Update: Police vow to investigate Mandevu violence as Tonse candidate says he hid from attackers

Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba has said police will investigate all cases of violence in Mandevu constituency, including the alleged attack on Tonse Alliance candidate Daniel Chisenga by suspected UPND cadres, ahead of the Mandevu by-election. In a statement on Friday 23 October, Mr Musamba said police are fully prepared to maintain law and order before, during and after the by-election, and have put in place a comprehensive electoral security plan. The statement followed claims by Tonse Alliance Secretary General Muhabi Lungu that UPND cadres disrupted the alliance's campaign and attacked members on Thursday 22 October. Mr Lungu said Mr Chisenga, whom he identified as the candidate of the FDD, and other members were attacked by people wearing UPND regalia, and that one woman was abducted. Mr Chisenga, a former Lusaka mayor, has since given his own account. He says he and his supporters were holding campaign activities approved by the Electoral Commission of Zambia in Raphael Chota ward when the attackers came from several directions. He described the gathering as peaceful. "I had to hide in a small house until police came," he said. He links the violence to what he says is UPND's sense that it will lose the by-election. The account of the attack, including the claim that a woman was abducted, is that of the Tonse Alliance and its candidate. The by-election was ordered by the Electoral Commission of Zambia at the end of August and is set for 5 November. ## Why it matters A by-election in a crowded Lusaka constituency such as Mandevu is decided by ordinary voters who need to feel safe at rallies and at polling stations. Violence between party supporters, or even claims of it, can keep people at home on polling day and can lead to disputes over the result. The Inspector General's promise puts the police on record that they will act on complaints from any party. ## What happens next Campaigning continues until the by-election on 5 November. Police