Commandos not involved in Kabwe murder – Zambia Army
By Mast Reporter
THE Zambia Army says allegations and reports circulating on different media platforms suggesting that eight commandos have been implicated in the death of a civilian in Kabwe are unfounded.
However, reacting to the statement by the Zambia Army a Kabwe resident has demanded that if indeed the assailants were not commandos, police must arrest the real culprits and show them to the public with their identities.
There have been social media reports that eight commandos in Kabwe District of Central Province beat a civilian to death a few days ago.
The Mast also carried a story of the alleged murder of Jordan Siame by eight male suspects at his bar in yesterday’s edition.
But Zambia Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sydney Mwewa said in a statement yesterday following an exhaustive internal inquiry corroborated by findings by the Zambia Police Service, no evidence had been found to support the reports.
Lieutenant Colonel Mwewa said there was no evidence of any member of the Special Forces being involved in the incident.
He said there are presently no commandos deployed in Kabwe, nor are there any Special Forces operations underway in the district that would necessitate such a deployment.
“In light of these baseless allegations, the Zambia Army reaffirms its advisory to members of the public to refrain from donning attire bearing resemblance to official military dress. This practice poses a significant security risk, enabling individuals with criminal intent to misrepresent themselves and undermine public confidence in the Zambia Army,” Lieutenant Colonel Mwewa said.
He said the Zambia Army was urging members of the media to uphold the highest standards of journalistic integrity by ensuring that all reports were thoroughly verified and accurately presented.
Unsubstantiated reporting had the potential to erode public trust and destabilise societal cohesion.
“The Zambia Army remains resolute in its constitutional mandate to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Zambia. In fulfilment of this duty, it shall continue to serve with utmost professionalism, honour and dedication to national service,” he said.
However, reacting to the statement by the Zambia Army Kabwe resident Teddy Nkunka has demanded that if indeed the assailants of Siame were not commandos, police must immediately arrest the real culprits and show them to the public with their identities.
Nkunka urged police in Kabwe to issue a statement to the media.
“All in all, we demand justice to prevail whether it is the commandos, ordinary soldiers or civilians that killed Siame,” he said.
Nkunka said as a result of recent happenings in Kabwe people were now living in constant fear of being harmed.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Mast carried out the necessary verification in line with the tenets and ethics of journalism before running the story.
