THE LAKE BANGWEULU BOAT ACCIDENT AND LOSS OF LIVES

IWAS first on Lake Bangweulu in 2006 during the Patriotic Front campaigns to Chilubi Island and we almost capsized on the way back from there due to night sudden big waves.

Inside the single engine banana boat, I was part of the main PF entourage of Michael Chilufya. Sata, late Mr Willie Nsanda, Mr Peter Machungwa and Mr Ernest Mwansa.

We barely made it to the mainland with nonstop removal of wave water flooding in the boat. Mr Mwansa would end of that year become the Chifunabuli MP where Chishi Island we had also visited is based.

It is where the fateful SDA banana boat that capsized two days ago was destined which is some 30 minutes away from Chilubi Island.

In 2016, I visited Chilubi Island again but in a Chopper this time around, with now current President Hakainde Hichilema and other then pact members.

There was a lot of cage fish farming that we noticed around the island and cassava farming on the land.

It was not until some five weeks ago, February 2023 that I was on the Lake Bangweulu waters again but solo this time around without another leader with me to Chilubi Island.

I was on a mission to consult on my PF primaries for party President and I noted the lake transport system now has a modern 10-seater speed boat for hire from the council and it’s the one I used. It’s however pricy and beyond reach of most locals.

Impressive was the modern looking Zampost ferry on the lake that can carry about 80 people plus goods. It makes a trip daily between Chilubi and Samfya. It takes about seven hours one way but a very safe vessel. I gather this is one of the promises Mr Sata made to the people to get them a commercial big boat for easy and safer movements of people and goods to and from the mainland Zambia.

As luck may have it for the 44 SDA members that were aboard the old version banana boat that capsized, it so happened that this Zampost ferry was also about approaching from the mainland Samfya towards Chilubi Island.

It quickly diverted towards the capsized boat and passengers managed to throw into water safety jackets and rescued 28 of them.

Unfortunately, it was a bit late for about 16 passengers and their lives were lost.

In the short term the UPND government need to facilitate the purchase of more modern commercial speed boats and more bigger Zampost type ferries for the safety of all our citizens that are habitants of the islands on the dangerous waters of Lake Bangweulu that borders the Northern and Luapula provinces.

In the long run, a long bridge will have to be constructed connecting the islands to the mainland Zambia for people’s safety and easy movement of goods and services.

I am told there is already a long bridge feasibility study done and the Minister of Infrastructure, Mr Charles Milupi will do well to take keen interest and see if the government can get to do what the islands people will forever remember them for.

In addition, it should be made a crime if not already for any boat coxswain (driver) or owners to have any person on their boats without life jackets.

The 44 SDA passengers on the hired single engine boat were not only overloaded, but no one had a life jackets on as the boat had none.

Imagine that to transport a vehicle on the Zampost ferry from mainland Zambia to Chilubi Island one has to pay K20, 000. All civil servants leave their vehicles in mainland Samfya and walk when working on the islands. Even when the police fetched me in February when I was having nshima at a local market on the island, they came walking and we walked back to the station some distance away.

As a nation, we have to come to the aid of thousands of people who live on these islands. May this government remember the people of Chilubi, Chishi and Mbabala islands on Lake Bangweulu as regards their safety beyond the current Zampost ferry and dangerous single engine banana boats.

May souls of departed rest in enternal peace and may God give strength to affected families during this trying period.

My sincere condolences to the SDA church members in Chilubi Island and around the country.