda.
It is just the latest arrest of opposition figures for
various offences.
Zambia is Africa's largest producer of copper.
- SAPA
