DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo’s Katanga Province governor Moses Katumbi has assured drivers from all countries in the region of safety in that country following the killing of a Zambian truck driver Derrick Chanda.
Mr Katumbi has also condemned the people who torched Mr Chanda in his truck on Wednesday evening after he allegedly knocked down two pedestrians who were in a funeral procession.
“Security is in place and we are here to protect everyone. So they [drivers] should feel safe when they are here,” Mr Katumbi said in an exclusive telephone interview from Lubumbashi yesterday.
He said although Mr Chanda allegedly killed two people, it was wrong for the mob to mete out instant mob justice on him. “We can’t allow people to take the law into their hands because we want to protect everyone,” he said.
He said the incident happened at a village in the bush where there was no police presence. Mr Katumbi said the Katanga government has deployed security personnel to the area and have apprehended some suspects accused of taking part in burning Mr Chanda and the truck he was driving.
The Katanga governor-cum-businessman, who spent a long time in Zambia before relocating to the DRC, said his government is determined to maintain warm relations between the two countries. “Congo and Zambia used to be one country before the whites [colonialists] demarcated the borders. We are brothers and we speak the same languages,” he said.
He urged Congolese to desist from any acts of violence against foreigners, saying such conduct can cause diplomatic tiffs.
And Minister of Home Affairs Kennedy Sakeni has directed police to be alert and arrest anyone staging reprisal attacks against innocent Congolese living in Zambia. Some people yesterday attacked Congolese traders at Soweto market in retaliation.
Mr Sakeni said some criminal elements have taken advantage of the situation and are engaging in criminal activities following the incident.
“People must appreciate the regrettable circumstances under which the incident happened. It was a spontaneous reaction by mourners who vented their anger on the driver after he ploughed his truck into the mourners.
“It was not a planned action. We have Zambians living and doing business in Congo and we don’t need acrimony. Let’s continue living in harmony. I have directed the police to be alert and criminal elements that have taken advantage of the situation will be dealt with,” he said
Mr Sakeni said the authorities will ensure that nobody takes advantage of the situation to create a rift between Zambia and Congo. “We have always lived as one…. we have a long history and most tribes in Zambia originally hailed from Congo,” Mr Sakeni said.
He said Mr Katumbi called him yesterday and assured him that all is well along the border and that Zambians travelling to DRC should feel free. “Other areas of concern will be discussed at the region-to-region meetings between Katanga, Copperbelt and Luapula provinces because these can’t wait for the Joint Permanent Commission and I urge officers at the borders to meet regularly and resolve common problems,” he said.
Meanwhile, NKOMBO KACHEMBA reports that the protest by Southern African Development Community (SADC) truck drivers at Kasumbalesa border over the murder of Mr Chanda has continued.
A check by the Sunday Mail at the border post found trucks marooned at the clearance bay, while others lined up on a 19-kilometre-long queue. The truck drivers have also blocked the entrance for heavy duty vehicles at the Kasumbalesa border facility clearing bay.
And on the DRC side, the truck drivers have parked their vehicles in solidarity with their colleagues on the Zambian side. There is a heavy presence of police in full riot gear keeping vigil.
SADC Drivers Association chairperson, Stanley Muluka said the drivers will continue with the work stoppage until they are addressed by senior government officials from the two countries. Mr Muluka alleged that truck drivers passing through the DRC have suffered harassment and intimidation from police officers and some local people for a long time.
He said the DRC government should put a stop to the alleged harassment. “We are demanding that top officials from the DRC and the Zambian government address us to resolve this problem of harassment. As truck drivers from the SADC region, we have been experiencing a lot of harassment from Congolese nationals,” Mr Muluka said.
Mr Muluka described the killing of Mr Chanda as inhuman. He said Mr Chanda’s brutal murder has instilled fear in the drivers because their security is not guaranteed.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
