Assassination of Herbert Chitepo
On the morning of 19 March 1975, my father shook me out of my deep sleep to buy the newspapers for the day from the neighbouring Chifubu township. We lived in Kawama township in Ndola. The previous night, we went to bed late after hours of intermittently listening to Zambia Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, Voice of America, and the propagandist Chichewa Service from SABC. The occasion of the moment was that just after 8 am on 18 March 1975, an explosion had shattered the morning routine in Chilenje South at House No. 150 Muramba road instantly killing the prolific freedom fighter, Herbert Chitepo and his bodyguard, Silas.
According to a book by David Martin and Phyllis Johnson (1985), the repercussions of Chitepos’s murder, and particularly the Zambian response, have had far-reaching effects, some of which persist to this day (1985: 60). Zambia responded by protecting its image. The protection was in form of accusing the freedom fighters of having killed Chitepo. In particular, the Zambian government through its police blamed the Karangas within the freedom fighters and Tongogara in particular, of Chitepo’s death. Members of this tribe and Tongogara himself suffered persecution from the Zambian security agencies. A total of 1300 freedom fighters including the general staff from ZANU PF were locked.
The Zambian government spent so much money in ensuring that the wrong people were incarcerated. Kaunda went as far as establishing a special international commission of inquiry chaired by Reuben Kamanga. In April 1976, the Zambian government charged 23 members of ZANU PF ‘for jointly and severally…actively desiring to bring about Mr Chitepo’s death, and in fact for bring it about.’ The chargers were later thrown out. The killer, Hugh ‘Chuck’ Hind, who had earlier been brought to Zambia by Kaunda as a member the team that established and trained the paramilitary force, was allowed to roam the streets of Lusaka freely and thereby committing more atrocities against the freedom fighters. He died in a road accident on 28 January 1977 on the Chirundu road while on a mission to eliminate more freedom fighters.Herbert Chitepo had been a CIO (Southern Rhodesian Central Intelligence Office) target since 1969 when he was identified as the “brains” behind the review in military strategy and the conduct of the guerrilla war.
Persecution of Andrew Banda
Going to Eastern Province, the PF have recognised Andrew Banda as the brain in the halting of PF’s advance in the province. Andrew is an extremely experienced and lethal politician. He is better on your side than on the other side. He blends in with the poor as if he has never tasted life of the affluent. Recently on a campaign trail with him in the rural outskirts of Mkaika, villagers’ faces glowed with affection that would make one think the whole province is one family whose father is RB and the first born son being Andrew. When Andrew was attacked, the Zambian police response was to allow the attackers to go free and instead persecute Andrew as the perpetrator of violence despite the fact that the attackers took Andrew to the police in a terrible state after beating him.
The previous evening, Andrew’s attackers had been reported to the police for assaulting the PF’s candidate’s elder brother, Michael Phiri. Despite knowing the attackers, the police turned a blind eye as the attackers were serving the ruling party’s interest and there was an assignment pending – an attack on the uncle to PF candidate, Ambassador Joe Mwale, Andrew Banda, Hon. Mushili Malama, and myself. We sensed danger after visiting Michael Phiri and quickly convinced an otherwise stubborn, old man, Ambassador Joe Mwale, to leave town. We escorted him out of danger in under 20 minutes.
The attack on our team perpetuated by the PF was a sad and a very annoying affair. Firstly, it was facilitated by fellow MPs and Ministers in charge of the PF campaign. Secondly, it was allowed to happen by the Police who knew that there were violent people in the PF camp who had been reported to them for assault, but they were allowed to roam free most probably on the instructions of the PF candidate and the ministers in the PF campaign team. The attack was a surprise and spontaneous event. We never anticipated it. We had been accredited the previous day by the ECZ to carry out electoral monitoring on behalf of the MMD. Campaigns had ended and there was no need for confrontation – it was voting day.
When the assailers attacked us, they abducted Andrew Banda who did not put up a fight at all. When they tried to abduct me, I punched my way out of the attack and escaped with a punch on the eye which I sustained when I mistakenly thought I could negotiate with the leader of the assailants. Andrew was badly assaulted. The assailants were a hastily assembled group of hungry youths who did not even know each other. Because they were not in uniform to tell each other apart and because the attack had no organised formation, the assailants hungry to spill blood ended up hacking each other and when they were done, they surprisingly jumped back into the same vehicle they had come with while assisting the injured. They then assaulted Andrew all the way to the police station while questioning each other on how they sustained injuries against an un armed group of two people one of whom was secured at the inception of the attack. Annoyed and embarrassed, they dumped Andrew’s badly injured body at the Container Police Station in Katete and made false statements claiming that they had been attacked by Andrew (alone) and that he caused all the injuries.
They proceeded to take the badly injured youths to the hospital while Andrew in his state got thrown into the cells. It was important for the police to do this – as it had to be consistent with the mandate from the politicians on sight. The target was Andrew and either way, he had to taste police cells and eventually the court.
What Andrew is going through is similar to what Tongogara went through. Saving the interest of the principal is paramount for the police. In Tongogara’s case, the killers could roam the streets and it was ok as what mattered was the reputation of the principal.
The prosecution of Tongogara was halted after the authorities’ lies could not be sustained in a court of law. The persecution of Andrew is going nowhere as it is stupid, frivolous and out rightly ridiculous!
Police! Do your job professionally and do not listen to misplaced politicians. Zambians deserve your protection and not persecution.
By Lucky Mulusa, MP.
Solwezi Central.
source:Zambian Watchdog
Source Zambian Watchdog… Hahaha!
smile yaba saki yeka yeka fye….
‘smiling all the way to the bank.’
Lucky Mulusa – your name says it all – loser!
When you have hard facts and witnesses rewrite this article again.
I thought Mulusa was an intelligent man.I feel bad that I was wrong.His comparison is out of this world.Reminds me of that mistaken identity song.
This article lacks substance!!It is biased and the comparison Mulusa has made of Andrew and Chitepo do not make any sense.People in the villages Andrew and Mulusa visited most likely were happy to see Andrew may be because Andrew had been there before and had bribed them with money and other items.Ba Mulusa what did you achieve by Walking from Solwezi to Chingola?Can you give us an update on your failed mission!!
Get a life!! Is the article too complicated for you? It is always good to listen from all sides and this is what you may call “an account of an eye witness” and he does not deserve insults. What we need is the other side to tell theirs.
Mulusa’s piece of writing sounds very much like a concoction: he has given no facts which others can independently verify.
Yours is definitely one sided. Would you comment on Police inaction against any disturbance, especially if caused by PF guys? Are sure that if you are not a PF member, Zambian police should not bother about you? Ciza uli?
The guy is conflating completely unrelated things. Malabishi
There are actually many cases where the police have under pressure (from politicians) to produce suspects arrested and had the wrong people convicted.
Wise words always injure the unwise. This sounds to be a very innocent Statement made by the witness of injustice. May Justice prevail justly
Enjoy wisely
my dear Mulusa, this is not a circus to waste our time telling us about your hallucinations.
is this not the same chap who sore in parliament to be loyal to (the President of) South Africa instead of Zambia???
maybe andrew was assaulted or maybe mulusa fought his way out of danger… maybe.
its the comparison here of tongogara and andrew scenarios which is outrageous to say the least.
even if mulusa is seeking solace here, he has done it the wrong way.
I wasn’t there and don’t know what happened but the fact remains that Zambia Police in the PF government have been very unprofessional.They have never arrested any of the PF cadres who beat up worshippers at BIGOCA,they turned a blind eye to the PF cadre Ngoma who fired shots at an MMD rally…so putting past accounts together there is a high probability this story is true.Remember how Andrew Banda was arrested and charged recently with defamation till DPP entered nolle prosequi? Why was a badly beated Andrew Banda thrown into police cells?Remember how Gary Nkombo was arrested for a murder committed by a PF cadre?
The Zambian Police has always been unprofessional from time immemorial they will only change when we put Chipimo not these others
this site has too many bast.ards why urgue write your own account of what happened
Nice one, thank you!
Solola Bye!
Those who say Lucky is lying should tell us how one individual (Andrew Banda) managed to beat up a group of PF trained thugs. Insulting Lucky only shows how foolish his opposers are.
The Lusaka Times looks as though they are whistle blowing in a more transparent manner. Watchdog futi.. Did lloyd Himaambo pay you to upload his article??
Wasted five minutes of my life.This article leaves much to be desired.What a comparison ! Looks like Mulusa is a genius at knowing how to waste his time.Last time it was him walking from Ndola to Solwezi on foot now he is on Chitepo.
You, yourself, have wasted your own voice.
I Saulosi am the PFs number one brainless cadder. I shall support any crap as long as it comes from PF and discredits anything else. I can even reject my own family for PF. I hope sata shall recognize me Saulosi the number one cadder and give me a ministerial position. soon
@Saulosi-the-PF-Cadder-….Its Cadre and not Cadder.It is not too late for you to invest in a good education bro.Maybe after that you can become a “learned cadre” like me.Lol
Did you read the article at gun point? You are a fool.
GOOD article Mulusa. PF Zealots will always support ru.bb.ish because by design PF is rubbish
Top police officers too.
Pf is building Andrew. If they are not careful, they may make him a darling of the oppressed and persecuted. Once momentum is built, it will carry the voters to the polling stations to give surprise to all and sundries.
Andrew is emotionally linking and communicating with the grassroot. I might sound too early to say whether this PF-given opportunity will be properly strategised by Andrew under the tutelage of Rupiah, Mulusa, Chitewo and present him as the Voice of the peaceful Zambians who are struggling in life to have food on their tables, send their children to school and die without medicine and clean water.
Pf is building Andrew. If they are not careful, they may make him a darling of the oppressed and persecuted. Once momentum is built, it will carry the voters to the polling stations to give surprise to all and sundries.
Andrew is emotionally linking and communicating with the grassroot. It might sound too early to say whether this PF-given opportunity will be properly strategised by Andrew under the tutelage of Rupiah, Mulusa, Chitewo and present him as the Voice of the peaceful Zambians who are struggling in life to have food on their tables, send their children to school and die without medicine and clean water.
How I wish Mulusa would have spent more time writing an article that would have hilighted the plight of his constituents and not this load of toss!
He is free to write about any thing. He is not a boot licker as yourself.
Comparing Andrew Banda to Herbert Chitepo is rather stretching the point. However if the author wanted to emphasize the fact that the Police can act unprofessionally due to political pressure then he has made his point.
Hon Lucky Mulusa is steadily etching his was on the rare selfless leaders that our country desperately needs in these times. Violence begets violence, it’s a simple law of life. As days go by, it is becoming clear that very little has changed in past strategies of the ‘Third Term debate’ as crafted by ba Sata and FTJ – an effective tool to sort out and weed out true democrats. One recalls the sad images of outright brutal force against Gen Miyanda and other MPs, before, during and after the kabwe Mulungushi Rock of Authority convention. Just like now, the president was curiously silent about the ‘debate’. But he pulled a surprise candidate much to the chagrin of the die hard loyalists! Will history repeat itself? It doesn’t need to if all reasonable minds condemn barbaric politics!
Happy that Hon. Mulusa is alive to tell the world about the evil system that has befallen this lovely country Zambia. Thanks to him for revealing some cryptic data on how Dr. Herbert Chitepo was assassinated – and such evil machinations are making us feel history is repeating itself.
A simple question to Mmembe, Mutembo Nchito, Mumba Malila, Musa Mwenye, Wynter Kabimba, Lombe Chibesakunda, Patrick Matibini, Sylvia Masebo: DO THESE MEN AND WOMEN REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE SYSTEM THAT SUSTAIN THEM WILL EXIST FOR EVER – when the constitution limits a regime to a 5-years term? What will be the fate of their children, families and close relatives when Mother Nature corrects our political climate in favour of humanity to restore normality?
Yes muzungu was moving freely.. The last bombing in lusaka was carried out with ground force of landrovers from certain farmers.. directing helicopters.. none was caught.. And once Mugabe was a target but he was NOT at home that night although his (mzungu) neighbour in Kamwala checked on him b4 early morning bombing.
Teti impwishe uku belenga ifyabupuba. Kwati pali na ba mulusa.
When is Lucky Mulusa denouncing his south african citizenship? Zambia does not yet support dual citizenship? you are an illegal MP.
SA bereau records clearly indicate that you are a south african citizen owning a lot of money to different financial and clothing institutions. Please, clean your name. You are a let down.
I think fiction would sound even much better, this is so out of place and painfully funny!
Lets be objective and avoid likening two different personalities and situations.not impressive.
Ba mulusa or is it Mu-Looser, what has KK to do with your politics. You are contradicting yourself imwe ba Mu-Looser. Do you know that RB was in KK’s government when Chitepo died? If this was engineered by KK that means RB was also involved. Even a grade 9 pupil can write a more convincing lie than yours ba Mu-Looser.
Ba Lucky so good to see your name here. Hope you and your family are fine. Am sure the children are all grown up now. Wow, it’s nearly 20 years since I saw you. I wish you the best in your life.
Highly misplaced artical!Tht aAndrew is under investigation why translate another trial to ths acused?Let him answer his allegations separately.Why being anxious?And who is interested in knowing a case which hapened a long time ago & sets no precedent to the curent case?ZWD uli ci puba do u understand?
Herbert Chitepo,who was he?
This is a great article, those with negative comments really shows how dull most learned zambians are. Nowada they voted a dull sata into state house. Pathetic fools indeed, how can a 5sensed grown up, trust sata with all the negative data abt him?
Zambians who voted for sata are all dull !
From the negative comment the story have received, it’s very clear that the message in the article has reached home. The nail has been hit on the head hence cry.