Friday, March 29, 2024

Captain Solo dies

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Late Captain Solo with late Former Repblican president Chiluba
Late Captain Solo with late Former Repblican president Chiluba

THE MAN who one day, on October 28, 1997 to be exact, shook Zambia with an early morning radio broadcast that he had overthrown the government has died.

Stephen Lungu, 50, code-named ‘Captain Solo’, a former Zambia Army captain who lost his rank after his treasonable act, died at Kanyama Hospital in Lusaka at 13:00 hours after an illness.

Family spokesperson and the deceased’s mother-in-law Josephine Musonda said Mr Lungu had been sick for some time but his condition worsened last Friday prompting family members to take him to Makeni Hospice.

“Unfortunately, the hospice was closed forcing us to take him to Kanyama Hospital where he died a few hours later. His body is lying in the University Teaching Hospital mortuary,” Ms Musonda said.

She said Mr Lungu’s health had been deteriorating since 2010 when he was released from prison on a presidential pardon due to poor health.

Ms Musonda, however, said Mr Lungu died peacefully having asked for forgiveness from Zambians and former President Frederick Chiluba, who was incumbent President at the time.

Capt Lungu and other soldiers raided the Mass Media Complex that houses the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), and announced that President Frederick Chiluba had been overthrown.

In a frightening but drooling voice on radio, Capt Lungu said the former leaders would be paraded and killed, sending fear around the country but it did not take long before a colonel’s voice intercepted the airwaves to announce that the coup had been crushed by loyal soldiers.

About 55 soldiers, including Capt Lungu, were arrested and after several appearances, some were discharged but he was sentenced to death.

President Levy Mwanawasa reduced Mr Lungu’s death sentence to life imprisonment and in 2010, President Rupiah Banda pardoned Mr Lungu, on health grounds, and he paid back by leading a Christian life up to his death yesterday.

Mourners are gathering at plot number 116/99 on Mumbwa Road where Mr Lungu was staying with the mother of his late wife. He is survived by three children.

[Zambia Daily Zambia]

34 COMMENTS

  1. What an excellent description of Captain Solo’s voice on the radio by the author of this article. “Frightening but drooling”. I remember hearing the broadcast and being frightened but also feeling the sensation of being drooled on. All this time I thought it just me who felt that combo-emotion of fright with drool .But no- this author felt it too.

  2. RIP bro. You were a brave captain who wanted to “stop corruption” by overthrowing the corrupt leadership. It is sad you were not support. Until we meet again RIP.

  3. FELLOW COUNTRY MEN/WOMEN, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE CHAMBA SMOKING, INSANITY, DELUSION WITH COURAGE, BRAVENESS AND HEROISM BECAUSE WE DO A LOT OF INJUSTICE TO THOSE WHO ARE ACUTUALLY ARE GALLANT. THOSE WHO REMEMBER THAT DAY WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT WITH NO DOUBT CAPT SOLO HAD SMOKED 20 BALLS OF LUBANGULA (1ST GRADE WEED). THATS NOT COURAGE!!!!!!!!!!

  4. Those 2 looked better as president & vice, all the good ones are dead. Twashala fye ne nkalamo sheka sheka… The other one also stopped his “Zambian shall be saved”.

  5. Big Ups to MR LUNGU‘S mother in law. Only God can reward you mama.
    I was touched when I saw Captain Solo at University SDA church in Lusaka attending a church service one saturday after his release from prison. To me, he was a man in need of a Saviour and thats what you and I need today.

    RIP Mr Lungu.

  6. # 13 – A Tonga mother-in-law would have done better, married him and surely gave him a thunderous happy ending.

  7. This is what Joyce Banda said & I hope Sata & his Bemba troope of baboons is listening: “You must understand that his brother is still here and he is waiting for the job, and the brother has also sympathisers. In the course of the eight years that (Mutharika) was in power the one thing that got worse was nepotism,” she said.

    “I have to be extremely careful … to clean up is the greatest challenge. I have to tell the international community that this is not witch-hunting, it is cleaning up, because nobody will be removed without evidence of theft or corruption.”

  8. @MIDDLE AGED CHONGOLOLO, The article is so well written. It can’t be by LT. Check again, it’s by ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL. Copied and pasted.

  9. @MIDDLE AGED CHONGOLOLO, The article is so well written. It can’t be by LT. Check again, it’s by ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL. Copied and pasted. Anyway, RIP BA LUNGU.

  10. Well dude pretty much sealed his fate on October 28, 1997.

    He had me seeing visions of Rwanda and I basically wet my knickers that day in front of my boyfriend and he broke up with me the next day.

  11. Boma ni Boma!! The man was killed a long time ago!! Foolish man he was!! That was not courage but foolishness at it’s best!

  12. Zambian Hero – Really hero…! His family will miss him and Zambia will forever remember him. Kick chiluba in the groin when you see him.

  13. Hello There. I discovered your weblog the use of msn. This is an extremely well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thank you for the post. I will certainly comeback.

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