Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia Police has deployed enough officers to end the Riots-Davies Mwila

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DAVIES MWILA
DAVIES MWILA

Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila says the Zambia Police has deployed enough Police officers to end the violence attacks that saw shops belonging to foreign nationals looted and one Rwandan National burnt to death.

In a ministerial statement issued on national television, Mr Mwila said said criminal elements took advantage of the pain and grief the country felt over suspected ritual killings that has rocked the capital city since March 16, 2016 and sparked off attacks on shops owned by foreigners and Zambians operating in what he said high density residential areas.

He said the attacks were sparked of by another false allegation that a ritual killer of foreign origin had been released from police custody.

He explained that the said foreign national was arrested on the night of 17th of April for the crime of conduct likely to cause breach of peace and was released after he paid admission of guilt fine

He said contrary to the rumours, the Police are working round the clock to ensure that they bring the perpetrators to book adding that a number of suspects are helping the Police with investigations.

He also commended some residents in George Compound who helped the Police to prevent the burning of the Police station for the second time in less than a month.

Below is the statement as read out by the Minister.

Ministerial Statement on the suspected ritual killings and the looting of shops in the high density residential areas of Lusaka

Today has been a very sad day for our country. It is a day on which some criminal elements in Lusaka with criminal intent took advantage of the pain and grief we have all felt over the suspected ritual killings that have rocked the city of Lusaka since march 16, 2016.

These criminal elements sparked off attacks on shops owned by foreigners and Zambian nationals operating in the high density residential areas in the west and north of the city of Lusaka.

The worst affected areas in the west being George, Lilanda, Chunga, Zingalume and part of Matero, while Chaisa, Kabanana, Mandevu and Chipata compound were the worst affected in the north.

Ladies and gentlemen, contrary to the false rumours being spread by criminal elements, the police have been working round the clock to bring the killings to an end and the perpetrators to book. So far a number of suspects are helping the police with the investigations.

The attacks on the shops in the high density residential areas were sparked off by yet another false allegation that the police had released a “suspected foreign ritual killer.”

The foreign national in question, however, had been arrested on the night of 17th april for the offence of conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.  He was accordingly released upon paying the admission of guilt fine.

The police are therefore committed to containing the crime wave and shall no doubt bring the suspected ritual killers to book.

The anti-social and criminal conduct seen in the high density areas north and west of the city of Lusaka must come to an immediate end. The Zambia police service has deployed adequate manpower and has so far apprehended suspects in connection with the looting. They have also recovered some of the looted properties. The police shall continue with the patrols until the situation returns to normal.

In the midst of these criminal activities, some patriotic residents of George compound have been heroic. They have worked and supported the police by taking turns to protect their police post from being destroyed by the criminal elements for the second time in a space of two weeks. This is how all peace loving Zambians ought to behave.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to assure the business community and members of the general public that no expense shall be spared to protect lives and property. The Zambia police service has deployed adequate manpower to contain the situation and bring the perpetrators of these criminal activities to book.

We must all remain calm, support the police and isolate all the those involved in these criminal activities. We must continue to uphold the law and avoid taking the law into our own hands.

46 COMMENTS

  1. PF leaders! This Davies Mwila where was he? He could have more active to assure the people and give them confidence that the policy were working by reporting that some people were arrested in connection with these criminal activities. Instead what we hear are contrasting political statements from those in power. It makes people start to speculate and suspect that the people involved have blessings of the people in power. Remember people perish where there is ignorance. This government is a demo you Zambians should exorcise themselves from. Vote for the PF and perish including those that support blindly. Don’t play politics Mr. Mwila people dying and it’s so real

    • Hon Mwila please round up the ring leader thugs and let’s get to the bottom of this mayhem which is uncharacteristic of Zambians.

      I know all PF supporters condemn such acts, reading the comments shows how PF is against these acts of cowardice and stupidity.

      This is clearly about incitement and trying to cause a state of panic in Zambia, who else bears the hallmarks of such low behaviour apart from the United Party for National Destruction (UPND)? Terrible behaviour, terrible!!!!!!!

    • Since liberation times in Southern Africa, Zambia has be a haven for displaced foreigners. We hosted the largest camps for refugees form all over. Only under Edgar has the ugly world of Xenophobia been used to describe a situation in Zambia. This is shameful and damaging to the reputation of Zambia. Edgar, please provide leadership. Thank you HH for calling for calm

    • Mwila like many of his kind have failed.

      Time for change

      Lungu is one weak president indeed. The greatest Zambian president your shores have ever known, wouldn’t have allows this to happen

      My advise is for you lot to demand a man that has a vision, wisdom, precision, nounce, intensity, experience, intelligence, reputation and integrity to arrest this problem.

      Like his idol, that man is Miles Sampa.

      My advise as someone doing a PhD is to let him take over UPND and allow HH to be his running mate.

      If that is not a winning formula, I don’t know what is people.

      Thanks

      Bb 2014

      Thanks

      Bb2014

  2. PF leaders! This Davies Mwila where was he? He could have been more active to assure the people and give them confidence that the police were working by reporting that some people were arrested in connection with these criminal activities earlier. Instead what we hear are contrasting political statements from those in power. It makes people start to speculate and suspect that the people involved have blessings of the people in power and they lose hope in the justice system. Remember people perish where there is ignorance. This government is a demon you Zambians should exorcise themselves from. Vote for the PF and perish including those that support blindly. Don’t play politics Mr. Mwila people dying and it’s so real

  3. @2rep the truth is the tribal bigot here is you and you know that’s true, you are busy rejoicing over the pain of others what a alowlife you are and a good reason God will never allow such evil minded chaps like you to attain power. I’ve read your insulting and tribal comments before you lack any form of reasoning and as such can only offer insults and swear words..These are serious issues that have occurred, and you are incapable of any meaningful debate.

    • Your time of looting and plunder under the PF banner is comming to an end in August.
      Just accept change.

      Come August Zambia shall be free.

  4. Sincerest condolences to the relatives of the deceased, very tragic to die in such a manner. May all these evil culprits be brought to book and face the Law. This behavious is un-Zambian, Zambians do not burn fellow human beings, I’m taken aback by such evil.

  5. President Lungu is a weak President. Michael Sata could not have allowed the situation to degenerate to the current levels.

  6. From what the Minister is saying, the Zambia Police has adequate manpower who are reactive, rather than being proactive. If these murders had been taken seriously, and the perpetrators hunted down, the City would not be in this scenario. Wake-up ZP.

  7. PF leaders and police are only good and interested in blocking peaceful opposition political rallies mainly addressed by HH and other leaders.

  8. @Kss, do you read or listen? The police have announced that four suspects had been arested, and that investigations were continuing. This news has been all over our daily papers front page and all over our TV and radios. Your statement exposes you as one od the criminal wlents referred to by Hon Mwila. In fact I go further and suspect that some parties are fomenting this trouble in order to make the country ungovernable. We know that these parties thrive on chaos just to get to state house. Take it from me, YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED to enter state house by spilling the blood of innocent Zambians and their foreign guests.

  9. Preaident Lungu rules over a peaceful country, wheras some parties will foment chaos just to show that Lungu is weak. Sorry guys, what you are doing just goes to consolidate the votes for Edgar. Butthen you know this dont you?

  10. @2020 vision. You are an *****. Why is hate all over your DNA? Jst accept it that ecl & his PF have failed period. In kanyama thieves looted many shops & no police was seen at the sign of the fracas, yet this Mwila is busy saying they’ve deployed enougg policemen on the ground. Almost all places were affected last night, Chawama opposite the police station, John laing, Kanyama, Mbasela, Masauko, Mutanda bantu & many more others. So what are saying,

    • @false phrophesy once again I take it you UPND are the hateful chaps, where in the history of my over 5 years of commenting on this page have I ever issued a blatant tribal remark??
      Is GBM a Tonga? Yet when we will call GBM a wife beater and foul mouthed that means we are being tribal and hateful, this goes to show that many of you guys in UPND are probably tribal because you take it that when we accuse you of wrong doing it against a tribe and not the party. Sorry to dissapoint you but I’m not against any tribe I’m just against former looters, liars, trouble makers like ZWD and vulgar dimwit ZWD bloggers too many to mention.

  11. This is poor International Public Relations by the Minister. He keeps on saying Foreign Nationals when the attacked shop owners are actuallay Zambian Citizens by naturalisation. What I hear is that these people have got National Registration Cards & that is why they have been issued with trading licenses. Police acted negligently & endangered suspect’s life too by releasing & allowing him to appear to public in a high profile case like this one. They should have advised him to hide for sometime or keep him like a king if he had no case to answer. They should accept blame.

  12. Be careful not to bring so many foreigners to run simple businesses in the country. Where are the Zambian?

    If we have failed then allow them, dont fight them they have vision and better eyes to see what we cant.
    Eventually we may need a foreigner to run as president.

    • You build the shops and u rent the shops to them and then u cry that they are taking your business shut up if u v nothing to yup.

  13. So, should we Rwandese in Kigali act in the same manner to Zambians!!!! Surely not cos we’re all Africans and one people, Zambians who engaged in this should at least think twice. Tomorrow you may never know where you or your brother will wander.

  14. Ignorance and laziness are the main problems with Zambians. We have too much of a dependency culture and a sense of entitlement for what we do not work for. Sit around drinking all day and then wonder how foreigners are making it in your own land.
    All this is nonsense about Rwandese killing locals, most probably lazy Zambian being told you’ll make a fortune by killing someone and they do it…..all this cause they are too lazy to work for it.

    Another thing you should ask yourselves is, what is government trying to hide by creating this xenophobic smoke screen. Zambians are too gullible!!

  15. @Wise head. When killings erupted in George compound, You, Jean Kapata & others point at the opposition parties, the other day your boss confirmed that the ritual killings were not political, Mealie meal shortages!, fuel shortages, Kwacha fallings, You say its all opposition, meaning the opposition is powerful than PF goverment? So pliz begin reasoning like normal human biengs & stoo barking anyhow. When you fail to do something dnt hesitate 2 tell those with knowledge to help you out. Ecl has failed period

  16. I used to think that Africa are one. No foreigners . you are all africans. Mostly all black and brown whatever. Please stop this nonsense , wake up and work together for a better AFRICAN. IF Europe , America and Asia will call you FOREIGNERS …..why dont you seat down and think and think. Please its time to Unite u Africans.

  17. Extreme poverty, corruption and incompetent leadership are the ingredients – right now we have all these in good measure!

  18. Fellow Country Men & Women,! Lets all conderm this looting issue without siding or favour. Coz if it so happens than the Rwanda’s start fighting Zambians in there country, then will be all affected in 1 way or the other……. Gvt should jst offload zambia army to work along with ZP to deal with the offenders & they should conduct a search in houses near the affected areas. So saith the Lord.

  19. @mdimba..your thinking is very shallow, Zambia has always embraced its neighbours, these acts were committed by laze-abouts, criminals that may also have been easily incited by some political elements that are anti-PF as is evident from the chanting of anti-PF slogans. Let the full wrath of the Law descend on them and let’s get to the bottom of this evil.

    2016 ECL nafuti

    • They are chanting anti PF slogans because they are hungry and have no jobs and get harassed by PF thugs at bus stops and markets. All this while they see PF officials becoming millionaires overnight from looted GRZ monies.

  20. This is a matter that should not be joked about. Blaming and labeling groups of people who are different from you, without reasonable cause, is one of the reasons the world has had to wake up, from time to time, to the diabolical so-called ethnic ‘cleansing’. It has to be handled carefully – though we know that many a time, the underlying but unjustified excuse for actual attacks has stemmed from the community feeling of having been left ‘out to dry’ in terms of partaking in the economic ‘cake’

    It is astonishingly ‘unZambian’, going by our history. Zambians have rioted about various things before, when pushed to the corner, but rarely to do with targeting other nationals.

  21. No leadership at the moment in Zambia is the reason for this violence. People are left to find their own solution to the national problems affecting them. The so called humble leader is actually weakling, visionless and lacks logic and seriousness. The president should be the last person to politisize such murderers acts but alas, ours is an empty tin. He does not even know that the sand on which he stood in 2015 has long shifted. So sad.

  22. this is a serious xenophobic case and ECL is just silent,the international community expected a speech from the president himself.mwayaeba DMwila ati go on ZNBC.
    Zuma called for a presconf afta that RSA Buthlezi uttered xenophobic statements.where is ECL by the way?

  23. PF leadership has failed the country lamentably.Do they know how much it has cost and tarnsihed the good image of our beloved country Zambia-Kangaja where is your police intellengecy???What was the OP doing?? Or they were busy following HH and GBM instead of gathering and monitoring situations at the ground that they would pass on to the Zambia Police Deservice.I remember sometime last year reading on Zambian Watchdog about the bad thing s that will occur this year as we head towards the general election -Violence and murder was among the things that was mentioned and it has come to pass.Never ever in the history of this great country have we experienced this barbaric act due to inept leadership that does nothing apart from increasing its salaries for work they fail to perform.What a…

  24. This violence should be condemned by every Zambian.
    These jobless, hungry and frustrated countrymen should not take matters in their own hands because they see PF officials and their friends becoming millionaires overnight.
    They should use the ballot instead to vent their frustrations.

  25. This violence should be condemned by every Zambian.
    These jobless, hungry and frustrated countrymen should not take matters in their own hands because they see PF officials and their friends becoming millionaires overnight.
    They should use the ballot instead to vent their frustrations.
    Violence is not the answer.

  26. Some of our leaders the way they look,he looks like he is from breaking the shop himself.too late,this is what you get when you hide sensitive information.killers reported in papers were released and now innocent people are suffering the concequenses.

  27. Bad leadership by a president whose main pre-occupation is drinking, borrowing money, scheming and campaigning.

  28. The Police should be proactive when it comes to policing the communities. There were pointers to what is happening. Firstly the residents of George /Zingarume protested by burning down Mwambezi Police Post and the nothing was done in advance to avert what is happening. No amount of damage control will revere the damage to Zambia’s reputation of being an oasis of peace in Sub Sahara Africa. I remember during the Zambia Police Annual Ball, the IG making an appeal to higher authorities to allow recruitment of more officers to beef the below capacity current man power and nothing has been done. UI have seen it with my own eyes how the police has been struggling to control riotous acts by residents in some high density areas of Lusaka. There is need to equip the police officers with modern…

  29. Kaili these foreigners are too greedy to share with the owners of the country. Its pay back time. Now it is about groceries next it will be land. In about 10 years times these foreigners will be asked to hand over those huge pieces of land that they are busy buying from locals.

  30. I NOW UNDERSTAND WHY SOCIAL MEDIA IS REGULATED IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA AND RUSSIA. BECAUSE IF NOT CHECKED IT IS A BREEDING GROUND FOR HATE SPEECH AND A CONDUIT FOR CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY, GENOCIDE. LET AS LEARN WHAT HAPPENED IN RWANDA IN 1994 MAYBE I SHOULD FORGIVE SOME OF YOU ,BY THAT TIME YOU WHERE STILL IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS. I HAPPEN TO HAD VISITED WAR TORN LIBERIA A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE CEASEFIRE AND WAR. SO I KNOW WHAT WAR CAN BRING SO STOP TEASING THE RWANDESE AND BURUNDIANS. ANY OF US CAN BE A REFUGE AT ANY GIVEN TIME ESPECIALLY DUE TO YOUR ROTTEN MOUTH FULL OF HATE SPEECH AND VIOLENT CULTURE BEING DEVELOPED AND SUPPORTED BY PEOPLE LIKE YOU

  31. We all know where the police are. They are busy watching HH, Sampa Guy Scott and GBM. That’s the only “job” they know how to do

  32. Ladies and Gentlemen do not get worried GBM will sort out these criminals after 11/8, remember he is the one solved the issue of the Miloni Brothers when he was Minister of Home affairs under the leadership of King Cobra. Not these failures we have at the moment

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