Thursday, March 28, 2024

Don’t politicise death of police detainee-Mkhondo Lungu

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Home Affairs minister Mkhondo Lungu

HOME Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu has urged people not to politicise the death of a police detainee, Kabayo Kabayo, 16, because he died from natural causes.

Mr Lungu said prison authorities acted promptly when Kabayo fell sick, while medical personnel at Mumbwa Hospital tried their best to save the boy’s life, but he unfortunately died.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Mr Lungu condemned politicians and The Post for casting aspersions at the State that they killed Kabayo who was in police custody at the time that he fell sick.

Mr Lungu said Kabayo, who was diagnosed with a bacteria infection, was initially treated at Mumbwa hospital and discharged after a successful treatment.

He said the boy was re-admitted a few days later but unfortunately died.

“No one takes pleasure when a life is lost, because it’s our duty to preserve human life. Doctors at Mumbwa Hospital did their best to treat the young man.

It’s not true that the boy was killed. People die whether in prison or outside prison,” Mr Lungu said.

He urged politicians to desist from seeking political mileage over the loss of life because death is a sad and painful thing.

He said the death of Kabayo was purely a natural calamity and the people of Zambia should not condon deceit from people who want to seize any opportunity to tarnish the image of Government.

“We need to be calm and cautious of what we say. Politics aside, individuals can fall ill anytime, anywhere,” Mr Lungu said.

He said Kabayo was arrested alongside other rioters in Mongu last February to maintain law and order.

The Minister said the arrests were meant to protect lives and property, and that had police not acted they would have been accused of neglecting their responsibility.

34 COMMENTS

  1. Death is surely painful Minister, I dont understabd why post kee showing image of a dead young man, all for votes.

    Surely God will punish someone this year

  2. He got the bacteria infection in jail as said by this dull minister what does that say about sanitation in this prison. If the so called state funded prisons and made then clean then no bacterias would be there to kill oh sorry infect prisoners but the filth probably from facial matter and urine. Your prison killed him I guess and since it you the state who run these prisons then you the government of Bwezani Kubuyo Banda killed him.

  3. The kid was in prison for political reasons, and some minister says we should not talk politics about his death..!!!

  4. Does Mr Lungu knows what he is talking about? Asibweni you don’t have to justify these deaths. The boy died in police custody coz if you didnt arrest him and he died at home the government was not going to be blamed. But this whole thing from the beginning was political and it will end political. You know what is making most of us upset is  because you are refusing to take the responsibility and failing to apologize for a very straight forward issue or your GRZ  is doing is justifying the deaths to protect your a$$es.

  5. THE YOUNG BOY LIKE THAT OLD MAN DIED BCOZ OF THE TREATMENT MEANT TO SEND A MASSEGE TO THE LOZI…HOW COME PRISONERS NEVER DIE AT THE RATE AT WHICH THE LOZI’S WHO WHERE ARRESTED AR DYING. THEY AR EITHER BEING POISONED OR THEY AR PACKED LIKE SACKS IN PRISON

  6. Potential Vice President – intelligent, calm, honest, appropriate personality. One clear point – DO NOT put yourselves in a line of fire that you end up in an African Prison – especially with our poor health conditions. We lost Dean Mung’omba when Mr Sata was still running the show. Sata will actually deliberately kill more of you!!

  7. Nos. 6&7 – are you my relative the vet doctor by any chance? I’m looking for my bululu in SA who writes like you. His initials are CS. If it’s you, please respond to my email. Your fellow vet bululu in Montreal

  8. Yes Mr Lungu, we will politic where you, George Kunda and you boss politic. Now the next bunch of victims will be the 220 Mansa residents.

  9. The boy contracted the deadly infection in jail and was denied bail.Above he was arrested over a political matter.
    Do not blame The Post because they are marely performing their duties of informing the world of how Rupiah’s police are killing,shooting and arresting innocent un armed people.
    I respect Mr.Lungu for he is very honest BUT on this issue he is defending wrong people.

  10. One wonders why NORMAL people can blame the POST for merely informing the nation about what is happening. Is it the POST who arrested the young boy? why did they deny him bail? i guess the boy was not charged with treason. MMD is digging its own pit and they do not need to blame anyone but themselves. they have NO heart. the Mongu issue is a very sensitive one, they would have dealt with it amicably, release the young boys and remain with their leaders. its astonishing to see how the MMD government is behaving. its also shocking to have UNIP MP as home affairs minister, hey remember how UNIP used to deal with people, they didn’t have any regard for human life and rights so nothing has changed on Mkondo and RB.

  11. this minister is dull. those boys where arrested on a political case but you don’t want us to politicize their death which happened in the hands of police. which school did you go too? how educated are you? those boys are political prisoners, everything about them is nothing but politics and if Sata and HH don’t utilize such opportunities then what will they utilize?

  12. # 14 one think you said which makes much sense is that “those people are political prisoners”. How can a normal person avoid condemning politicians if a suspect dies at Guantanamo-Mumbwa prisons? The spirit of that boy Kabayo is watching you eating together with you Mkhondo, Kabonde and the innocent boy is watching Thandiwe & Ruphia Banda enjoying themselves while his parents in Mongu are begging for people to help them bury their son.

  13. “Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped” … signed instructions RB 74yrs old (President of modern day Northern Rhodesia), March 2011.

    “It’s not that life is so short, it’s just that you’re dead for so long ” Kabayo Kabayo,16 yrs old April 2011

  14. I am amazed for a minister to tell people not to politicise the death of Kabayo.Up to date, there is no apology over the Mongu killings.The more you keep on remaining silent, a shallow sowing you are going to reap.Let us even on a single day let the truth come out from our mouths.

  15. I thought Mkondo Lungu had brains, mawee, I was cheating myself. Politics is simply the art of governance. You cannot run away from that responsibility as Government,otherwise its better to quit ba Lungu. Ubuteko nimwe everything is on your shoulders, the opposition are bystanders waiting for every opportunity to discredit in day in day out Let your police intelligence be more aggresive in dectection and prevention of public disoders, especially that we are heading for general elections.

  16. MR LUNGU, PLS STOP THE RUBBISH TALK. B4 THE ATTACK ON BAROTSELAND YOU SAID THAT MONGU ACTIVICTS WILL NOT BE SPARED IF THEY GO AHEAD WITH THE PLANNED GATHERING. BE A MAN AND STAND BY YO WORD. REMEMBER THE BLOODSHED IN BAROTSELAND IS ON YO HEAD. BOOKS WILL BE WRITTEN AND YO GRANDCHILDREN WILL BE REMINDED OF WHAT YOU DID IN BAROTSELAND.

  17. Its sad people losing the life of a young man because of the stupid behaviour of our uncaring government.This is not the first time this has happened and surely Mr.minister whos gonna support you in this clear and straight forward issue.I remember how dean mungómba died and how an officer in charge at chimbokaila was demoted for having allowed dean to go to a private doctor cibi sana.Officer in charge at the time a mr kyabu was demoted and sent to kansenshi in ndola for allowing an innocent person to go to clinic,this is what they have continued doing, going to extents of killing minors why why cibi sana.

  18. #14 well spoken.
    Masheke Kabayo DC you are just too bad hearted remember most of the really Kabayos Passed on. Am very sure the other Kabayos who have passed on are watching you and u will pay for the love of money u have.

  19. No one is safe pregnant mothers be alet the MMD gonernment is out to kill anyone detaining a 16 year old for such a long period is justice delayed and denied.

  20. Hon. minister please if you don’t have anything to say please shut-up! I don’t know you well enough to call you stupid but the body of work speaks for itself. Between the MMD government and the Chinese you will wipe out the entire working class in Zambia. (Remember: Colum coal mine- 12 shot chinese suspects release on a noll; Chambeshi- mine works shot; Mazabuka =2 shot; Barotse = 2shot + 2 die in police custod; Mansa = 3shot + 200 arrested). Need I continue?

  21. iam very saddened by the death of this young boy. all bcoz of cruelity of RB and his govt.it never crossed my mind that they were such young boys in detention for this long. RB u are heartless

  22. IT IS VERY SAD INDEED THAT OUR LIVES ARE NOW REDUCED TO DEBATING ABOUT DEATHS AND DISEASE. rioting AND DETENTIONS ARE THE ORDER OF THE DAY. I FEAR FOR THIS COUNTRY. WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON? WE NEED LEADERS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE. WE DON’T WANT LEADERS WHO KNOW BETTER THAN THEIR PEOPLE. WE DON’T WANT LEADERS WHO ARE ABOVE THEIR PEOPLE. WE WANT LEADERS IN OUR MIDST. IVORY COAST USED TO BE A HAVEN OF PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST REMEMBER. LET US NOT TAKE THE PEACE WE HAVE ENJOYED FOR GRANTED. IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF LEADERS WE VOTE FOR.

  23. mwilachinga abantu ba bwana minister!
    let the pipo talk. and the same is true that let the pipo listen and they ‘ll decide from an informed point of view.
    death is painful, but how one dies and who that one is, is what attracts attention.
    wake up from yo slumber mr. minister
    No. 29 take leaf!!!!!!!!!!!!

  24. Bwana Minister or whatever they call you,stop misleading the citizens of Zambia about Kabayo’s death,yours is actual political rhetoric,i do not know you very well but doubt your educational background and how you articulate yourself to important issues.Death on who ever it occurs is very painfull for your own information.At 16 yrs he is gone and you think this is a joke.At 16 what danger can Kabayo pose to National security you F**L.You are claiming that Kabayo never got the illmess from the filthy Stae Prison,then you must be a joke,here is some health information for you free of Caharge,”By 2009 ,samples were randomly taken from selected prisons around the country in form of Fool Swabs for bacterial analysis,Lusaka Central (Chimbokaila) and Mumbwa prisons were some of the prisons…

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