The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council has commended the Human Rights Commission for undertaking an independent investigation into the University of Zambia, 4th to 5th October 2018 happenings which saw the eventual saddening death of a female student Vespers Shimuzhila.
The NGOCC has also welcomed the recommendations by the Human Rights Commission in its Investigation Report that all the Police officers, including senior officers that were in charge of the operation at the University of Zambia, on the material day, be criminally charged for causing the death of Vespers.
NGOCC Board Chairperson Mary Mulenga said her Organisation also support the recommendation that the Shimuzhila family should immediately institute legal proceedings against the State and its agents for the arbitrary loss of Vespers’ constitutionally guaranteed and birth right to life, so that they can be adequately compensated.
She said her Organisation look forward to the legal fraternity to step in and assist the Shimuzhila’s family in their quest to seek justice.
Mrs. Mulenga said as established in the report, it is clear that Vespers died as a result of suffocation caused by the Police who were firing teargas canisters and hand-held grenades into student hostels.
She said the investigation by the Commission has vindicated the long-held view, by most citizens, that the Zambia Police was unprofessional in the handling of the unrest at the University of Zambia.
Mrs. Mulenga said this further brings to the fore the fact that women and girls in many instances are rendered unnecessarily vulnerable and end up facing the brunt of such brutality and indeed violent acts.
Mrs. Mulenga has demanded that Inspector General of Police, Kakoma Kanganja, in his capacity as the in-charge of the Zambia Police, should take full responsibility of the death of Vespers.
“It is our call on the Police Command to ensure that this predicament works to change the growing unprofessional tendencies within the Police Service and that immediate pragmatic action is taken to refocus the Police to its noble duty of “protecting life and property” and not perpetrators of brutality and human rights violations”, she added.
She said on behalf of the women’s movement, NGOCC will monitor and advocate to ensure that recommendations in the report are implemented and the culprits brought to book for justice to prevail.
Here in south Africa the police commissioner is in court for such legal discripancies. She has even been fired
There should be justice for all those that have met their end at the hands of this cowardly bully civilian police farce.
Those that killed that young Zaf officer what has happened to them?
Those that shot dead some UPND supporters how were they dealt with?
These who killed poor Vespers we demand that all who were involved from the senior officers to the mindless and overzealous cretin subhuman police farce officer who shot those flares and tear gas cannisters be dealt with in the stiffest manner possible. Justice demands this.
That’s a great step in the right direction. Police brutality has no place in Zambia. Make sure that all the cops that were involved in the death of Vespers get fired and charged. And Vespers family has to be compensated by the State. Also make sure that the police are trained well. Police training in Zambia needs to be reviewed and changes made as needed.
In a functional government the Inspector General would have resigned or sacked but the Zambian government loves and uses police to remain in power. No action will or can be taken by President Lungu,Zambia Police died the day PF cadres were recruited… if they can kill one another, what about ordinary citizens?
Well, a couple of things… first the Human Rights Commission should not be commended because they simply did their job they were instituted for. The fact they don’t do their job on a regular basis and when they do it makes look like they deserve to be patted on the back.
Secondly, the NGOCC instead of imploring the “legal fraternity to step in and assist the Shimuzhila’s family in their quest to seek justice and merely monitoring the implementation of the recommendations, they are the ones who should actually step in and help the family seek justice. They know suing an entire State and the Zambia Police is very expensive and almost impossible in this corrupt Zambia, so organisations like NGOCC, instead of just running their mouth, should be the ones to step in and help…
Finally the Human Rights Commission should also not just investigate and issue some report that is not enforceable… they should be enforcing the recommendations and perhaps even sue on behalf of the family and demand resignations of the Inspector General of Police. We need more actions in this country than mere words.