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Kapansa Killings: CDDR Says SATA Should Not Have Directed Officers to Shoot Dead Civilians
Following a deadly shooting of protesters by officers of the Zambia National Service (ZNS) in the Kampasa area near Lusaka’s main airport, the Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR) is calling for a full investigation and an immediate cessation of the use of live rounds for the purposes of crowd control by Zambia’s security services.
“We are deeply concerned by this tragic incident of soldiers firing live rounds at unarmed protesters during a routine crowd control exercise, as it raises fears over how security operations will be handled during future political rallies and elections,” said Robert Amsterdam, international counsel to the CDDR. “All Zambians have a constitutional right to freedom of speech and assembly, and such a willful disregard for human lives by the PF government cannot be allowed to continue.”
Although the details are still unclear, the squatting protesters in Kampasa had clashed with the authorities on previous occasions, claiming that they had been unlawfully dispossessed of their homes in a land transaction related to the Meanwood Ndeke Housing Development by a senior member of government, Minister of Tourism Sylvia Masebo, among other investors close to State House. The shooting occurred when ZNS soldiers arrived to demolish houses built on the disputed land.
The shooting in Kampasa resulted in the unnecessary deaths of two unarmed protesters, Clement Muloongo and Pumulo Lungwangwa, and several injuries. According to a report published in the Zambia Daily Mail, one protester had been beaten with short batons before being shot in the head at close range. The other was shot as he tried to rescue his father.
“According to eyewitnesses, one of the men raised his hands and begged the officers armed with AK 47 rifles to spare his life but they ignored him and opened fire on him,” reads the Daily Mail coverage of the incident. “The second victim was shot when he tried to rescue his father, who was in the house which was being demolished, while the survivor was shot in the buttocks as he hung around after being evicted from his house.”
The killings of the two protesters in Kampasa are preceded by a number of other violent episodes under the ruling Patriotic Front party.
On June 12, Zambian security officials similarly fired live rounds into a crowd of people attempting to purchase football tickets for a World Cup qualifier, resulting in one young woman losing a kidney from a bullet that tore through her midsection. In Kitwe, rioting football fans were quelled by soldiers firing live rounds into the air.
Other violent attacks from the ruling party have targeted opposition figures. Just days earlier, cadres from the Patriotic Front party attacked Father Frank Bwalya, a Catholic priest who recently turned against the ruling party, and interrupted his interview with Flava FM. And on May 31, an organized militia attacked and violently beat civil society activists who had met in a church to discuss the government’s sudden removal of fuel and maize subsidies, among other violent incidences involving the ruling party. Other opposition leaders such as Hakainde Hichilema and Nevers Mumba have also both been subjected to violent attacks over the past year.
“There is, in Zambia today, an environment of impunity, where judges can be fired for ruling against friends of the PF regime, where the police refuse to arrest perpetrators of violence so long as it is in the interest of the state, and where moral bankruptcy and corruption reign supreme,” said Amsterdam. “Make no mistake, these kinds of ‘accidental’ shootings are a test of resolve, a test to see what they can get away with. The CDDR intends to work closely with other members of civil society who reject this state-sponsored violence to prepare a report before relevant bodies detailing these events.”
Posted by Editor
on June 15, 2013. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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BOSS
June 15, 2013 at 5:50 pm
why do you want to criticize PF over this incident? You cowards and jealous!
solwez mabanga
June 15, 2013 at 6:20 pm
iwe chikala boss pipo ar bng killed lyk animals treated lyk criminals you think we ar fools. 2016 kuyabebele!
FuManchu
June 15, 2013 at 6:48 pm
Daily Mail reporting as it was! Eh! Wonders shall never end! Nadabwa! Transformation of governance read George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Balanced
June 15, 2013 at 7:53 pm
I strongly condemn the shooting and Amsterdam. What does he know about ZNS. Let me educate him that there are UPND/MMD/PF/UNIP members who are employees of ZNS.
The author of this article also must not conclude when “details are still unlear.”
MK
June 16, 2013 at 12:03 am
‘Routine crowd control’,'although the details are not clear’….why make accusations when you have no details or facts of what happened?
Amsterdam is worse than a tabloid paper, too much fabrication of stories for him to be good lawyer! Zambians like Sikota and RB who are feeding him stories like this , which are based on hearsay, they should be ashamed.
Thugnificent
June 16, 2013 at 12:59 am
PF PF PF PF PF PF,even wen a fly dies its PF,we are tired of irresponsible criticism atase.
kote
June 16, 2013 at 4:20 am
Amstardum waba itole sorry itoloshi
geff
June 16, 2013 at 8:45 am
with all this shit around, PF must count my vote together with those of my house hold sold to the under 5
Mwaaa!
June 16, 2013 at 10:00 am
The hiring of Amsterdam by the Zambian Mafioso, i.e. HH, Nevers & Rupiah must be looked at with the contempt it deserves.
The crooked CDDR is the coming together of corruption wealth to manipulate the public against the PF govt.
Most likely the shooters are actually stooges of UPND & MMD.
It is pathetic for Amsterdam to draw conclusions on a matter that he doesn’t hv facts on. What if the shooter was under the influence of psychotropic substances or alcohol?
Will Amsterdam still blame the PF govt? Am never voting for any of the stooges of this CDDR as I hv no idea what they hv promised Amsterdam the fcuker!
wazanga
June 16, 2013 at 10:11 am
amsterdam wabe bolo
God for us all
June 16, 2013 at 10:26 am
Ill minded people will always support wrong and evil.Foolish PF supporters.
zimba
June 16, 2013 at 10:27 am
am a strong pf supporter bt i thnk wth way things are going by tok of freedom of association n expression for 0pp0sition political parties and now killings of innocent unarmed defenceless citizens as well as dictatorial way of doings e.g the removal of fertilizer and maize subsidies points out to how cruel and intoralant this government is even how worse it will be if given another mandate in 2016.
Uwakwamununga
June 16, 2013 at 11:27 am
NOT UKWIPAYA NAIMWE KAILI MWALAONAULA UBWANGALO BWA MAPOLITICS! NASAKAMANA NEMWISHIKULU WANDOSHI.
Kirkland
June 16, 2013 at 12:41 pm
How do Sata and PF come in on this issue? Squatters are squatters period! Yes this was an unfortunate incident but there is no need to politicise it. Especially if you do not have the full facts.
Charle
June 16, 2013 at 2:33 pm
robot msterdamn, go to hell, you lawliar!
chishawasha
June 16, 2013 at 2:46 pm
law must take place 4 de killer only no one else
the Teacher
June 16, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Was it PF shooting or what. It is wrong to kill people but the teacher thinks it is wrong to blame the wrong people. The killing is not in any way related to PF hence the need to investigate and bring to book all offenders
Peace
Tamiwe
June 16, 2013 at 7:19 pm
Why open fire on unarmed citizens,as if they are criminals. We had july 20,2011, in Malawi where police used live bullets on protesters. Come elections next year the party responsible for july 20 will never see our votes.
the Teacher
June 16, 2013 at 8:12 pm
Was it PF shooting or what. It is wrong to kill people but the teacher thinks it is wrong to blame the wrong people. The killing is not in any way related to PF hence the need to investigate and bring to book all offenders
Peace shalom
Toka
June 16, 2013 at 11:38 pm
ZNS officer shot and killed a person. This is not connected to PF. ZNS is not a wing of PF. IF the officer is taken to court it will not be PF. Please those in opposition, if there are people to condemn,condemn ZNS and their commanding office. Leave the PF part out of this.