Sierra Leone Telegraph: 28 April 2018:
Reports of alleged political violence by both the ruling SLPP and the main opposition APC continue this weekend, with disturbing news of a group of APC supporters attacking and causing damage to a taxi locally known as ‘keke’, painted green – which is the colour of the SLPP party.
The driver of the taxi who was wearing a green and white shirt, was seriously injured.
And in a separate incident, a lady driving her car, was also reported to have been assaulted by APC supporters, because she wore a green cap.
Both incidents are reported to have taken place a few yards away from the APC party office in Brookfields, Freetown.
Political tension has risen significantly in Sierra Leone, since the end of elections last month, which saw the APC party being ousted from power by a narrow majority, after ten years in office.
Those tensions were played out in the country’s parliament this week, where elected MPs of the APC were escorted out of the opening ceremony of parliament, after several of them brought unprecedented chaos and anarchy into the wells of parliament.
A few weeks ago, there were reports of wave of violent clashes in various parts of the country, between APC and SLPP supporters. Both the APC and SLPP must quickly seek a peaceful resolution to their differences, without resorting to violence.
Political tension must not be allowed to filter into the psyche of ordinary citizens and political party supporters, who are now taking the law into their own hands, with violent consequences, as could be seen from this video:
Banning any garb will be fruitless. People will find some other ways to identify their political leaning. Swiftness of investigations, swift trials, conviction of suspects and punishment of perpetrators of post-election violence without fear or ‘favor’, will do the trick.
Please try this after every general election and see what happens. You don’t see this anywhere else in the world except in Africa, maybe only in Sierra Leone. These are sore losers.
The Lawlessness of Sierra Leoneans is the order of the day. It all starts from our leaders as they condone such behaviour in the country.
I suggest that, whosoever is found guilty of stabbing, wounding,, murder, burning houses or government assets, such as police stations, hospitals, just to name few, must instantly be killed, as it is a loss to the state.
All political leaders must talk to their supporters to avoid violence. We are one family under one leader. We inter-marry in Sierra Leone and we must not let politics dont divide us.
Let us not be hypocrites to others, because your work shall follow you into the grave and even your children will be a curse to the people. I repeat, a leader is always chosen by God and whoever abuses a leader, has a curse in the sight of God. Let us love one another to develop our country.
Before APC and SLPP there was a country called Sierra Leone. The People should wear any colour they wish to wear. It is the APC and SLPP that need to change their outfits or change the ways they manipulate their party members.
It is sad that these two old parties cannot improve the political education of the Sierra Leonean people. Without apology, one would say that majority of the Sierra Leoneans are still politically primitive and APC and SLPP are to blame.
SLPP & APC
The widespread violence between the APC and SLPP thuggery tends to exacerbate the political tension between the two main parties and therefore, needs to be tackled head-on with bravery and determination by the current government, before it transcends party politics and becomes a social scourge in the country.
The government must come up with a presidential decree that bans the use of green and red colours in the public domain for a time being, especially public utilities and garments in general.
It may seem a violation of the rights of the people yet, its benefit outweighs this trivial violation of citizens’ right.
It will help to mitigate the problem outside parliament and in the social settings across the country.