The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) has demanded the immediate and public release of the report on the shooting to death of Prosecutor Nsama Nsama and UPND member Joseph Kaunda, two innocent unarmed citizens shot dead on 23rd December 2020.
On Tuesday, 26th January 2021, State House issued a statement that President Lungu had received the full report of the shooting from the Inspector General of Police on the investigation, and after studying the report, he had “since handed it over to the Director of Public Prosecutions for her attention”.
In a statement released to the media and signed by Judith Mulenga, CiSCA Chairperson, CiSCA said that they are baffled by the President’s non-disclosure of the content of the report and that people have the right to know who pulled the triggers and who gave the order to shoot, adding that President Lungu publicly directed the Inspector General of Police to investigate the shootings and to give him a report by 28th December 2020 after the public outcry both at national and international levels.
The right to life is a fundamental human right which every individual, including Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda, were entitled to and their enjoyment of the right did not prejudice the rights and freedoms of others, as per Article 11(a) of our Bill of Rights, the statement read
“Further, the right to life is not listed under Article 25 as one of the rights that can be derogated from under any prevailing circumstances. The shooting happened in public, and the commissioning of the investigation was public. It therefore follows that the publication of the report be made public. Why has the President become tight lipped on it? We contend that while the report was to the President, the content, thereof is for the public. In trite law, whenever a document is concealed, the content is not favourable to the concealer.
“The secrecy in which the President wants to handle this report makes a compelling reason for the long overdue enactment of the Access to Information Bill, which has been pending for more than two decades. We therefore demand the enactment of the Access to Information law before the dissolution of the current session of the National Assembly to breathe life into Article 20 on the freedom of expression which includes freedom to ask and receive information without hindrance. This way the President and other public officials would be compelled to release information in their possession that is not prejudicial to national security to the public. Justice for Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda is not a national security matter.
“Why hand the report to the DPP? Did she ask for it? The DPP institutes criminal proceedings therefore who committed the crime and why has the police not arrested the offender? Is this part of the tiresome perennial PF schemes? The public deserves to know the truth. Nsama’s and Kaunda’s families and loved ones need to know the truth. Kaunda’s young son whose heart wrenching grief at his father’s grave site photo went viral deserves to know who killed his father.
The shootings report will not be made public, not even to the families of Nsama Nsama and Kaunda who were shot for no lawful reason.
We demand that the Murderers of Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda be prosecuted in the interest of Justice. ZPS are suspects in this Case so they cannot investigate themselves. We demand a Judiciary Inquiry in the killings. An Inquest into the killings will reveal the truth and recommend who should be prosecuted in this Case. A judge should be appointed to lead these investigations and produce a Report within One Month.
who reports to who? I thought the DPP was the one who supposed to handle and hand such reports from the investigative wings for onward submission to the courts of law or to the president since him asked for the report. law scholars would you please help the nation understand how the procedure should be done.
I remember in my pikinini years how I used to literally demand for any toy from everyone even when I had no clue on how to use or play with it, and when its handed to me, I will just majestically look at it then litter it away.
who reports to who? I thought the DPP was the one who supposed to handle and hand such reports from the investigative wings for onward submission to the courts of law or to the president since him asked for the report. law scholars would you please help the nation understand how the procedure should be done.
How many arrest have the police made thus far? Also the gassing issue, has it died a natural death? Why do this people play so much with peoples lives? And above all, how did we end up with this type of people in the corridors of power?
The Police investigated themselves, behold my Africa
The president has not even had a chance to respond to it, and herr you are saying ny0 ny0
Ba Zulu Mli na mu kula, paka tuka lishe ingoma, why use such lingo..shame on you
Tc nothing vulgar about that word. I am born again and know what is sinful and what isn’t.
Looks like you dead again pal, honest truth is that people want to know who ordered n pulled the trigger. We also waiting for the gassing report which is already overdue….mwayasana ba mambala imwe.
Do elected parliamentary representatives really represent the electors? The Nsama – Kaunda fatal shooting is an issue of great interest to Zambians across the expanse of the nation and the report belongs to the citizenry too! However should the government keep it under wraps, truth be told that it will one day be in the open and woe be to a good number involved in trying to hide it!
Has Steve Kampyongo been ordered by the Speaker of the National Assembly to make a ministerial statement on the shooting of Nsama Nsama? We know who wants this matter to get out of the headlines because that is what is in their interest.
People running NGOs must be knowledgeable because their voice adds to the governance of the nation. This demand is just to fulfill their ego and curiosity so that they have something to say. The fact that the President has referred that document to the DPP means it’s no longer classified. If Edgar had wanted he could’ve acted on it but that could’ve taken away the right to be heard of the accused persons. That right is guaranteed if they’re taken to Court. It’s only the DPP that can do that. Refer to the case of Captain Stephen Lungu and others were even people that were “obeying orders” were convicted. It’s unlikely that the commanding officer fired the fatal bullets. Don’t politicize everything. Give chance to those in charge to play their roles even if you don’t agree with…