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Mayhem on Friday as 2 are Shot Dead By ZNS Officers, One Injured
By CLAVER MUTINTA
ZAMBIA National Service (ZNS) officers yesterday shot dead two people living illegally on what is officially ZNS land while another man was injured.
The incident happened when officers carried out an order to demolish houses built on land belonging to the defence wing without permission.
The wounded man is admitted to Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital while the incident occurred in Kampasa near Meanwood Ndeke Housing Development project near the Kenneth Kaunda International airport in Lusaka.
ZNS public relations officer Marble Mulenga-Nyone and Lusaka Province police commissioner Joyce Kasosa confirmed the shooting but could not give further details.
ZNS officers stormed the settlement on a 50-acre piece of land at the crack of dawn around 05:00 hours yesterday and ordered the settlers to vacate the houses built on ZNS land.
The settlers have been insisting that the land belongs to them and not ZNS. Some say they have lived there for more than 25 years.
The victims, who have been identified as Clement Muloongo and Pumulo Lungwangwa, were hit with short batons before they were shot at close range, according to reports.
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.
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.
A Daily Mail team that rushed to the area shortly after the shooting incident found two bodies of men lying in pools of blood. One was shot in the head and the other in the chest.
Grief-stricken locals were found weeping over the bodies.
Lungwangwa’s wife, Harriet Shabantu, said her husband was not confrontational when the officers ordered them to vacate the house.
“I just told my husband that we should secure our documents and National Registration Cards and leave the house to be demolished.
We went to the roadside but they followed us….we moved somewhere else and they still followed us and started beating us up. They started shooting and that is how my husband was shot,” she said.
Major Nyone referred all queries to the Ministry of Defence but efforts to get a comment from Minister of Defence Geoffrey Mwamba failed as his mobile phone was not reachable by press time.
But a ZNS officer only identified as P M Solochi, who was sent to gather facts about the incident in Kampasa, defended the officers saying they shot at the people in self-defence.
He alleged that the settlers were not co-operative and some even threw stones at the officers.
Many houses, including a Church of God centre and Patriotic Front (PF) office, were damaged during the operation by 
ZNS officers, who also allegedly threatened to burn the settlers’ maize.
A 54-year-old widow, Elina Ng’andu, who burst into tears, said she had nowhere to go after her house was demolished.
Ms Ng’andu and other settlers were found picking up their belongings to camp by the roadside.
Some local people said they were surprised that ZNS officers demolished and damaged their houses despite assurances from “some authorities” that their houses would not be touched.
Posted by Editor
on June 15, 2013. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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2J
June 15, 2013 at 7:52 am
and we say zambia is a christian nation, pf at its best
Shi bukombe
June 15, 2013 at 7:53 am
This is what happens when the rule of law breaks down. Why should citizens be homeless and landless in their own country. That land is traditional/customary land and there is nothing traditional nor customary about ZNS.
chiingu
June 15, 2013 at 7:57 am
this is uncalled for behaviour.Patrick what happened?surely shooting them should have been the last option.
Aspirant
June 15, 2013 at 8:12 am
When we voted for PF we wanted 2 change our country for the better and not continue living as though we are foreigners in our own country. It seems as though we were just cheating our selves. Shame!!
Mwine Mushi
June 15, 2013 at 8:24 am
Just wait until the Wester countries (Super powers) come and arm the poor citizens then we will see who the real coward as* beaches are, thse trgger happy dogs have never fired a gun ever since they passed out thy must be deployd to Dafour or Somali so that they can go and be screwed, very soon we are going to see a little Syria in Zambia!
wana
June 15, 2013 at 8:31 am
Were are going under PF?these guys have failed us. Your days are numbered,remeber what happened to RB.
Mbanje
June 15, 2013 at 8:41 am
Do zns use short buton. Lets be factual in our reporting.
keegan kapepe
June 15, 2013 at 8:46 am
Matthew 24:8-10 (King James Version)
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Matthew 24:8-10
King James Version (KJV)
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
keegan kapepe
June 15, 2013 at 8:51 am
no one has the right of killing his fellow citizen and be unpunished and the ZNS who were involve were in the operation must be brought to book
semaj
June 15, 2013 at 9:10 am
My soul is very grieved and as am writing this ma eyes r jst weepin with tears with these sad story.like seriously r we ready for a syria here in zambia?those trigger happy idiots u call zns r they sure if we organised a label group they cn contain us?shooting a civilian over sme ****** land?this PF @ its best.
Ak
June 15, 2013 at 9:19 am
napapata is that normal.poor Zambian treating your fellow Zambian like trash ,Anyway that’s very sad and the sad part is that, that ZNS galu will be protected.He woke up just to kill people like animals?
gunda
June 15, 2013 at 9:24 am
I failed to hold back my tears when i saw the clip on Muvi TV!Where is our country headed to?Iam sure specialised agents of evil are busy scheming words to defend this atrocity!god bless you.To the bereaved and affected lest be assured that God is on your side,Amen
looks
June 15, 2013 at 9:56 am
NDELOLESHA FYE
PF AT ITS BEST
Makuli
June 15, 2013 at 11:04 am
“A ZNS officer only identified as P M Solochi, who was sent to gather facts about the incident in Kampasa, defended the officers saying they shot at the people in self-defence.” It is a shame that today’s soldiers are not properly trained and the only self-defence they know is shooting! I thought there are so many ways a soldier can defend himself especially when dealing with unarmed civilians.
Hanan
June 15, 2013 at 11:14 am
This is so grieving. We can’t continue casting a blind eye, brethren. Things had been bad before, but something has opened trouble’s pandora’s box. The country’s leadership paid the price to be the bosses; and they price was innocent zambian’s blood. They either failed to read the fine print of the diabolical contract, or they just didnt care. You decide!
ama kip
June 15, 2013 at 11:22 am
since PF got into power,pipo ar dyn’ like chickenz..we thot we voted 4 change kanshi we had votd 4 a devil.
lolizo
June 15, 2013 at 11:55 am
Bakawale…baZNS akulimenifye ama?? cabbage not uku shoota sbantu. You iliterate slugs.
mkonzi
June 15, 2013 at 12:41 pm
I wonder why these officers could be so personal as if after clearing those poor settlers the land would be redistributed to them. Shame shame shame!
Matongo Sitali
June 15, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Sad
Joburg
June 15, 2013 at 5:37 pm
I HAVE BEEN PF SUPPOTER BUT AM DISSAPPOINTED ON THIS ONE SURELY.
MAFUPA YOKOYOKO
June 15, 2013 at 6:41 pm
Those ZNS fools should be fired and caged to rot in prison coz their actions are so barbaric and so not good for our society. Ba Sata should do something to redeem his name otherwise this will be the beginning of the fall of the PF gov’t!
Nifwebo
June 15, 2013 at 8:28 pm
Ishi imbwa shabantu! shalekana ati tapali ewoshishutile. Matole yabo banunka mashinshya.
Kelvin Kunda
June 15, 2013 at 9:28 pm
My heart bleeds to see this happening in our country i just wonder whats going to happen next this is so unbelivable may these cabbage growers responsible for these brutal killings be identified and be brought to book not stories of self defence GBM can you plz sort these idiots out they are turnishing your image. my heart goes to the family of the two defensless men who died whilst defending were to put their heads.
NGOSA
June 16, 2013 at 1:53 am
NIKWISA BANGASHITA AMA PLOTS MUNO ZAMBIA ABO
MWAIPAYA ABALANDA BENEBENE IF THEY CANNOT STAY ON
THAT LAND? I FILL FOR DA BERIEVED FAMILIES.MAY THE GOOD LORD RECEIVE THEIR SOULS.