DAVIES MWILA HAS VULGAR LANGUAGE, PROVOKED UPND YOUTHS, SAYS LISWANISO

The political landscape in Zambia has once again been roiled by violence within the precincts of the judiciary, drawing sharp condemnation and polarized reactions from key political figures. United Party for National Development (UPND) National Youth Chairman Gilbert Liswaniso has come forward to defend ruling party youths following an incident at the Supreme Court where former Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Davies Mwila was accosted, pushed, and beaten to the ground. According to Liswaniso, the altercation was not an unprovoked assault but rather a direct response to alleged verbal abuse and deliberate provocations by the veteran opposition politician. Speaking on the confrontation, Liswaniso expressed little sympathy for Mwila, portraying him as a senior political figure who routinely employs combative rhetoric to court friction. The UPND youth leader argued that political activists cannot engage in public taunts or utilize vulgar language against ruling party members without anticipating physical pushback. Furthermore, Liswaniso remarked that Mwila should consider himself fortunate to have escaped the courthouse encounter with minor injuries, suggesting that the situation could easily have escalated given the charged atmosphere surrounding ongoing high-profile legal proceedings at the courts. The incident highlights a deeply entrenched and troubling culture of political intolerance and street-level confrontation that continues to plague Zambia's democratic dispensation. Despite repeated calls from civil society organizations, religious bodies, and peace advocates for restraint and civil discourse among political cadres, clashes outside courtrooms and public spaces remain frequent. Observers note that the increasing frequency of political skirmishes underscores the high stakes and bitter animosity persisting between the ruling UPND and the fractured opposition, particularly the Patriotic Front, as both sides jostle for political leverage. Legal and gove