Police have dispelled assertions that the three slain Mailon brothers in Luano valley could be just any other ordinary villagers saying the trio was positively identified not only by their mother and brother but also by several other people.

Central Province Commissioner of Police Standwell Lungu said in an interview yesterday that there was no mistaken identity about the three brothers who were gunned down around 15.00 hours on Monday by security wings deep in the thick forest where they had set up camp.

Mr Lungu was reacting to continued speculation in Central province suggesting that the three who were shot dead were not the most-wanted Mailon brothers but just ordinary villagers.

The three brothers, Mika, 35, Fabian, alias Tunda, 27, and Stephano, 31, were believed to have killed in cold blood 12 people, using bows and arrows.

News of the trio’s killing was received with mixed feelings while some celebrated their death especially people of Chief Chembe’s area who had been living in fear for close to seven years. while others felt they should have been left to face the law to have an understanding on why they killed people.

The three were buried in Kabwe on Friday afternoon in the presence of security officers after positive identification by their mother, a bother and several other independent people who included some villagers and primary school mates as well as friends their at Shimpupula village.

“Apart from the mother to the brothers and a surviving brother Nelson, security wings were alive to the fact that such speculation may come up hence the decision to ask independent people to assist in identifying the bodies.

He said two former school mates of the three in Luano valley and three villagers who were allegedly some of those having been attacked by the trio all positively identified the brothers separately.

“The question of shooting wrong people does not stand because they were positively identified and therefore the chapter is closed and police is ready to ensure people in the valley feel safe once again,” he said.

Plans were underway to set up a police post within the valley to ensure people and properties were protected.

Mother to the Mailon brothers’ 70 year old Janet Ngimu in an interview recently said she would not go back to Luano where she hails from because she did not know how people would react especially those who lost their loved ones at the hands of his sons.

She said the killings were traumatising and she would live to remember forever considering that she was also a victim and his son who often times were beaten up by the three sons.

Among their victims was Zambia Flying Doctor Service chief pilot Moses Masumba and Chief Chembe’s adviser, Christopher Nyama Champe of Shimpupula Village and headman Mbalakawe Chipokolo of Shitambeni Village.

Police said one of the three brothers was found wearing worn out shoe suspected to be gotten from Dr Masumba.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police Solomon Jere has urged villagers who had fled the valley to go back as Luano was now safe.

Two children aged 12 and 8 years have lost their lives in a road accident after a vehicle driven by their mother plunged into a ditch near Nyumba Yanga area in Lusaka.

Their mother, Makhosazana Dlamini Haanzele lost control of her Suzuki Grant Vatara Reg ALC 2482 as she was chasing after her husband Frank Haanzele whom she suspected was carrying a girlfriend.

The accident occurred around 20 Hours on Friday 28th June at the junction of Leopards Hill and Godfery Chitalu road.

The kids, Michelo (8) and Jolezya (12) who were passengers died while the husband and the wife are injured and admitted in UTH.

Police Acting Spokesperson Charity Chanda confirmed the accident and said the vehicle overturned due to excessive speed.

Ms Chanda said the accident happened when the woman,Makhosazana Dlamin Haanzele who was driving a Suzuki Grant Vitara registration number ALC 2482 was with her three children and her brother-in law when the accident occurred.

“Makhosazana who was with her three children and brother-in-law in her car decided to pursue her husband’s vehicle and in the process lost control of the car due to excessive speeding and over-turned. Two of her children died,” Ms Chanda said.

She said the bodies of the deceased are at the UTH mortuary.

Makhosazana who is said to be in a state of shock and one of her surviving child are admitted to University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
By press time, Makhosazana who had not been informed of her children’s tragic passing had not been visited in hospital by her husband.

Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson, Justice Ireen Mambilima, has observed that the public media have been abrogating the Electoral Code of conduct as it provides unbalanced coverage of news among political parties.

Speaking during a youth conference against electoral malpractice and violence under the theme, Support Peaceful Elections, Justice Mambilima noted that the public media have been biased towards the ruling party as observed in the 2006 and 2011 general elections.

She noted that even during the nominations for the Chipata Central Constituency by elections last Thursday, the public media covered the ruling PF while the opposition political parties were not covered.

Justice Mambilima said that the national broadcaster, ZNBC, only aired the filing in of nominations by the PF candidate, Lameck Mangani, and not the other four parliamentary hopefuls.

She stated that the ECZ intends to discuss the matter with ZNBC and noted that it was unfair for the media to show biasness towards one political party.

She, however, stated that the ECZ has not been experiencing such problems with the private media.

Meanwhile, Justice Mambilima has called on youths to promote peaceful elections as they go to the polls on July 25, 2013.

Justice Mambila said youths have a role to play to ensure elections are held in a conducive environment in the district by refraining from engaging in violent activities which could influence apathy.

She said the commission has notice that most youths are vulnerable as they are used as tools of violence during elections.

“You should not allow them to use you to settle their political scores. They cannot allow their children to engage in such activities because they know it has repercussions,” she said.

Justice Mambilima stated that the commission is committed to ensure violent free elections by engaging youths in the electoral process, adding that they should also encourage others to register and also participate in the elections of the country.

She said youths were the future of the nation such that they should be responsible to uphold the peace the country was enjoying.

Justice Mambilima said youths should be ambassadors of peace and stressed the need for them to share the knowledge acquired from the interaction with their colleagues who did not have the opportunity.

“When you engage in a violent acts, you scare away voters, hence the need for you to desist from violence during campaigns and to the run up to the polling day,’’ he added.

Justice Mambilima also urged all political parties to be tolerant with each other to avoid misunderstandings characterized during elections by engaging in issue-based campaigns.

She said there is need for tolerance among political players, adding that she expected violent-free elections in Chipata central.

Justice Mambilima said the forefathers already shed blood for the country and that there was no need for youths to die but what was required is to consolidate the democracy that the country was enjoying.

And Justice Mambilima said ECZ is an independent body that does not succumb to pressure from both the ruling and the opposition political parties.

Justice Mambilima said the commission enjoys being an autonomous electoral management body promoting democratic governance by conducting elections according to the law.

And speaking at the same function ECZ Director, Priscilla Isaacs, said the when the commission met traditional leaders earlier this week, chiefs raised a concern of youths who were being ferried from town during campaigns.

Ms Isaacs said the chiefs complained that drunken youths from town caused violence in rural communities during times of elections.

She said from the meeting it was expected that the youths would come out untied.

ZANIS