THE GHOST OF POLITICAL PF THUGGERY MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO RETURN
Every election presents a defining choice when citizens either settle political differences through the ballot box or allow fear and brute force to poison the democratic process.
The disturbing violence witnessed at Freedom Park perpetrated by Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance, former PF cadres is, therefore, more than an isolated criminal episode but a warning that Zambia cannot afford to ignore. 
Reports that UPND supporters were attacked with machetes by Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance cadres during campaign activities should outrage every law-abiding citizen.
No political grievance, no campaign rivalry, and no electoral ambition can justify the use of weapons against fellow Zambians exercising their constitutional right to participate in politics.
What is particularly alarming is that this incident fits into an increasingly familiar pattern by Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance members who have brought the political violence from their former party.
The fatal stabbing of a UPND supporter in Kaputa, the violent disruption of campaign activities in Chawama and the emergence of masked Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance cadres openly displaying machetes while threatening security officers all point towards a dangerous culture of political intimidation which was the order of the day under PF.
These are not random occurrences. They are pieces of a troubling puzzle that deserves urgent national attention.
The Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance cannot escape the uncomfortable questions that now confront it. A significant number of its leading figures and organisers emerged from the former PF political establishment.
That reality naturally invites scrutiny whenever violence erupts around its campaign activities. Political rebranding is easy. Changing entrenched political habits is far more difficult.
Zambians remember only too well the years when organised PF cadres became synonymous with intimidation, lawlessness, and public disorder.
Markets, bus stations, and campaign venues became theatres of fear rather than centres of civic engagement.
Citizens paid the price while democracy suffered the consequences.
The nation rejected that PF culture when it ushered in the UPND government and should not be invited back under a different party name, different campaign colours, or different slogans.
Political violence rarely arrives at full scale overnight but begins with isolated assaults that are dismissed as unfortunate incidents.
It grows when perpetrators believe there will be no consequences. It flourishes when political leaders like Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance leaders like Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu remain silent instead of drawing firm lines between legitimate political competition and outright criminality.
Leadership demands more than attracting crowds and delivering fiery speeches. It requires the courage to condemn wrongdoing committed by one’s own supporters. Failure to do so sends a dangerous message that violence is acceptable, provided it advances political interests.
The Zambia Police Service also faces a defining test. Public confidence depends upon consistent enforcement of the law without regard to political affiliation.
Those responsible for organising, encouraging, or carrying out violent attacks have been identified and should be arrested and prosecuted.
Equally important is the responsibility resting with ordinary citizens who should be made to understand that Zambia’s democratic tradition has survived because voters have repeatedly rejected attempts to replace persuasion with intimidation perpetrated by PF cadres under another guise.
The August 13 elections should be remembered for robust debate, competing manifestos, and the free expression of the people’s will—not for bloodshed, machetes, and organised PF political thuggery.
History has already demonstrated where violence leads. It destroys public confidence, discourages voter participation, and leaves communities divided long after election posters have been removed.
The attack at Freedom Park by Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance cadres should therefore be treated not simply as another campaign disturbance but as a national warning since citizens have been there before.
Zambia stands at a crossroads. One path leads to peaceful democratic competition that President Hakainde Hichilema is promoting. The other leads back to the politics of fear that the nation worked so hard to leave behind.
There should be no hesitation in choosing the right direction. It is either peace or a panga.
