Claim
On 28th July 2021, News Diggers Newspaper published an article in relation to statements made by the Patriotic Front (PF) party Secretary General, Mr. Davis Mwila claiming that the Police had been infiltrated by the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND). Mr. Mwila stated that the Police did not act when the Patriotic Front members were attacked by the UPND; instructing the Party members to defend themselves when attacked while threatening to suspend members of the Party who fail to act as guided.
Rating Justification
The fact checking process has determined as misleading the claim made by the Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General, Mr. Davies Mwila that the Police had been infiltrated by the opposition party UPND, citing the unwillingness of the Police to act when PF members are attacked as justification. In order to verify the claim, the iVerify fact checking team contacted the Police Deputy Spokesperson, Mr Mwale, to hear his side of the story. Mr. Mwale refuted the allegations, stating that the Police acts irrespective of the party under attack. In response, the iVerify team went on to look for examples that could substantiate the claim made by the Police Deputy Spokesperson, leading the team to analyse several instances where supporters of the UPND had been arrested by Police for political offenses. For example, on 18th July 2021, Lusaka Times reported that six United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres had been arrested by the police in Solwezi district for conduct “likely to cause breach of the peace”. UPND supporters were arrested in Solwezi following their clashes with their PF counterparts. In a phone interview with the iVerify team, Northwestern Province Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joel Njase confirmed the arrest of the UPND supporters. In another case investigated by iVerify, Police in Ikelenge District were reported to have arrested 19 suspected UPND cadres for riotous behavior and for assaulting a journalist from state owned Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS). On 26th July 2021, the iVerify team phoned the victim, Mr. Victor Mwila, the ZANIS journalist, who confirmed that he was indeed attacked by political party cadres. Mr. Mwila added that he was certain that the people who attacked him were UPND cadres because they were dressed in UPND party regalia. The fact checking team contacted the Northwestern province Police Commissioner, Mr. Joel Njase who affirmed that the police had arrested UPND cadres. Given that the iVerify team was able to find substantial evidence that the Police has both arrested PF as well as UPND party members, it has determined as misleading the claim made by the Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General that the Police is unwilling to act when PF members are attacked.
