Two illegal miners of Lufwanyama are nursing bullet wounds at Kitwe Teaching Hospital (KTH) while four have been treated and discharged after allegedly being shot at Chinese-owned Ebenezer Tubombeshe Mine.
Copperbelt Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga confirmed the incident, which happened at about 10:00 hours on Saturday.
Ms Katanga said the shooting took place in an area between Ebenezer Mine and Gemsfields Mine in Chief Lumpuma’s area, where the illegal miners, who were in a group, were scavenging for emeralds.
She said one of the victims, Nsama Bwalya, reported to police that he and five colleagues were shot.
“The shooting incidence occurred on December 23, 2017 at 10:00hours between Ebenezer mine and Gemifield mine in Lufwanyama in which Nsama Bwalya, 27 of house No. 9001, Chimwemwe, reported that he and his 5 friends, Selena, Marvellous, Remmy and others not yet known, were shot at by three Chinese nationals and sustained gunshot wounds on their bodies and head. The six were taken to Kitwe Teaching Hospital and treated. Four were discharged while, Nsama Bwalya and Kauseni Chulu are still admitted to Kitwe Teaching Hospital in Kafue ward, bed 37 and 38 and their conditions are stable,” said Katanga.
“Police have gone to lufwanyama on investigations led by one victim who was discharged. Police are yet to ascertain whether the said Chinese or the victims committed a criminal offence.”
And Copperbelt Provincial Minister Bowman Lusambo expressed shock that the Chinese could use live ammunition to scare away suspected thieves. Mr. Lusambo, who visited the mine in the late afternoon, said it was shocking that the Chinese nationals could use live ammunition.
“Why would you guys use live ammunition? That is the question you should answer when you come to my office tomorrow. So tomorrow I order you to come to my office together with the victims,” Lusambo said.
Ebenezer mine general manager, a Mr Lukas said the shooting happened after the local people cut the wire and entered the mine with the motive to steal.
“The problem is that these guys cut the wire and entered mine. They wanted to steal. So three Chinese nationals with guys fired in the air, but they did not stop. They started to throw stones, catapults. And the Chinese fired down on the rock that is how others were injured,” explained Lukas.
It was self defence.
Foreign investment needs to be protected.
Hon Lusambo, please empathise with the Chinese investor.
The action executed by they will bolster the confidence of prospective investors
I would PREFER to protect a Chinese life to a zamban one.
No case for me here
Thanks
BB2014,2016
@Mushota you are sick!
Its madness to shoot at hungry locals. These people were right, they live in their rich areas where the greedy Chinese come and dig deep pits without any sense of giving back to the local communities, social responsibility. Even me I would do the same, its only a fool who would die of hunger in the midst of plenty. The Chinese should have reported the matter to the police unlike taking the law into their own hands.
Mushota is behaves like a wild animal. Zambian life in Zambia must be respected whether one is a thieft or not. These Chinese would have called the police or their security guards to catch the alleged thieves. The problem is these Chinamen think they can come to Africa and do as they please while taking advantage of corrupt government officals who side with them.
When our leaders are thieves ($42m fire trucks) then the poor ordinary folks pick up the habit too.
Mushoto is an empty tin devoid of patriotism, he doesnt know where he belongs. Go to China, you fool
White collar crime
Comment:what if they where died by now that’s not right
These five young and lazy men are thieves. Police should cage them for burglary. They broke into the private property to steal. There goes a fuul minister, saying you should have just scared them away, are they birds to scare away from the field of maize? Ati come to my office, now lusambo is a police service. Follow the rule of law, crime is committed by your lazy boys whom you had sent to steal.
Who shot them? The zambian chinese special division police department?
I was there when this shooting happened. The mine next to gemfields is ours and we are looking for investors to partner with. Its a very viable emerald mine. So diasporians lets talk. All the documentation is clean. My line 0969599058. Only seriours callers.
So what happenned bakalamba?
How much are you looking at for viable production to start?
Just looking at how rusted the patient bed is raises red flags! How do you expect patients to recover in such pathetic hospitals?? Please focus on revamping the health sector. Huh! it’s a shame. Africa has great potential but imwe tuma leaders imwe ba pompwe. This is way too much. Is it really difficulty to get rid of corruption?
How did these Chinese get their firearm licences? How did they procure the guns? With this lawlessness, we will be living in the Wild west! Anyway, they get the example from State House. Kaiser Zulu discharged a firearm and went away scotfree.
Pf cadres (jerabos) as usual taking the law into their own hands again. It’s unfortunate that no one lost his miserable life. Cretins.
Lusambo to do what to your office? Let the police do their job
Overzealous boot licker, he thinks his office is everything
Ba Lusambo, surely the intention was not to kill, the target was too big unless the shooters were not trained marksmen or in gun craft.
China man does not tolerate thieves. They execute thieves!
Suffer not a thief to live!
You are correct.
These are not local people Chimwemwe is some 60 km to the mines. Otherwise let the police professionally investigate the case.
The reporting is also bloody reckless, why do you keep repeating the fact that it’s owners are Chinese? Are you inviting xenophobic sentiments. Six illegal miners were shot that’s all.
Stop this hatred of Chinese people.
Spot on, whether the mine was owned by Martians , Chinese, Libyans or whatever trespassing is a crime. Being a Zambian doesn’t give one the right to walk on other people’s property with impunity.
Free advice to these Chinese; ignore this bootlicker, wait for the official police call out & plz, next time, shoot to kill. Bachilamo bamumbwe
We can’t afford to have thieves combined with corruption all in one pot. The economy will forever be on blood transfusion. Next time they break into your property hummer into their heads. These thieves are lucky. Very fuuli.sh systems where thieves have audacity to report their own crime because vulnerable minister will protect them.
Bootlicker Bowman Lusambo should grow up, a thief is a thief… Those boys are thieves and Bowman has no right to summon the China Men other than the Police…
Where is Lufwanyama
Copperbelt Province Sonny
Criminal trespass is no defence. Zambian lawyers who criminally trespassed on me must take a leaf from such Chinese actions. There are bandits everywhere in Zambia. Please change your mindsets and learn to dork hard for your things. What do you think is the cause of bombings in other war torn countries. Illegall occupying someone’s house can end up into barrels of bombs being dropped on you. Stop crime if Zambia is to develops
The ones who were shot are foreigners, this country belongs to Chinese, don’t forget that you have been sold
The police are very corrupt. Let Lusambo deal with these Chinese nationals. I like the way he’s trespassing bureaucracy and taking immediate action. It may not be his department but he’s the Copperbelt minister and his people are being killed hence his concern. I am beginning to appreciate Lusambo. We’ve never had a Copperbelt minister like him. The illegal miners were wrong but shooting them was also a crime. These people (illegal miners) were not armed hence a trained security person should have the skills to arrest them without using a gun. The problem is that security as a job has been reduced to something anyone can do without training. The only qualification is being a Chinese or Indian especially in a either a Chinese or Indian run companies respectively.