Zambian national Raphael Lungu (pictured right) fled to the UK in 2006 to claim asylum after whistle blowing against corruption in the Zambian police force. This resulted in not only his own life being put in danger, but in the assault of his parents and rape of his 11-year-old daughter.
As an ardent Christian who felt strongly that because of his faith he could not be involved in corrupt judicial practices, Raphael came into direct conflict over a period of time with fellow officers in the Zambian police force and eventually high ranking judges and government officials.
After intimidation and attacks on his family – including his daughter (now 15 years old) – he was advised to seek refuge elsewhere and not to return to Zambia. As he had visited the UK in his capacity as a second-hand car parts salesman and as a resident of the former British protectorate Northern Rhodesia (as Zambia then was), he came to the UK in 2006 to claim asylum.
On Tuesday (June 8), Raphael faced a third attempt at deportation back to Zambia. He resisted the first two attempts and during the second he was allegedly assaulted by an official from the UK Border Agency.
Due to the efforts of friends and campaigners from Norwich Central Baptist Church (NCNC), which Raphael attends, a last-minute injunction was granted to Raphael to stop his forcible removal to Zambia. He is now detained at the Colnbrook Immigration Centre near Heathrow Airport.
Campaign organiser, and NCBC member, Terry Smith, said: “Raphael resisted two earlier attempts to deport him. The second time he was badly beaten by the UK Border Agency guards. He was treated in hospital and left on crutches. The reason for the postponement of the third deportation attempt is new evidence from Zambia and the completion of an investigation by the police regarding the assault.”
It has been extremely difficult for Raphael to procure the relevant court papers to prove his actions against corruption and the UK Border Agency refused Raphael’s asylum claim because he did not have enough evidence to prove his claims.
Now, since the intervention of the Norwich church, lawyers in Zambia have gathered more evidence and sent it to the UK and campaigners say it is absolutely vital that this evidence is now considered. With the granting of the injunction there is now time for the authorities to do so
Terry said: “Since 2009, Raphael has attended NCBC and has become thoroughly integrated into the church family. Raphael is a part of our community and has been very popular and a regular attendee of prayer meetings and external social clubs such as badminton and dancing. He has been actively involved in assisting the elderly having waited on table at the weekly luncheon club.
“Outside of Norwich Central Baptist Church, he frequently attended evening dinners of the ‘Full Gospel Businessman’s Fellowship’ (FGBMFI) listening and networking with invited guest speakers and on some occasions, giving speeches of his own.
“Raphael is always good company and a joy to be with, and when you consider the torment he is going through, he must have great inner strength derived from his deep Christian faith,” said Terry. “We, as a church, are endeavouring to give Raphael as much support as possible and are praying for a positive result from all that is taking place on his behalf.”
Dr Anna Rowlands, a lecturer in theology at Cambridge University, first highlighted Raphael’s plight in her role as chaplain at the Oakington Immigration Centre in Cambridgeshire and got the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns on board.
New Norwich South MP, Simon Wright, has also now got involved and is making representations to the Home Secretary.
[networknorwich.co.uk]
Zambians in foreign land, I have heard a numba of such similar stories involving Zambian citizens in other countries abroad. Thk God he is gone to right direction, hope it’s not prentence for security purpose.;):-\”:-\”:-\”:-\”
No comment….you never know what ba Raphael has gone through.:-?
I know this criminal please, you so called Christians in the UK, do not be in the habit of concluding quickly without sufficient knowledge. The man you are dealing with is not sane who had a hand in the death of his wife and the subsequent maltreatment of his own child which led to the police arresting him. I wish to inform you that the man was not at all a police officer but simply a reserve who is now denouncing his own country on false corruption allegations. please release him and let him come and face the law, after all he is a follower of Christ and this is what Christ would have done.
This story is so loop-sided. It makes me sick how LT will feel up space in the vain hope of securing our readership. This is total crap. The news doesnt add up at all. Copy and paste muleke!
Christians also….awe bwafya
Off topic, i don’t know whether you guys know that you can make unlimited calls to landlines in Zambia from the USA, for $25.99 a month of course it includes unlimited calling within the USA and 60 other countries.The only african countries within the 60 unlimited landphone countries are Zambia, South Africa & Kenya. This service has been going on for quite some time. check vonage dot com.
Could we get a comment from the Thief Government Spokesman on the issues regarding this man.
#7. The govt spokesman, the whole cabinet and their boss are in south africa watching football.
From a few useless comments on this topic I already see that as usual Zambians pretend their country is wonderful and glorious when we all know it is corrupt,satanic,where the police are as brutal as hell,torcher is the order of the day.Just because it didn’t happen to you or your relative then you dismiss it as false.This Lungu is telling the truth,Zambia is corrupt and dangerous and if you speak up you may not see the next day,police will tramp up charges and lock you up and if you are a “little person” not M’membe or any such people nobody will even know what happened to you.Police in Zambia twice tramped up charges on me and locked me up in those death traps you fackers call prisons.Today I live in total peace in the UK thanks to the Geneva Convention of 1951.
I hope the new evidence convinces authorities because this man will seriously get into trouble if he’s deported back to Zambia especially with the coming to light of his allegations.
This is the legacy of 20 years of MMD rule. There are more you would follow Lungu in exposing MMD led scums but fear for their lives. Its why this rotten party needs to be shown the Red Card in 2011.
***This is the legacy of 20 years of MMD rule. There are more **WHO** would follow Lungu in exposing MMD led scums but fear for their lives. Its why this rotten party needs to be shown the Red Card in 2011.
Mulenga pa New Castle no Zambia is no paradise but it is far from a living hell. The police are no longer as brutal as they used to be. Actually our presswhich is quite free by ant standards rarely covers any incidences of torture. The old cases of forced confessions are a thing of the past. Prison conditions are ( at least according to one Fred Mmembe) improving. Things are far from what you want to potray,. You have every right to prefer the UK but dont make our country soumd like a hell or shit hole
let him jsut go back to zambia,no one is gona kill or areest him,i think he just want to leave in uk,
let him jsut go back to zambia,no one is gona kill or areest him,i think he just want to leave in uk,
This story sounds very fishy, I have never heard of a zambian asylum seeker. How do we know this guy just cooked up a story to stay in the UK because of fear of the poverty back home. Claiming bogus asylum is very common nowadays because people will cook up stories so as just to stay. Guys if ytou came here as an illegal and you are caught don’t turn christian then pretend just to stay. I know the chaps in zambia like to laugh at deportee’s but just go back save yourself the shame, after all the majority of diasporee’s back in zambia were deported. What evidence is there in zambia that this chap’s life is in danger?
#9Ba Mulenga twamupapata lekeni ubufi. Zambia is a free country. Even people who have been arrested for treason have always had their day in court. “Zambia is a dangerous country”? What are you trying to create and who do you want to please. If Zambaia is another Somalia or even another Congo DR, how many refugees do we have who have run away from the Government.
This is the problem with the Zambian and African diaspora in general. You love putting down your countries so that you get sympathy from the locals you find. It is very unlike the attitude of Chinese immigrants who are from a dictatorship but who still love their country. The Indians likewise do not scandalise their country even though they have a maoist rebellion going on in India. Bashi Mulenga Mwatusebanya. Ichindikeni.
The story is fishy. Unfortunalely it is scandalising our good nation. Can the authorities follow up please?
Difficult to comment only to say may justice be done.Yes there is corruption in Zambia,evidence is all over starting from Kafupi etc at the same time its a peaceful country.Would say Zambia is a mixture of peace and lawlessness.Could be some element of truth in this story dont think any sane Zambian would subject himself to being locked up all for the sake of remaining in UK unless their life is truly in danger.
#19 You would be surprised what many deportee’s can endure just not to be taken back. Put yourself in the man’s shoes would you rather he go back to zambia where judging from his career (police) , is almost certain to live in poverty. Or stay in the UK where anyone can earn a comfortable life for himself and family with even a minimum wage job.
He’s just fearing to be laughed at by his peers coz he has nothing to show that he was in the UK.
#17 Kudos to you as I agree with your sentiments. That is why many Congolese and Angolan refugees would rather stay in Zambia than go back home.
#20 Have you tried to live in the UK on minimum wage – how do you pay your bills in winter? Infact more and more Africans are returning to their home countries. Life in the UK is going to get harder as the govt tries to deal with a very huge budget deficit and am sure many more Zambians will find that life back home is easier than in London.
He does not know that his friends balapipa utukote and ukuwamya ifyumbusu?
Kukosa nokukosa bakamba, muka tusanga.
i can swear on the head of NKOLE WAMAPEMBWE UMFWE MILANDU that this man was not a cop. he used to contribute a lot to talk shows and i remember attending the recording of frank talk with him. he must just be one of those pretenders.
Surely because RB is a tribalist according to some, with a name like ‘Lungu’, he does not have anything to fear.
#22 Mininum wage paid for my university and postgraduate. You can survive on minimum wage if you are smart. Theres a lot of muzungu’s that survive on it and have nice houses plus cars. If you live in a city with cheap accomodation and have residency you can survive . Life may be hard here but it is way more bearable than zambia, the idea of a hard life in the UK is incomparable with a hard life in zambia. A lot of people returning to their countries because they have no jobs which translates to no visa’s. The ones saying that life is easier in Zambia are not being honest as to why they left london, Most were illegals. Plus london is an expensive city where you need a good job to survive. If you are jobless, no visa, no income of course you will think zambia is better
The Shikas will obviously follow it up.This immigrant is an Easterner as RB.
I do think this guy is a crook;; how did he manage to acquire the asylum seeker status! he must be hidding something about himself; Zambia is not like some nations around it it is peaceful,the govt is not as bad as Lungu wants it to appear,since his brother is in power he should go back:
# 22 For sure you are a chongololo without data.Life in the UK is hard for Zambians who are illegal but not for us residents as the Government tops up our wages with Working and Child tax credits plus Child benefit.In the mean time Student Finance England pays my University fees through grants I don’t have to pay back.My daughter and wife also recieve grants.If I lose my job I’ll get Jobseekers allowance,council will pay for my accomodation through Housing benefit including council tax.For your info #22 Chongololo,these benefits are given to British Citizens,Residents,Refugees etc EU nationals who’ve been here for at least 6 months no segregation! So if you don’t fall under these, Sole William!!
There was high level fraud at DEC involving the topmost guys, officers revealed it and now the former boss is appearing in court, there was serious corruption in the Ministry of Health, whistle blowers did their work and pipo are now appearing in court, what sot of corruption would have caused this bemba crip to flee the country, he is just running away from his failures here, if he wants to stay there, why not allow him just stay.
Did the report say he is on cruches? after being raughed up by the British authorities? I gues he will now flee to America, complaigning about the corrupt british authorities
Sad story only hope all goes well with you Mr Mulenga. Now Mr Mulenga did you sue Border Agency for assault or were you resisting arrest hence their use of ‘minimum’ force? all the best.
very unfortunate – for him to state that his daughter was raped is evident of his strong desire not to return. either way, i would give him the benefit of doubt. the uk asylum system is harsh. which asylum seeker escapes his prosecutors with documented evidence. he should sue the state for the beating and get double pay-back.
btw – do y’all know that panji’s ex wife sought asylum in the us after her husband was killed. so don’t clamour on that zambia is “safe”. it’s safe if you just shut up.
I know of many Zambians who sought asylum here,the wife to late Paul Tembo is here and so is the wife to late Captain Jack Chiti (friend to Captain Solo).Rodger Chongwe sought asylum in Australia.Just because the police haven’t tortured you does not make Zambia safe.
# 33 Torontonian from Zed, the British asylum system is not as harsh as you make it,people are queuing in France to cross over here because the system here is better than all of Europe.Asylum seekers are housed (furnished),water and electric bills paid for by the state and paid an allowance every week.I worked for the North of England Refugee Service for 18 months and I know my facts.
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