By Sakwiba Sikota
“Wakanda Forever” the sequel to “Black Panther” is about to be released. Sampa the Great has provided some music to the soon to be released movie giving it a Zambian twang.
There was Hollywood type action in Zambia yesterdasy in Chalala staring Agness Kapwaya and Robby Chitambo leading to the rescue and release of Pamela Chisumpa the mobile money agent and twelve other abductees aged between seventeen to twenty eight years old.
“His act of great bravery exemplifies the values which help unite our national community, such as courage, selflessness, altruism and taking care of the most vulnerable,” would apply not only to Robby but also to Agness. These words were however not said about Agness or Robby.
These words were in a decree signed by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe referring to Mamoudou Gassama.
Four years ago in Paris France Mamoudou Gassama, a young 22-year-old Malian migrant, rescued a four year old child dangling from a balcony and the video showing him scaling up four floors to rescue the child went viral.
By the time Parisian emergency services arrived at the building, he had already pulled the child to safety. This is much like today’s drama; by the time the Zambia Police arrived the abducted girls had already been rescued by Agness and Robby.
The Paris fire brigade tweeted: “Mamoudou shares the values of the Paris fire brigade. We are ready to welcome him.” The Zambia Police did not mention Robby or Agness in their press release and unlike the Paris Fire Brigade who did not claim credit for the rescue; Zambia Police seem to want to receive awards and credit for the rescue.
The official statement from Zambia Police reads in part, “With a sense of relief I would like to inform the nation through you the press that today the 3rd October, 2022 we have managed to safely rescue Pamela Chisumpa together with thirteen other ladies that were held captive in a house in Chalala area of Lusaka…….
This was after a long protracted investigation that we have continuously pursued since April this year when she was abducted along Cairo road in Lusaka.”
There was no mention of the central role played by Agness or Robby. It is gratifying that people like Laura Miti, Thomas Sipalo and Miles Sampa have recognized in their various public posts the role played by Agness and Robby.
Miles Sampa wrote, “The girl [Agness] could have been hurt and they caught her escaping while Robby was extra brave and mobilized friends to go rescue the other girls including Pamela.
The girl [Agness] risked her life escaping and so did Robby taking the matter in his own hands raiding the captive house. They raided without any sophisticated weapons but just an axe.“
President Emmanuel Macron invited Gassama to the Élysée Palace a day or two after the incident, where he was given a certificate and a gold medal for performing an act of courage and dedication.
President Hakainde must take steps like President Macron did for Gassama and honour Agness and Robby for their bravery and selfishness. We do not have to wait for the next Heroes and Unity Day and a special investiture ceremony can be done like he did when he conferred The Order of The Eagle of Zambia’ 1st Division, to former President of Liberia Sirleaf Johnson, Former President of the Republic of Liberia, Former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo,, and Former President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma earlier this year.
President Hakainde would not even need to explain to the Zambian people why he is giving Agness and Robby the award.
Macron gave Gassama the not only the award but also French citizenship because Gassama earned the international sobriquet ‘Spider-man’ after he scaled a Paris building to save a boy hanging from a fourth-floor balcony.
Everyone agrees that Robby and Agness, who scaled the wall to save the abductees, are our Zambian ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Spider-woman’.
ZP wouldnt find anyone hiding under their noses too ashamed to recognise the brave guys …they are too incompetent…this story is very difficult to follow because the information is not concise no offical or mainstream media info I mean what was the motive and were these girls sexually harassed or harmed whilst in capitivity. The media in Zambia was sleeping whilst this news was breaking if this was about the Royal family in England they would have giving information by the minute.
It was live on Prime TV, Dead NBC were following protocol and it took too long for them to air the event. The police had no comment!
Sakwiba is so childish, I think Shean is better because he is a teenagish.
Kikikikiki if it was Prince Charles losing his pet dog it would be big headlines. Brainwashed press. They only repeat what’s happening in London
As we comomerate this year’s Independence Day let the state recognize the real fighters for independence of the community, young man ROBBY
Viva Robby! Our hero!
Kudos to the brave warrior for the bravely to rescuing the young ladies, also kudos to the young lady that scaled the wall fence to alert the neighbors. My only worry is how come we only knew about Pamela alone and yet 12 more girls were abducted. We were going on with our lives while young ladies were disappearing. Police should have alerted the nation so that- people could have taken precautions and protect the girl child.
Thanks Saki for the write up. We’re no longer safe in our own country and sadly to say the police won’t give us full information since a UPND cadre was involved. The police will endeavor to protect the image of the party led by the king on the throne.
However the nation is elated that some truth will be unraveled in the abduction of Pamela and others whom we never heard of from the ZP.
The police are too busy begging from drivers on the street to be able to solve such simple crimes .
This is the result of politicising the crucial government departments . What have the OPs CIDs , Anti robbery squads and all security government agencies been doing? Embarrassing for the state !!
Please take note that the ring abductor is a well known upnd cadre. We don’t need to say much. You thought those guys won elections genuinely? Coffins and charms.
Pf UK
PF Uk. Cant you just see that people are not interested in your post. Write something sensible
Credit should go to the citizens who rescued the girls
‘They used to buy condoms and pads.’ Robby Chitambo.
This tells it all.
The problem is the lack of a sense of forensic duty by the police. The women should have been taken to UTH for medical examination and psychological counselling for the trauma they suffered in the months before. What we see instead is total negligence by an incompetent police service and an ignorant populace.
It is very hurting and traumatizing to see that this can happen here in Zambia the country we call a Christina nation. Here let us call a spade a spade. The police we have were out smarted and were no where near finding these girls. why do i say this?
1. The only person they knew to have been abducted was Pamela
2. The police had no clue on how and where to search for the same Pamela even if they have new technology at their disposal.
3. The 12 girls found together with Pamela were not even in their books
If i was the AG all i would have done was to congratulate the two brave soldiers of the day (AGNESS AND ROBBY) for a job well done INSTEAD of congratulating the police for the job they did not do. Sometimes we must be ashamed even to ourselves in such moments where we want people…
Nchito. He wants to protect his job
Very emberassing statement from the Police talking about potracted investigations? How was it linked to the rescue?…With due respect personally think the IG is failing this government and should be given another job away from ZP
Very incompetent ZAMBIA POLICE FORCE claiming they have rescued the girls. Did they???
It’s Agness to praise here not Kajoba
Well said mbuya, if these young people are employable please they have earned a places at Lilayi and Zambia Police!
Look our Investigator General is incompetent. Let’s put this young man Robby as IG and get rid of deadwood like Kajoba.
Beggars belief! Typical local names, in the last paragraph actually confirms these are our own Zambian young men – not foreign cultists I erroneously thought they were. How crushing! I am struggling to make sense of this anomaly. What has happened to our common Zambian culture of benevolence and care for each other’s wellbeing? Are we now in an era of unfettered selfishness; do as you like to whomever, regardless of consequences? Truly sad.
The Police are dull. Our Police are so behind.
Kajoba has been mentioned in the police statement as the great robocorp who conducted this successful operation. Owe mwebantu! People who just drink tea in the office have jumped on the bandwagon!
kkkkkkkk what a shame to the entire command and honeslty on moral grounds the entire command must resign.We have no system in zambia and ZICTA has no proper system to track the calls in this country.And this entails that we are indanger.