LOSING MMD candidate for Mufumbwe, Mulondwe Muzungu has testified that there had been no such violence in the area before where people had been stabbed, their eyes plucked and dogs killed by alleged assailants who went to the area with UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

Mr Muzungu, 67 told Lusaka High Court judge in charge Philip Musonda that he was destined for Parliament but had been deterred by the unprecedented violence that took place in the constituency.

This is in a case in which Mr Muzungu has petitioned the election of United Party for National Development (UPND) Elliot Kamondo as Mufumbwe Member of Parliament (MP).

" We have had no violence in Mufumbwe like what was witnessed in the last parliamentary by-election where dogs have been killed, people's eyes plucked and stabbing them, UPND were aggressors of violence in Mufumbwe and we can go incident by incident, according to information obtained," Mr Muzungu said.

He said it was possible for a popular candidate to lose an election especially when there was unprecedented violence in the constituency and that it could not be compared to the violence that occurred in 2001 because it was on a small scale.

Mr Muzungu said although he won with big margins in some areas he would have done better had it not been the violence that caused fear and gripped the electorate in the area before and after voting day adding that some incidents went unreported due to distance.

In cross-examination, Mr Muzungu said about 54 per cent of voters participated in the by-election claiming that, it was a fair turnout which could have been better had the area not experienced a hostile situation.

The petitioner said he was aware that there were some MMD officials who had travelled to Mufumbwe as well as some cadres from Lusaka and not Copperbelt but that they were peaceful people because their task was to help with campaigns.

He said he was not aware that the MMD had earlier asked Mr Kamondo to stand on its ticket.

And another witness detective inspector, Ernest Kambili 30 of Solwezi Police Camp, house number 25B said he attended a rally addressed by Mr Hichilema and Mr Kamondo where the former told the gathering that he would deliver the 20 cows which he promised the people once they won.

He said although he had forgotten his note book where he recorded this statement, he still recalled what Mr Hichilema said but that he left and was not aware whether he delivered the cows.

The inspector said at the same rally, Mr Hichilema said he was a strong man who could not be compared to President Rupiah Banda and that the victory has proved his statement.

Inspector Kambili said he was the one who received a report involving the abduction of a police officer and later investigated the matter, which took place at Linyama.

The matter has been adjourned to July 30 this year.