CHALALA BRAVE HEARTS DESERVE TO BE HONOURED
NOBODY wakes up saying to themselves “today is the day I will save a life’’ thus Bollywood superstar Govinda once said “we all start from zero. We take the right decisions and become heroes.”
Taking the right decision and becoming an overnight hero is exactly what Robbie Chitambo did together with his friends on Monday, October 3, 2022.
From watching wrestling on television in the comfort of their homes to looking into the eyes of fear and confronting uncertainty in a life-threatening situation and taking extraordinary measures to rescue the 13 abducted young women, how these Chalala Brave hearts became heroes.
The young brave men acted quickly, decisively, and compassionately to identify the people in jeopardy, assess the situation, take action, and called for the communities and Police backup to secure the victims’ safety.
The Chalala Brave hearts are heroes because despite being ordinary untrained young civilians they found the strength to persevere and endure in the rescue mission despite overwhelming obstacles surrounding the crime scene.
Their valorous deeds have brought so much relief not only to the victims and their families but also to the entire nation as the abductions of Pamela Chisumpa and the other young women were harrowing.
There have been numerous calls to have these Brave hearts honoured for their courageous, intrepid, daunt
less, and bold exploits and I too think they deserve to be honoured hence this article.
To add political weight to the calls - Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa has initiated the “citizens’ hero appreciation programme,” a fundraising venture to raise funds from willing citizens as tokens of appreciation for the Brave hearts’ exemplary heroism.
Nonetheless, I think the honouring and appreciation of these young brave men should come in more than just material or monetary form packages because Robbie and his colleagues have shown that they have the courage, energy, and untapped skills and talents that when nurtured can immensely benefit and reward the nation.
Identifying potential, appreciating, and nurturing it are also part of leadership. We have seen such heroes like Robbie and his colleagues being handsomely rewarded or honoured in other countries.
For instance, in 2018, Mamoudou Gassama, a young Malian migrant who rescued a child dangling from a balcony was made a French citizen and on top of that was offered a job by the Paris fire brigade.
A video of the rescue mission went viral showing how the then 22-year-old Mamoudou Gassama now nicknamed “Black Spiderman” climbed up four floors of the apartment building in just seconds to rescue the child, to cheers from onlookers.
By the time Parisian emergency services arrived at the building, Mamoudou Gassama had already pulled the child to safety.
President Emmanuel Macron made quick arrangements to personally meet Mamoudou Gassama to thank him and give him a medal for his courage.
And when it emerged that Gassama was an illegal immigrant from Mali, President Macron announced that he would be made a naturalised citizen.
Today, Mamoudou Gassama serves in the Paris fire brigade because the French government identified and appreciated his skills and talent. The same can be done to Robbie and his colleagues because these young men are selfless warriors who are more willing to save lives even if it means risking theirs.
There is information that Robbie’s dream is to serve in the Zambia Defence Force. I mean - what skills should one possess for them to be recruited in the Zambia Defence Force if what the young man together with his colleagues showcased is not sufficient?
If Robbie’s dream is to serve in the Defence Force - he is now more than deserving to live his dream.
Where there is a hero there is always a villain. In this case, Robbie and his colleagues are the heroes and the villains are the filthy abductors. The Police are on top of things with their investigations and the wish of every Zambian is that the culprits pay for their inhumane acts.
Honouring the heroes - Chalala Brave hearts and punishing the abductors will send a strong message to youths that courageous selfless acts pay in our society and crime doesn’t.
Robbie and his colleagues deserve to serve in the Defence Force while the criminals deserve to serve harsh sentences in prison.