DON’T KILL YOUR OWN
…Police must resist orders to kill unarmed, innocent people – M’membe
Government says two youths were shot dead and 11 police officers injured during a security operation aimed at flushing thousands of illegal gold miners out of Mufumbwe, but the death toll has been contested
Dr M’membe says the youths were simply trying to take what President Hakainde Hichilema promised them during campaigns
The loss of life through gunshots is unreasonable and painful.
By Mast Reporter
WHATEVER the temptations do not take orders to kill innocent and unarmed people, Socialist Party (SP) presidential candidate Dr Fred M’membe has appealed to the Zambia Police Service.
Dr M’membe made the appeal yesterday when he addressed the media on the violence that erupted in Mufumbwe District in North-western Province last weekend in which two gold miners were shot dead by police.
“There were no young people there with firearms firing at you. Let’s be careful in the way we deal with our people. Whatever the temptations, let’s not go on killing each other. To the police officers, do not take orders to kill innocent people, to kill unarmed people,” he said.
Dr M’membe blamed President Hakainde Hichilema for failing to fulfil the promises he made to the youths in his campaigns for the 2021 election.
“Again, Mr Hichilema, don’t promise things you cannot do. When you make such a promise to young people, they take it seriously and they go and implement it themselves. If you can’t implement what you promised them, they will implement it themselves, for themselves,” he said.
“You can’t kill people you promised something for trying to take something that you promised them. They were simply trying to take what you promised them.
And they die? Mr Hichlema, have a heart. Try to remember what you said yesterday. Try to honour the promises you make to people.”
Dr M’membe said Hichilema had led the young people to believe that they had the right to mine and could earn a living from mining.
“What have you done for these young miners anywhere in the country? The only thing that we know has been happening is in these mining areas, people have shared. You, the leaders, have shared,” he said.
“Shared among yourselves. Shared among your friends. And you are killing them because they’re encroaching on the areas that you have assigned to yourselves or to your friends. They also have the right. As you correctly stated in your statement to them before the elections, they have also a right to mine. They have the right to own land on which to mine. Don’t kill them. How many people are you going to kill?”
He said the loss of life through gunshots was unreasonable and painful.
“Instead of honouring his promise, instead of giving them what he promised them, he has given them death. That’s his gift to them.
This is not the way again to govern a country. This is not the way to lead people. Those young people did not die committing crimes,” Dr M’membe said.
He said it was sad that the UPND government had turned police against the people they were supposed to protect.
According to government, two youths were shot dead and 11 police officers injured during a security operation aimed at flushing thousands of illegal gold miners, including foreigners, out of Kikonge Gold Mine site in Mufumbwe.
But some eyewitnesses have disputed that figure as economical saying the death toll could be much higher.
Police have been accused of robbing the illegal miners of cash in thousands of kwacha and raw gold before and during the operation.
Calls for an independent investigation to establish the truth and to bring the erring officers to justice for engaging in criminality have been mounting.
