Russia military trainees were for protection, not disrupting polls – Tonse

TONSE presidential spokesperson George Chisanga has clarified that the three detained Alliance members were sent to Russia for specialised security training to protect Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu. Chisanga says the three men were not sent abroad to undergo military training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist or treasonable activities in Zambia. Home Affairs […]

TONSE presidential spokesperson George Chisanga has clarified that the three detained Alliance members were sent to Russia for specialised security training to protect Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu.

Chisanga says the three men were not sent abroad to undergo military training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist or treasonable activities in Zambia.

Home Affairs and Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dickson Matembo recently revealed that authorities had arrested three individuals who had travelled abroad for military-related training.

Businessman Valden Findlay was also arrested and allegedly charged with facilitating activities under investigation.

But speaking during a press briefing, Thursday, Chisanga said the three security personnel were sent to Russia after the Alliance became concerned about threats against Mundubile and Makebi.

He identified the three as Victor Muzyamba, Dickson Tembo and Gideon Tolopa.

“I think members of the press have asked me so many times to respond to the allegation that was first made by the Republican President to the effect that we or the Tonse Alliance leadership had sponsored people to go and train in military activities in Russia with the purpose to come and disrupt the elections and just also disrupt the country, and the President issued a warning that anybody responsible for sponsorship of those young men who went to Russia to train should not do that without expecting to be arrested. We also are aware that the two Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Thabo Kawana and Mr Matembo, also did a mockery of these young men by suggesting that the State is holding criminals who went to Russia to train to come and disrupt the nation,” he said.

“I want to state at the beginning that the young men that are being spoken about are three young men: Victor Muzyamba, Dickson Tembo and Gideon Tolopa. These are young men that we are responsible for providing security to the presidential candidate and the vice-presidential candidate for the Tonse Pamodzi Alliance at the time that we were going through the campaign period. It came to light that whenever we were going around canvassing for votes on behalf of the president and the vice-president of the Tonse Alliance, we were met with incidences which were slightly ugly. Twice our presidential candidate was threatened with being killed. So our security detail felt it necessary to elevate the security around the two candidates. And in those deliberations, it was found necessary by our security detail that we train people to provide what is called very important security personnel training, VVIP training”.

He appealed to President Hichilema to give the individuals access to the justice system.

Chisanga insisted that nobody under the Tonse Pamodzi Alliance was sent out to train to carry out terrorist activities in the country.

“So we thought we should make this thing very clear: there is nobody under the Tonse Alliance who was sent anywhere in the world to go and train to come and carry out terrorist activities in this country or to come and carry out any treasonable activities in this country. The only truth is that these young men that were sent, we responded to the need first to provide elevated security for our leaders who have been threatened, things that happened in North-Western Province and in Western Province where our leaders were drawn into danger, where firearms were discharged. And again, even after that, what we noticed is that instead of arresting people that were committing crimes, our young men who were escorting our leaders are the ones who have ended up in custody, when real criminals who were conducting those criminal activities are walking scot-free,” said Chisanga.