National Restoration Party President Elias Chipomo has written to President Edgar Lungu requesting that he gets involved in the matter involving the death of Vespers Shimunzhila, a fourth year student at the University of Zambia who died due to suffocation a month ago.
Mr. Chipimo said President Lungu’s status does not only confer privilege but it confers responsibility and with the power at his disposal, he can order an independent investigation as well as an independent inquiry under the Inquiries Act that the public releases the coroner’s report into the cause of Vespers’ death.
In a letter made available to the media, Mr. Chipimo said the President can also ensure that the police investigation of this matter will not be a coverup by facilitating the engagement of an independent investigation team that could include one or more local and foreign experts with proven integrity.
Mr. Chipimo said the President can also assure Vespers’ family and the nation that no stone will be left unturned in getting to the truth of what transpired on that fateful night.
Below is the Full Letter
Greetings President Lungu
Justice for Vespers Shimunzhila
It is now more than a month since Vespers Shimunzhila’s life was so cruelly taken away by the hand of a man who may well be a father himself and who ,as an ordinary Zambian,must surely know what it means to lose a loved one.I doubt there is any Zambian that has not experienced painful loss and bereavement,yourself included.
The author and speaker, Simon Sinek says leadership boils down to two things: empathy and perspective.Perhaps you do not understand the outrage and outpouring of grief over the death of an innocent young girl in her prime because she was not your daughter.I can tell you,however,that as a leader,this is exactly how you should consider this matter. To do so,you need to ask yourself some hard questions.
1.If Vespers was your very own daughter how would you feel about the way she died?
2. What would you do?
3. What Justice would you want to see done?
4.Would you wish this situation on anyone else?
A person with even an ounce of humanity would not let a matter like this rest if they had the power to prevent it from happening again. This is the power you have Mr.President. Your status does not only confer privilege,it confers responsibility.With the power at your disposal you can order an independent investigation as well as an independent inquiry under the Inquiries Act: you can order the public release of the coroners report into the cause of Vespers death: you can ensure that the police investigation of this matter will not be a cover up by facilitating the engagement of an independent investigation team that could include one or more local and foreign experts with proven integrity: you can assure Vespers family and the nation that no stone will be left unturned in getting to the truth of what transpired on that fateful night: you can assure the nation that there will be no scared cows when it comes to identifying who was ultimately responsible for giving the order to fire teargas canisters into student hostels.
In addition,Mr.President you can convene a meeting of all stakeholders (representatives of public motorists,students ,police local council,business houses ,members of parliament and councillors) to determine the best options for ensuring that an incident like this never happens again and to mount a public campaign of support for an end to student riots that damage other peoples’s property and the police brutality that has tended to accompany it.There can be no doubt that it was wrong for a handful of students to take to the streets in the early hours of the morning and damage private property. It was equally wrong for the police to respond with brutality.particularly by firing teargas canisters into the room of sleeping female students that played no part in any of the disturbances.You can also offer your deepest and most sincere condolences and apology to Vespers family and to the nation for not having acted sooner and more decisively in this matter,after all the Bible says ” The end of a matter is better than its beginning.”(Ecclesiastes 7:8)
In this instance, it is not what you haven’t done that will count when people assess your leadership Mr.President,but what you chose to do when you finally realised what you ought to have done in the first place.The Bible also says:”He then who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it.” (James 4:17)
Mr.President,I urge you to do the good you ought to do and deliver justice for Vespers.That precious young soul may no longer be with us but it is not too late for you to do the right thing.
Elias C. Chipimo
National Restoration Party (NAREP)
Mr. Chipimo, Sir;
Could you also cc your letter to women NGOCC and women Parliamentarians who seem troubled by a woman who was asked to pick up litter by a Simon Mwewa. They seem to have their priorities misplaced.
Writing an OPEN letter to any president in the world is the surest way of not expecting a response. Good luck
No need for the President to get involved. The courts will solve this simple matter. Condolences to the family HAGAIN.
BACHIPIMO BENA, AWE KUWAYAWAYAFYE the president getting involved in the death of Vesper? MHSRIP. Mmmmmm? How? Tedobo iyi nomba? When double h was locked up you same seeds called for the president to get involved. When it suites you, yes the president should interfere. When it doesn’t he must stay in his organ. What Chipimo is asking for is unconstitutional. That is like “uncivic”. This matter is for the IG and the courts. Separation of powers, bachipimo. “Umuntu ewasambilishe inkalamo ukwikata pamukoshi” Naleka.
Ba Chipimo, blah, blah, blah. It is disegenious of you to think that you would get a response from Mr Lungu let alone an independent investigation. It’s time that you guys come up with better ways to air your grievances because otherwise it’s business as usual for the party in government. You cannot have a tea party with people used to drinking out of ifikopo, you will never win this fight and especially with society that most Zambians exhibit, too afraid to get dirty
With the docility of most Zambia
Well done chipimo.This is brilliant peace of writing. Mhsrip
This is not a caring president. He is absent and not in control, only opens his eyes to receive monies when the Chinese grease his palm.
if it was a chinese who was killed , the action was going to be very quick……….. Zambian life is worth nothing…… any thing that smells anti PF is not worth considering……….. African leaders for real……….
Chipimo,
If the President gets involved in the investigations, who will receive the report and take action? You?!!!!
Just get permission and attend one of the cabinet meetings and see how involved everyone is.
I honestly thought chipimo had both political and civic brains. I am getting disappointed everytime a post of his is wire on LT. Mwati opposition ilimo mu Zambia baba? Nikisi.
Alias Chipimo, how much deaths occurred between now and Visperz’s ..? If president Lungu investigates ( I don’t know if ECL is an investigator) Is she going to come back to life…?
Regardless of what you can think about her death. The sad truth is that she is gone for good .
SHE IS DEAD!!!!!!!
In my opinion, Elias is right by airing his views.
Secondly, Mr P, the deaths which you speak about are quite different from this one and we all know that. I am also sure you would comment differently if she was closely related to you.
This is about preventing a similar happening in future. Human life is valuable and way above politics.
HH was behind demos. Police are looking for wrong people. Just coz Nkandu Luo wants ZANASU dead, police now want ZANASU and UNZA student. HH will walk to freedom while students will be sacrificed coz that is what Luo wants.
That’s why we need Scotland Yard. ..to investigate how the poor girl got killed and how to avoid such to happen in future. ..include how the whole thing started etc.
Thank you Mr. Chipimo. The outcome of this campaign/enquiry should be ‘Vespers Law’, that shields students from police brutality when they are within the confinement of an educational institution. Vespers died in a room, how could she have been rioting? It’s campaigns like this that will lift NAREP up to where it belongs. Then the whole country is in uproar about a woman with a child on her back picking up litter. Really? Are we so accustomed to litter that the whole nation should cry about picking it up? You have a lot on your hands Sir, but we are behind you.
Elias is one sober minded fellow that cares for the country. Writing to the head of state is at least putting on record what his intentions are. It’s up to the president and all of us to make sure justice prevails. We all have children and relatives at UNZA, so we are not immune to such abuse of power. Thanks Elias, straight and directed. No blame no accusations just a simple request. Well done!!
Elias, well done. You have my full support. I always want to hear your sober minded, genuine and neutral views.
Leave the president outa this. Let relavant authorities do their job. If they can’t, find out why and call for reforms. Everywhichway you choose to look at it, the president can’t investigate and if its what I think you mean, he will use the same people who should already be doing something about it the case. But he knows he has competent individuals who are already doing the job.
Stupidity behavior by her fellow students caused her death Lungu can’t do anything.