Chililabombwe following the boycott by international drivers to cross
into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The PF Government has expressed concern over the tensions at Kasumbalesa border where two lives have so far been lost in a space of one-week.
The Latest status update on the Presidential facebook page reads
A number of you have been contacting me in my inbox raising concern over the security situation at Kasumbalesa Border Post visa vis the recent unfortunate loss of lives.
Be assured that as Government we are equally concerned and have swiftly engaged our Congolese counterparts on the need to avert similar occurrences in future by tightening security at Kasumbalesa and ultimately preventing criminal elements from taking advantage to peddle their narrow and selfish interests.
The situation is being addressed and I therefore, appeal to all Zambians to remain calm. I have also directed all security wings to ensure that the safety of all Zambians and our neighbouring compatriots passing through our country is guaranteed. Lets maintain peace! MCS –
Chaos characterised Kasumbalesa border post yesterday after a Zimbabwean truck driver was shot dead by unknown people just a day after calm had returned to the area.The truck drivers had just resumed working after a boycott sparked by the brutal killing of their colleague, Patrick Mwila, 28, by a Congolese soldier on Thursday last week.This led to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Katanga Province Cabinet donating US $15,000 cash to the family of Patrick Mwila a truck driver who was shot dead by a police officer in that country.
Zambian and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) residents yesterday rioted in protest at the killing of the Zimbabwean driver as others took advantage of the situation to loot shops.
Police fired teargas to restrain the irate residents from causing further damage to property.
The 52-year-old Joseph Mwachande Howard of Vitwell Limited of South Africa, who was driving a Mercedes Benz truck registration number XKT 039GP, was shot twice while he was in a queue on the Zambian side between Minestone Market and Petroda Filling Station by unknown people.
Chililabombwe police commanding officer Grace Kalenga, when briefing Chililabombwe District Commissioner Stuart Chipumbi and the Mayor Godwin Matafwali, who had rushed to the scene, said police officers heard gun shots just after they had finished their patrols around 05:30 hours.
The cold-blooded murder sparked tension and stones rained from both ends of the border.
Some Zambians looted a shop they believed to be owned by a Congolese and stole about 100 mattresses which the police later recovered from some homes. Some Congolese who had gone to Divine Bakery on the Zambian side were trapped inside the bakery but were shielded from possible attacks by police officers.The truck drivers remained calm throughout the episode.
Katanga Province Governor Moise Katumbi held a closed-door meeting with Zambian officials after which he said the two neighbouring countries should urgently hold talks to find a solution to the problem.Mr Katumbi urged the truck drivers to continue with their work as the DRC had reinforced security.
Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge expressed regret at the killing of Mr Howard and appealed for calm among the residents as investigations were being carried out.Mr Musenge said he would visit Kasumbalesa Border Post where Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula and Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani were expected to join him to discuss the security situation.
I normally travel by air and trains, so I don’t understand much this tensions on borders
I will not comment and concentrate on my PhD
Thanks
I wouldn’t take seriously anyone who responds to such a serious matter via facebook.Mr President please update us with your latest pictures in London! Its 7 degrees in London today and 25 degree in Lusaka……Just wondering why your were advised to visit London in the middle of winter.
Ili lishilu mwati munu waba normal uyu
Facebook (Fakebook) President. Ruling from a lap-top (lap-dog). Atase! Ati bakateka, useless. Go there in person and assess the situation we nsoka iwe.
Where is this so-called “man of action”??????
Hiding behind a Facebook page to justify his INACTION!!
Useless fake facebook predident.
Do you mean Pull Him Down (PHD). Good luck.
My dear u have no Heart for Earthly God`s Creation. U mean u can`t understand that tension is going on at this boarder sure? Let me put clear to u one country here survives on bribes the others fight it and are all involved. So those that are involved find it strange in the manner it is done from the side of the country. Mind u in some country e.g. if u r looking for shoprite u have to pay to be shown and that’s how life is and has been. So nobody wants to know about your PHD issue here. Wat pipo want is positive national solution to this problem.
Ba Kaboke aba kwena batuchusha pafula. We must fight them back.
Just close the border!!! Loot all trucks headed to Congo – till they pay full compensation to the families affected, it is useless to wait for pamafi to do anything!!
You can now see how stewpid an idea it was tarring the Pedicle road!
ya,
Iwe kamushota! which Phd? you always walk on foot uletubepa kaboke
Only concerned! We should start by boycotting their: Music, business, services etc
why do you want to be a saint in future and not today; read all pauls letters, you will find saints addressed to in those letters, but you want to become a saint when and why not today my brother?
Off all the topics young George Chella and his propaganda team decide to respond to this one.
Government Made Simple
Author: Mark Zuckerberg
Exactly you can run the gov’t from the comfort of a bar sofa.
i SUGGEST THAT OUR GOVT MUST ASK THE CONGOLESE TO BE PICKING UP THE CARGO DESTINED FOR CONGO FROM KABWE WHILE BEING CHARGED THE FULL
CHARGE AS WHAT WAS TO BE PAID IF THE TRUCKS HAVE DELIVERED THE GOODS INTO
CONGO FOR THE CONGOLESE TO TIGHTEN SECURITY , IT IS THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN TREAT THIS ISSUE SERIOUS. I CAN ASSURE YOU THIS WILL BE THE LASTING SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM
Let’s make use of the redundant economic Zone in Chambishi. It will provide employment for our locals and we can also benifit more from toll gates. Let all goods destined for Congo be offloaded at the economic zone in Chambishi and have only trucks from Congo come to fetch from there. We then charge toll gate fees on trucks bringing to Chambish and and also charge the Congolese trucks coming to collect then they can continue to kill each other in their country.
Please let us immediately close off kasumbalesa bounder Post and let DRC airlift their cargo. Human life is extremely important than trade between Zambia and DRC. Repartriate all Congoleses immediately – Am sure they will learn a lesson of their lifetime from my Zimbabwean friends.
Iwe why close the border when they are other solutions possible. Trucks can travel in conveys with armed protection. Or containers can be exchanged n placed on drc etc
The solution here is to have a terminal Dry port in no man’s land and all cargo destined for DRC must be offloaded and the congolese will reload in their trucks and take the cargo into their Country. Before that we must close the border for one month under the guise of getting what I have said done. Let them starve for that month. Every thing they eat comes through Zambia why have we allowed them to call the shots. Imagine if the opposite was the situation we would be harassed like hell. They still harass our fishermen on lake Mweru. We are stupidly docile
Lets just send in a ‘RAMBO’ to teach those chaps a lesson!!!
panga family want to kill poor pipo by hunger.
Close the border & open up a dry-port on our side.
finito
Eh eh eh ‘speaking’ on facebook this morning . . . .blah blah blah . . . . . Awe twanaka na fi facebook!!!
Mr Sata stated that Zambian defense forces wer not active and needed some action. Since Sata is a man of action we await as commander in chief to order action soon even in a wheel chair orders will be obeyed.
These cousins of ours have gone too far now, we are providing food for them and they are killing us. Mr. Mosè Katumbi tell your brothers to stop killing innocent people otherwise it will not help to develop our nations, we need each other to develop our Africa.
Much as i would wish to sympathize with the bereaved families of the kasumbalesa tragedy victims,i believe as Zambians we are peace loving and God fearing.As such i would encourage my fellow zambian to surrender whatever grievances they might have in the hands of our peace loving God.Resolving such an issue with an iron fist may worsen things and consequently lead to more bloodshed.May God help us in finding a lasting solution without further loss of lives.Gudevening
Much as i would wish to sympathize with the bereaved families of the kasumbalesa tragedy victims,i believe as Zambians we are peace loving and God fearing.As such, i would encourage my fellow zambians to surrender whatever grievances they might have in the hands of our peace loving God.Resolving such an issue with an iron fist may worsen things and consequently lead to more bloodshed.May God help us in finding a lasting solution without further loss of lives.Gudevening
Its just a matter of time before Sata contradicts his fakebook postings, just wait.
DRC NI BA FIKALA
Zambia also. Its time to make a dry port and reap those Congolese through storage charges and so on….
That’s what Africans are good at..nonsense,when the whites say we have to be governed that’s what they mean.How do we continue killing each other like animals..? Any where you look and see organization just know that the whites where there.DRC even has no road connecting Lubumbashi to Kinshasa yet all minerals found in the world are also found there.We all know the Mobutu story and his wealth.Give DRC to the British to run for 50 years and you will see the difference..procedural organization deficiency a big issue in Africa …..Shem
Just visit Lubengele Tailings Dam after dark, it is a hive of activity for our friends from across the border. This we can decipher from the French/Swahili/Lingala being spoken. Admit it, the border at Kasumbalesa is as porous at that at Sakania and Mukambo
Move the border to cover all of Muchinga and other Bemba areas so that “the chosen tribe” can finally be reunited with their Congolese nationhood.We’ll ge a new “facelook” of our border with a more tribally pure Zambia.Sata can rule Katanga if he wants.
Bafikamba stop this primitive native mentality of tribalism.It’s old school ala!There are no tribes running away from Shaka anymore.The world is dynamic.Do not get stuck up in the 17th century.Gosh you an embarrassment to progressive Africans.Ask the Rwandans and currently the South Sudanese, the consequence of fanatical tribalism.You are the kind that incite tribalism or rather nativism because of your mediocrity and your perceived paranoia of being left out.Sick to the core!
Very soon Sata will graduate from Facebook to skype and will be running govt via skype from the Hague due to his accumulated human rights abuses.
just close the border enough is enough.
Libongani, Simbyakula these are the pipo who address the zambian pipo weCAN LISTEN TO THEM in such serious matters not chela facebook chela has no morals
This situation is very sensitive and it needs urgent and proper solutions. Things start small and if ignored for a long time breed into pandemonium. Can the leaders concerned from Zambia and Congo come up with a lasting solution. Anything beyond this will be unacceptable and the owners will be in their hands. This is a matter that need tough and frank decisions. It will not be right to scratch the problem on the surface and announce to the nation that all is ok now, that will be failure to address challenging international issues. Can you do your home work properly. We don’t want further problems!!!