Yes, there was a group of people outside ACC premises during Given Lubinda interrogation, but there’s no evidence they were UPND cadres

Rating Justification

The fact checking process has determined as misleading, the claim that UPND cadres stormed the ACC office. In a phone interview with iVerify, the UPND Deputy Youth Chairman for Lusaka Province, Anthony Zimba, refuted the claims stating that on the 21st March 2022, the UPND cadres were attending a burial for the late District Commissioner for Katete District and that they had no time of storming the ACC offices. Mr. Zimba further said the Patriotic Front has been enjoying their peace ever since the UPND took over Government and that the only way the UPND can beat Hon. Lubinda and the PF was through the ballot, which he said the UPND had already done. Mr Zimba said having defeated PF on the ballot, there was nothing more to fight for.

To get more insight on what transpired, iVerify spoke to the PF Lusaka Provincial Youth Chairperson for the Patriotic Front (PF) party, Kelvin Kaunda, who explained that on the material day, there was a group of people outside the ACC premises who were making noise. When asked what evidence was there to confirm that the alleged people were indeed UPND cadres and if the same group damaged anything or injured anyone, Kaunda said that there were few faces of the UPND supporters that he recognized. He however did not provide any names of further details. He however clarified that nothing was damaged and that no PF leader was injured except that the said group of people confiscated the drums belonging to the PF choir. iVerify also reached out through a phone call to the ACC spokesperson Ms. Queen Chibwe, who confirmed that indeed there was a group of people making noise on the ACC premises, but there was no evidence that they were UPND cadres. She further confirmed that there was nothing damaged at the ACC offices because the police had the situation under control.