POLICE REPORT MUST SATISFACTORILY EXPLAIN THE MISSING LINKS
INDEEDthe demand for a thorough investigative process will be the first step in appreciating the cause of premature and ruthless termination of lives for the two citizens.
This is necessary especially that the nation is singing a unitary voice in expression of the insatiable appetite for knowing the circumstances of thus Horrible incidence.
The police inquiry should also clarify how the act could have taken place in the opposite direction to where the huge contingent of Officers where heading to.
According to the video footage that flooded on social media, the team of reinforcements of officers could be seen emerging from the white cruiser, then head toward the High Court roundabout to disperse the slogan chanting cadres using teargas canisters.
Few moments later, the two fatalities were simultaneously and spontaneously reported. Had the incident been recorded near the High Court roundabout, our thoughts were going to tilt in the different direction.
Clearly, this may have befully tactfully been done for the unknown motive. There is also need to take interest from the social media reports which were circulating on Koswe publication suggesting that a fatality was imminent on the material day.
The report should address on whether there is any correlation between the "regrettably senseless death" (borrowing from President Lungu's words as he expressed anger) and the insensitive remarks prior to the incidence.
What of the notices which were published by Koswe publication few hours before urging citizens to send any incident of police brutality to the particular local and foreign WhatsApp numbers? Was there any peculiar knowledge which was exclusively to the particular cross section? Has police launched any investigations to the Zambian phone numbers which were published on social media which were supplied for purposes of reported the anticipated clash with the police?
We believe this would provide an important link to fill some gaps in information.
Our investigative wings must move with speed of lightening and bring all those involved in this assassination of innocent people to book before Zambia turns into another South Africa, where political executions are the order of the day.
One wonders whether it is the correct assumption that live ammunitions could be an option for a police service that is well equipped in terms of skills and resources to suppress any unruly crowds. Moreover, basic policing does not permit to use weapons of mass destruction as a first alternative.
The premature blame on the police without the due process of investigations is meant to discredit the due process while conversely undermine the integrity of institutions of governance. To others, it is ab opportunity to pursue a given narrative that is detrimental to the interests of the nation.
We also condemn the trending of moving with crowds when one is summoned before the law enforcement agencies. From the preliminary report by the police regarding the summoning of HH, he was summoned in personal capacity and the allegations are personal in nature without any causal link to his political party. It is surprising that others are arguing that "you cannot summon a national leader." Are they insinuating that when you are a national leader you become inviolable and not amenable to the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies? We find this narrative grossly inaccurate and not appropriate for the political party which claims to uphold the rule of law.
We appeal to the conscious of UPND leader Hakahinde Hichilema to take introspection and examine himself critically on whether the conduct of his supporters to intimidate law enforcement agencies ought to be tolerated.
We say so because he has a responsibility to tame any insensitive behavior done at instance of his supporters. If anything he has more to learn from late President Sata who publicly denounced any behaviour from his supporters which has potential to spill blood.
To understand HH’s desperation to ascend into power, one has to go backwards and analyse our past elections in regards to what was done by HH and his UPND in their quest to rig the 2016 elections.
This on its own explains the dangerous predicament we find ourselves in as a country. We have a major opposition political party whose only focus is to grab political power by any means possible including embarrassing the Nation he seeks to lead.
The leadership of UPND suffers from ego, overly rated ambition for power and pride, such that it overcrowds their effective participation on important national matters that affect the citizenry and poor people.
The obsession with which HH and his UPND are doing politics has the potential to set this country of fire come 2021 and as citizens, we must all fight to emancipate ourselves from the violent and demonic jaws of UPND’s mapatzya formula.
The damage being done to our country by UPND through social media and now murder and violence is so huge that if left unchecked, it will drive this country down a path that will take us 100 years to recover from.
For now, the ball is in the hands of the police who have the obligation to give a detailed account to the satisfaction of President Lungu.
We also condemn the trending of moving with crowds when one is summoned before the law enforcement agencies.
From the preliminary report by the police regarding the summoning of HH.