2019 Sesheke Shooting
| 2019 Sesheke shooting fracas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 8 February 2019 | ||
| Location | Sesheke District, Western Province, Zambia | ||
| Methods | Tear gas, alleged use of live ammunition | ||
| Status | Disputed accounts | ||
| |||
| |||
| Allegations of gunfire; disputed | |||
The 2019 Sesheke shooting was a political confrontation that occurred on 8 February 2019 in Sesheke District, during a campaign rally addressed by opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND). The incident sparked controversy after the UPND accused the police and cadres of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) of firing live ammunition. Police denied the allegations, stating that only crowd-control measures were used and no casualties were reported.[1][2]
Background
The Sesheke parliamentary by-election of February 2019 was closely contested between the ruling Patriotic Front and the opposition UPND. The race was marked by heightened political tensions and accusations of violence and intimidation from both parties.[3]
Incident
On 8 February 2019, Hakainde Hichilema addressed a campaign rally in Sesheke. According to Hichilema and eyewitnesses, heavily armed men believed to be PF cadres, accompanied by police, stormed the rally and began firing live rounds. Hichilema described the confrontation as an attempt on his life, claiming that "about 100 heavily armed men from the ruling party arrived, escorted by police, and started firing live ammunition."[4]
Police, however, stated that they only used tear gas to disperse what they described as an unruly gathering. Video footage circulated online showed police firing tear gas canisters into the crowd.[5]
Aftermath
Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja rejected the allegations of live fire, insisting that no lives were lost and that no police officer had used live ammunition. He announced that reinforcements would be deployed to Sesheke to restore order and added that any officer found to have used excessive force would be investigated.[6]
The incident drew international attention, with media outlets highlighting the growing political violence in Zambia and questioning the government’s commitment to democratic freedoms.[4]
Legacy
The Sesheke fracas deepened mistrust between the opposition and the police, becoming a recurring reference point in later UPND campaigns. It has since been cited in analyses of election-related violence in Zambia and debates about the role of the police in partisan conflicts.[3]
See also
- Political violence in Zambia
- Hakainde Hichilema
- Patriotic Front
- United Party for National Development
References
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1 at line 4515: attempt to index field 'date_names' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1 at line 4515: attempt to index field 'date_names' (a nil value).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1 at line 4515: attempt to index field 'date_names' (a nil value).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1 at line 4515: attempt to index field 'date_names' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1 at line 4515: attempt to index field 'date_names' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1 at line 4515: attempt to index field 'date_names' (a nil value).
